Well the economy certainly has changed all the rules on this one. We will be working way too long as we see the error of our ways way too late. Employers are no longer tolerating outburst in the workplace by gen x and gen y because now they can hire boomers! Every surviving species adapts to their environment or dies. You can survive, thrive and reach the top, hire who you want because you will adapt until you’re in charge. Another rant, can you see I work with scores of Gen x and gen Y and they all think I should be as kind as their mothers. Wrong. Get a grip, I’m working two full time jobs. Quit whining. - Baby Boomer
Amen Leatrice!! I feel you to the 5th power on this! I have to train Boomers on new technology, and after my class, most times I want to go smoke a cigarette and drink some brown liquor - I don't do either of those, so I just cuss (not curse) up a storm with one of my friends that loves to hear my stories about these Boomers! Thank you so much! I needed this today! - Gen Xer
I loved your rant. As a Jones Boomer (who knew?) I think it is the start of an important, necessary and provocative conversation. I've just got to get my thoughts together, but I say don't apologize. There are hard issues and people need to deal, not get sensitive and defensive. I'm getting my thoughts together for you, girl. I need you to succeed so you can pay for my social security. LOL. - Baby Boomer
Hey Le- You are a true Gen-Xer because one quality we have is speaking the truth no matter how harsh. I just shared your blogposts with my pre-boomer war baby mother(born 1942). We were cracking up together and amazed at your ability to express so much in two short posts. The true genius of a gifted writer. Kudos my sista! Keep it up and we'll keep reading. - Gen Xer
Leatrice - You cop'd out man!! You should've expected the retaliation when you wrote the blog. That's like Jay Z and Nas apologizing for their battle. I thought you were reppin' for the X'ers man. Don't pull a gun if you ain't go shoot ;)
Peace - Le
4 comments:
I just read all three of your posts and I can truly relate. I am a Gen Xer and had been wishing that my boss would just move on (I mean he's been talking about quitting since I walked in the door). My last three jobs have been exactly the same way in terms of some Boomer person limiting my ability to grow. In my current job, I have more experience and am more educated than my boss in our chosen field, yet he talks to me like I just fell off the turnip truck. Though last week he expressed to me that sometimes he is embarrassed because I know more than him - which is truly a ridiculous statement to me. During that last few months he has been trying to either break me or force me to quit. I am more than able to do the job that he does now and I believe he knows it. He also seems to focus a lot on age in his conversations with me. I don't quite understand what my age has to do with anything. I was just telling a friend that the next time my boss says "You're probably too young to remember ..." that I'm going to say "I'm damn near 40 years old man."
Maybe the Boomers think we in younger generations are slackers or maybe they think that we have to "pay our dues" because they had to. I have no problem with honest work and have a strong work ethic (much stronger than that of my boss BTW). I don't, however, believe in work that adds no value or reinventing the wheel for the sake of being busy. At this job and my last one, I've had Boomer's tell me as advice to keep my head low to survive. Survive? Who just wants to survive? What I've witnessed over the last 10 years is Boomers who were merely content and surviving in their jobs, getting let go en masse. Where is the reward for just surviving? There is none. If you want only to survive, that's fine but don't get in the way of others who are trying to do more.
While I'm talking about Boomers in general, I'm really only talking about a few individuals I've dealt with; though I do realize that different generations have differing opinions about work. What I find interesting about this whole thing is that Gen Xs and Ys are always painted with the self-centered slacker brush while there typically are no negative sweeping generalizations out there about the Boomers. That to me means that it's their lens through with these stereotypes are created. To answer one of the comments I saw: I worked at 16. I worked to pay my way through undergraduate and graduate school. I haven't lived with a parent or other relative since I was 19. I don't think I'm "entitled" to anything being "given" to me, however, I do expect to receive respect when it's earned. People need to be treated like individuals and not according to stereotypes. And no matter the generation people need to embrace change and not stick to "that's the way we've always done it". Growth is change.
(Sorry for this long comment.)
Honestly, I just read all three of the posts and although I must admit that the work place as you've described is accurate, I feel like the Gen-Xers have started to confuse telling the truth with whining. This is evidenced by the affinity toward stressing that the Baby Boomers won't give up there piece of the pie so that you may have yours.
You said in one of the posts that they can not expect you to go out and make your own because of the current financial crisis. Where were you 5-6 yrs ago when the banks were giving all these loans irresponsibly- clearly not taking advantage of that opportunity to start your own business or even explore the possibilities outside of the realm of Boomer designed industries...so please do not make it about them. Instead, I hope that the Gen-Xers will in fact take a look at themselves and perhaps their own entitlement issues.
How can an entire generation be so wrapped up in the confines set by another that they fail to explore alternatives or exploit the resources that were once readily available to them?
Life isn't easy and we are all struggling to make it, I am a Gen-y(er) and an entrepreneur trying to ride out this tough economy and using grassroots tactics and support to grow my business...isn't it time that Gen X stop waiting for the torch to be passed and light their own?
Kenya and mAm,
Thank you for your comments and for being a part of this conversation.
mAm, girl you said a whole lot. But your thought that Xers are waiting for the torch to be passed rather than lighting their own diminishes the magnitude of what is happening in the workplace across industries. Many Xers have indeed blazed their own trails outside of traditional industries and within their workspaces. Innovators are alive and well in this generation. They have absolutely utilized the resources that were readily available to them. But let's be clear that owning a business is not everyone's desire nor area of competency. There was a formula that everyone agreed to... college degree + great work ethic + corporate gig (or other industry)= x. The "x" is what is changing in midstream as the Boomer dynamic shifts.
Many Xers (not all) who are in the workplace and working for Boomer bosses feel marginalized, disrespected and disregarded. The way that Kenya described her work environment is how too many workplace environments are for Xers. But there is an interesting twist to this situation. As my Boomer boss put it our conversation about this topic the other day... Everyone is STUCK. It's the trickle down theory at work. Boomers are stuck and frustrated, which trickles down to Xers, which will ultimately trickle down to Gen-Y. So there is the ultimate reality.
Now is the time for a much needed conversation in the workplace to listen, talk, address everyone's issues and identify solutions together. This is not about entitlement, nor is it about whining. It's not that base. It's about dignity, respect and building workplace environments that thrive based on new models built with the diverse voices of those at the table.
Leatrice
Post a Comment