OT: Millennials in the work place. What to do?
Might seem like an odd topic, but I can’t help but compare the way I feel I’m treated in the workplace nowadays to what it feels like to be a SM!
I read a quote here the other day about millennial SDs being Princess on the outside and Wolverine on the inside, and I thought, Yes!, that is how it feels at the work environment I’ve been in the past several years. Being in the healthcare field, I’ve had a couple of jobs over the past several years, largely working with or even being supervised by young people/millennials. Over-generalization for sure, but I’ve noticed the following:
• Acting overly entitled.
• Only being out for themselves.
• Have no problem criticizing others, but will deny, deny anytime you point out issues you may have to them.
• Have absolutely no clue on how to instruct or teach anyone else. They want nothing to do with it. If you’re new and ask a question, they act offended.
• Tattling. Go running to the boss anytime they see someone hiccup the wrong way. It is almost like they enjoy it. (Personally, I haven’t seen this go on since high school.)
• Into hyper-control. Demand perfection from you, but they can do whatever they want. This is particularly true of supervisors.
• Supervisors do not lead by example. The only way they seem capable of “managing” is by criticizing. Think Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen. 90% negative reinforcement and 10% positive rules most days.
• No empathy for anyone other than their own kind. One woman, WHO WAS PREGNANT! got in trouble at one of the places I worked for taking too many potty breaks. Pregnancy, illness, age, and so on, mean absolutely nothing to them.
• Being a bitch or even a crazy bitch is okay. Being compassionate or caring = weak. (And, this is in the healthcare environment, by the way.)
• If you’re not competitive, there is something wrong with you. Companies think nothing of using grade-school looking billboards to “track” employees progress and if they are making ridiculously over-inflated goals.
• The corporate office could literally be on fire and mom screaming on the phone for help, and there is no way they are going to let anything interfere with their lunch break. (This may not necessarily be all that bad.)
• Not being able to disconnect. Actually, this one I don’t care about as much as the others.
At my current job, for my last review, my boss, in not so many words, mentioned that I slurred my speech sometimes, didn’t always listen well, wasn’t fierce enough, and a few other similar type comments. There was very little, if anything, positive. My boss is about 26-years-old, and treats me like this is my first job, quite literally. I remember a couple of days after I started, she spent several minutes showing me how to count change (yeah, like a 50+ year old has no clue on how to count change) and insinuating that if I didn’t do it her way, there was something wrong with me.
But, enough examples. Has anyone else seen this in their work environment? It is something I’ve noticed that almost seems to apply almost strictly to millennials (not Gen X-ers nor Baby Boomers so much). I know each generation feels the ones beneath it are young-whippersnappers or something like that—what my grandparents used to say about us Baby Boomers. But, this feels different.
To be honest, I can’t compete nor do I really want to compete with Wolverines. That is just not in my nature. Sure, I’ve learned how to stick up for myself just by being a SM, but how can a quasi-flower generation Baby Boomer work reasonably with this going on?
As a GM I've had some really
As a GM I've had some really hard working millennials work for me and really entitled older people-I've had it the opposite way too. I think it's wrong to make sweeping generalizations about any group. Could be your workplace is a toxic enviromenf and as such brings in toxic people.
Very helpful comments all.
Very helpful comments all. Thank you!
Hmm, I wonder if my boss has read this excerpt: "Wear down some folks' self-esteem. In his book Impro, the improvisation guru, Keith Richards, says that whenever somebody belittles another's worth, his own worth rises. You will notice many leaders use this technique, criticizing superfluously. If you notice someone making a mistake or doing something less than good, say, "You're really bad at handling money." or "You're physically clumsy." However, the point here is not to make him feel worthless; the point is to make him dependent on you and look up to you."
What A$$ would ever think that would work? :O
It is very, very difficult.
It is very, very difficult. And it absolutely is different from previous generations. Read the excellent book, "The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement" for a real eye-opener.
The scariest part about this phenomenon is in careers (like yours) where lives may be on the line. In the military environment, it is not uncommon to have young, inexperienced troops get huffy/pouty and demand explanations as to why they should obey orders, including young officers.
Think about that for a minute. Young officers who won't take guidance, who may someday be on the battlefield alongside or commanding YOUR kid - and they don't want to listen to orders!
I do think baby boomers are
I do think baby boomers are really stubborn, simply because they are older. People call it being set in their ways, but someone older and more experienced, sees/hears some of these "new" ideas, and the have probably tried them or been a part of them 10 times over in the past and know they usually don't work the way intended. Now, they are being told they have to try this "new" idea for the 11th or so time. And, people always forget that older people have been where the young'ns are. On the other hand, the young'ns have not been where the oldsters are at. But, they will. It'll be interesting to see what the millennials have to say about the younger generations in about 20, 30 years.
I do believe, just like anything, it is more difficult for oldsters to pick up anything new vs. young'ns. However, there is no such things as structured training any more. You are, more or less, just thrown into a job nowadays. Yes, young'ns will pick up on new technology more quickly. But, oldsters, with time, can usually do just as well. However, with very little training offered to them or anyone, I think young people jump too quickly to thinking that the older ones are "out of it" or even just plain worthless or stupid.
I agree the millennial girls you hire probably are go-getters and "daring." However, to someone older, they might use the term bitch. There are go-betters who push ahead and still think of others. And, I have certainly seen some of those. But, there are also go-getters who push ahead and think nothing of kicking at others in their path and coming up with absolutely asinine ideas (aka: bitch).
But, I do think it is a matter of perspective. Like I said, It'll be interesting to see what the millennials have to say about the younger generations in about 20, 30 years.
Sorry. Didn't mean to imply
Sorry. Didn't mean to imply kids were all bees. I find it interesting, tho. that you call them young girls/boys? Reminds me of the term adultolescents, that I heard for the first time several weeks back. A term used to describe approx. the age from 20 to 30, and a term to reflect how dependent most youngers are on their parents and perhaps still living at home.
It used to be you were an adult at age 18. Now, it seems there is some in-between stage. The term Tweens came up a decade or so back. Now it is adultolescent. No longer just children and adults. But, I have to ponder, if some 25 year-old is made a supervisor, for example, and they are technically an adultolescent, isn't that a little odd--someone inbetween adolescence and adulthood managing a group made up of yes, adultolescents, but also adults, who have technically moved up into full adulthood, something the 25 year-old can't yet relate to?
Anyway, just a thought. . . I decided I was probably having a bad day when I asked the above question. But, it is generating some interesting conversation.
I don't have a brat in the
I don't have a brat in the office working with me.... our office is really small and we are all about the same age...
but dang, once a year these dynamic little entitled bitches, comes in here and we have to call them auditors, I love these 2 months, I quickly teach them the world does not revolve around them, I enjoy it so much it's the high light of my year lol..... after week 1 they start crying if they have to deal with me.... with good reason.
Had this little COD, she just got her Bcom Finance degree, came into my office and rudely told me i made a terrible mistake and my paper work is not filed blablabla... with a huge attitude, I let her ramble on for 20 minutes...
Then I looked at her, my bitch face and I said... listen little girl, firstly, you do not storm into my office, you knock and wait for confirmation, secondly... do not tell me I have no clue what I'm doing, you have company A files and you are bitching about company B work... you will never find what you are looking for in that file, now before you have a tantrum, this is professional world, you will have to learn to read properly, then act like your age and not your shoe size, knock on doors before you through your weight around.... now get out of my office and go and learn to read and gather you manners from the sewerage where you left it, before you ever ask me anything again... i picked up the phone, called her manager and said - if you ever send this idiot to my office again you will be sorry... she has no clue what's going on...
I never heard of this girl again, the next audit I asked them where's X... they laughed and said - she resigned after last audit....
she's not a co-worker, and
she's not a co-worker, and sorry you do not burst into some one's office and making your name ass...
we have a team of 6 people doing the audit... she was one person who cried, the others like dealing with me, they said they learn allot as well... cause I do help and assist, but it you want to act like a brat, sorry you are out.
maybe you should come and
maybe you should come and visit to see the set-up....
I've been here years, and years.... I'm +/- 20 years older then most of these kids... and each year it's basically a new team, with one or 2 entitled little snowflakes in the team.....the others know me or are not entitled...
the snow flakes cry eventually..... and leaves....
oh by the way why do i get the feeling you are in love with me Lucy91... you keep on following me around,
Hon I've said it before and I will say it again... 2017 is not my year for ladies, you will have to wait till 2021...
oh sorry was not aware that
oh sorry was not aware that you post under ldvillen as well...
my bad
I am struggling with this
I am struggling with this right now though not with millennials. It has been rare in my career but I am a senior enough level that upward mobility is compressing and others with more career horizon are taking the next steps more frequently than I am these days.
I have had a couple of toxic bosses in my career but only now am I having to deal with a VP who is demeaning in how he engages with me. He is very personable but for some reason has taken issue with me and my work product. His boss (Sr. VP) is backing him but also understands my frustration.
Cases in point:
Round 1: In mid Jan I was tasked with developing an Execution Strategy for the business I direct. It is important to note that it was supposed to be a strategy document and not a detail execution plan. Two very different things. I delivered the strategy for review to my executive team and this guy (Jr. VP) bled all over it mandating that it include detailed execution schedules, etc.... I accommodated some of his redlines and reissued which took the strategy paper from 9 to 25+ pages. The broad feed back was that it was not a strategy any longer. My initial released draft for review had been vetted by myself and several colleagues and several of my team. Jr. VP
Round 2: Two weeks ago today I was in a meeting with this guy and his/our boss the Sr. VP. Sr. VP tasked me with developing an executive committee brief for leveraging my business into a high revenue regional business. Jr. VP sent me a list of requirements for the brief that... you guessed it... includes detailed execution plans, schedules, and methodologies. The clarification from the Sr. VP is that it needs to be a brief ppt presentation backed by a brief narrative document.
So... I created the ppt ticking every box on the Jr. VP's list and am using the Execution Strategy as the narrative document supporting the ppt. The"brief" is 60 slides long and far from brief. Even at that it does not have the detail that Jr. demanded.
No doubt Jr. will go ballistic but my give a shit is waning in a hurry.
What is interesting is that in my industry there are basically two paths to Director and higher positions. I am an engineer and an MBA while Jr. and Sr. VPs and most of their director level people are journeymen craftsmen elevated through the trades into senior and executive management. Both are very good at what they do but do not understand the more technical elements of organizational performance, broad industry asset management/maintenance/reliability practices or optimization of value to clients and our company. They are boots on the ground guys while I am a high value optimization guy. They want lots of people on the ground, I want optimal organizational performance, high value for my clients, and high profits for my company. Two very different things in this market.
I consulted with more than 100yrs of expertise to vet my executive brief and am loaded for bear if Jr. gets cranky again. I don't want to hand him the "Webster's Dictionary" to look up the definitions for strategy and brief Vs plan and methodology (figuratively of course) but I am ready if it becomes necessary.
I may actually get fired for the first time ever over this. I have been RIF'd due to economic issues and strategic change of direction by previous employers before but never fired.
I am strangely nonplused by the possibility.
They are the detail company specific experts, I am the broad industry best practice and ME regional execution expert. I was not hired by their predecessors to be like them. There are hundreds of people in the company with their backgrounds. There are far fewer of me.
Rags, perhaps it is time to
Rags, perhaps it is time to have a side-bar meeting with the Sr VP and seek out further clarification. You can explain (without rancor) that you want to produce the products which he needs, but seem to be given conflicting instructions (by Jr.)
In your conversation with Sr, perhaps you can get the message across that you have a unique perspective which can be a considerable asset to the organization (and HIM), as long as it is utilized!
If Sr. can buy into that, and sees your point, then he may want to advise Jr. that Rags has valued input on what the work products should contain, and he will defer to you.
I don't think this is a bona-fide set Rags up to fail, moreso than it is Jr.'s lack of experience with organizational operations shining through.
In the interim, keep giving Jr. exactly what he asks for until he has catastrophic failure - and just document, document, document. If he asks for it, and you've documented it, then HE is the one who is responsible if Sr. doesn't get what he wants.
Oh, and in keeping with this thread's topic - is Jr. quite a bit younger than you by any chance? There may be some ageism going on ...