"Why Can't They Be More Like We Were...Perfect in Every Way

What's the matter with kids today?" Musical theatre fans will recognize these questions from Bye Bye Birdie but it seems to be the implicit question I hear many 50-something supervisors asking when they complain about the "work ethic" of younger workers. These complaints tick me off because I'm the mother of three young men, 23 to 30 years old.  All three have been promoted into management positions. Two are also in school.  The third is working 60 hours a week. No work ethic? Then we have my son's friend who works full-time and also has a part-time job. No work ethic?  Or how about the 20-somethings sitting next to me at lunch, writing a contract while they ate.  No work ethic? 

I don't think these examples are the exceptions that prove the rule. I think my sons and his friend, and the other young adults I see working so many hours and so hard are normal, typical people of their age. So what's going on with the supervisors who are complaining? In a word, culture. I believe the managers who complain about their younger employees don't understand them any more than our parents understood us. And like the worst of our parents, they don't want to find out. Last week I suggested to a supervisor that she get to know her staff better. Her response was to note they like to go to bars and she wasn't about to start to go to bars with them. That's all they like?  That's all they are about is bars? She'll never know until she understands them and she'll never understand them if doesn't get to know them better.

The problem with bias is that we identify behaviors that re-enforce our biases. So this supervisor will probably notice when her employees talk about bars or drinking or partying. Yet she may not notice when they talk about family or volunteer work or the extra work they did at home last night. To make it worse, she won't be aware she's doing it. This is why bias is so difficult to overcome. Unless someone points out that what we're thinking or saying is biased, our way seems normal and right to us. 

So here is your challenge. If you're one of those people complaining about your younger employees, ask yourself..."What do I really know about them? Do I know why they leave work right at 5? Do I know if they're working two jobs, in school or supporting a family? Do I know their values?" As my son said, "I'm very loyal...to people, not organizations." Rather than criticize him, why not have a conversation with him about why he thinks that way? You may learn there are some very valid reasons for his belief. And what if, after making an attempt to understand your younger employees, you learn someone really is just plain lazy? Well, as the 60 hour-a-week working son said, "There are a lot of lazy older people too!"