It's time for the generational battle royale 🤺
It’s a mad (libs) world when we rely on arbitrary years to tell us about our fellow humans at work.
Hi nice workers! Happy Monday and welcome to the week where trust me, it isn’t just you - there’s not much going on. 🎄
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been sourcing some excellent guest writers for our newsletter and excited to kick off today with one from a verified genius (truly, she’s brilliant).
If you have an opinion about work you’re dying to get out there, reach out! If you’re not sure you can have your name on it, don’t worry, I’m happy to take credit for it publish it anonymously.
Hi there, guest writer Emily here! I have a slightly different perspective on the workplace, but like all of you, I have worked at a job and I think we should be nicer at it!
My current role is in healthcare as a pharmacist. I work closely with people who have just graduated pharmacy school all the way through people who have been pharmacists for longer than I have been alive. It’s an interesting workplace dynamic.
We have a large age range of people who are all expected to show up to work and provide the same level of expertise and patient care. We also all must work as a team to make sure our patients are cared for without a clear hierarchy.
I’m here to tell you that generational differences are not only a myth, but are actively harmful to your workspace.
Think about the last headline you read regarding generational differences. Did it make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, with an appreciation of the strengths of people of a different age?
No, I bet it didn’t. It’s much more tribal than that.
(Even the concept of “Millennials killed the…” is a verifiable meme now).
How tribal? Mad-Lib-level.
If you’re not familiar, Mad Libs is a common childhood game where you insert different types of words in a template to make a fun story. Best played with a partner so they can be surprised by the final result!
Nice Work Mad-Lib on Generations
My name is ______(name) and I am ______ (number) years old.
This puts me in the ________(your generation) group.
At my workplace I ______ (verb) where I _______ (adverb) annoy _____ (other generation).
When I see headlines about how different age groups ruin/destroy/wreck ____ (plural noun), I am immediately transported into a feeling of generational tribalism. As humans, we love being part of a group! And all of these stories put me on high alert to watch out for the “other” behavior of older and younger generations.
Reader, it is time for a new way of thinking. But don’t just take my word for it, we can ask the experts. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is a United States based, government-chartered organization whose goal is to “provide independent, objective advice to inform policy with evidence, spark progress and innovation, and confront challenging issues for the benefit of society.”
Lucky for us, in 2020 they produced a 176-page (!!) report on this very topic1!
As a member of _______ (your generation), you obviously don’t like to (circle one) use computers/read/work hard/scroll with a trackpad, so I’ve covered the key points for you.
On the Origin of the (Generational) Species
Generations were not intended to be used as a way to describe individuals!
Not a two way street: the first sociological theories hypothesized generational shifts were one way to describe social progress, but did not use social progress or historic events to define individuals.
Using generational differences may be a red herring. It’s just as possible that the characteristics of work itself change over the years and that people of all ages have natural variation upon gaining new experiences.
Case Study: COVID-19
Most generational studies cannot adequately separate cohort effects (social influences that predominantly affect a certain group, i.e. generations) and period effects (social influences that affect everyone in society).
Cohort effect: could be defined by generation, but could also be defined by a large number of other cohorts that would be more specific to a research question and provide a clearer answer. For example, office workers versus healthcare workers, socioeconomic status, or people with pre-existing health conditions.
This report concluded that it is unlikely that the cohort effect of a certain generation would have a significantly larger effect than the period effect, limiting the utility of generational cohorts at all. Researchers should be aware of their own generational stereotype biases and investigate alternative explanations for observed workplace differences.
To illustrate, a young person entering the workforce during the pandemic likely will have difficult headwinds to navigate on their career and earnings. However, this generalization will vary significantly on the occupation they have chosen, which means looking at their generation alone will not be generalizable.
Why it matters: Generational management and YOU
Generational stereotypes are worse than just a gross oversimplification; they open the door to significant prejudice and bias for oneself and others. In the United States, this could put you and your company at risk of an Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) claim.
Rachel note: Same thing in Europe, and it applies even if you’re not a company owner. If you manage people, you need to be aware of it.
It is comfortable and easy to assign differences to generational status. It provides a level of simplification in an overly complex world.
I hope by the use of this Mad Libs thought process, you realize that using language to separate generations and their differences is as arbitrary as choosing fun words at random.
In other words: Delightful, but without utility in your place of work.
This new year, I challenge you to meet people where they are without preconceived stereotypes.
Easier said than done — but you as a member of _____ (your generation) are certainly up to the challenge.
Thanks for being here and for reading!
And as always, if you have a topic you’d like us to cover here at Nice Work, get in touch.
xRachel
PS. If you want some more guest post magic, read this one from Sean about meeting up IRL.
Are Generational Categories Meaningful Distinctions for Workforce Management? National Academies Press; 2020. doi:https://doi.org/10.17226/25796. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/25796/chapter/1