Young Enough To Be My Grandchild

I just finished reading another article stating the general characteristics for each generation of working Americans. It takes the study that classifies the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, GenX, and the latest into what an employer should expect in the way of work habits, goals, how to talk to them, their needs and general feelings about work. It can be helpful when you are trying to motivate, assign tasks, and relate.

If you are an older supervisor (let's say Baby Boomer and older), you will have more and more younger employees working for you. You may even work for them.

If you are a younger supervisor (GenX and below) you will be dealing for a good many years with older supervisors and employees. When that situation stops, you will be the older generation.

At times during my career, I found myself mystified by the different thought processes of my employees from different generations. Also, at times, I was just as mystified by the different thought processes of men, those from different social circles, races, religions, towns, regions of the state, education, and just about every other things that could make us different from each other. In other words, you must handle each work situation and worker as an individual. That doesn't sound too earth shaking because it is so simple. It doesn't need formulas, generalities, tests, or labels. It simply requires you to treat each person in your working environment with the same respect you treat those that make you comfortable and compatible.

One treatment I had to learn as I got older, "Don't try to mother an employee." I wouldn't mother the CEO that is twenty years older than me so why would I feel it was appropriate to mother the one twenty years younger? Instead of using the formula to classify or box in generations, treat each person with equal respect for their differences.

Leviticus 26:9 "For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you." God is asking us to be obedient to his guidance.