The Fallacy of Generation Difference in the Workplace

In a world of growing tribalism outside the workplace, why must we continue to create differentiating "identities" within it? I feel like it gives leaders the false confidence to just learn how to resonate with types of people, rather than individuals. It is a cop-out, mostly. Just about every article I read and every professional workshop I attend laboriously (and carefully) tries to encourage us to make sure we are acknowledging and addressing the very unique needs of "millennials", a term I will only use in this particular rant because it allows me to efficiently articulate my frustration. I rarely use generational names like "Gen X-ers", "Gen Y-ers", "Baby Boomers", etc. because I feel they - the labels - are tiresome and imply big differences where I have only ever found slight ones. Differing generations agree on many things - for instance, whenever two folks from different generations discuss the topic, they always seem to agree that the generations younger than themselves are spoiled and indolent. See? Plenty of alignment!

Joking aside, I have never noticed that generations have different wants, demands, or work ethics. Every single one advocates for better work environments, fairer (read: higher) wages, and more time for personal endeavors. Demanding progress and challenging the status quo are, it seems, hereditary traits. The only true difference between them is the status quo each generation inherits. That is the friction point! That the next generation inherits our progress and has the nerve to feel it isn't good enough is what pisses us all off. So rather than reflect on why we didn't ask for a discretionary time off policy, demand work/life balance, or believe our smart ideas should have been heard even before we 'put our time in', we just say "millennials are lazy". Given they have created so much adaption in the workplace, I'd say the evidence is quite to the contrary. 

The fact of the matter is the next generation's demands are simply the things the preceding group never got to, but secretly wanted. No one longs for the days of low wages, no vacation, and missed family events. That's not when people were harder working, it's when they were "at-work"ing harder. It's a big difference. People work just as hard now (and no, younger generations, not harder) though it may be dispersed differently to include working on relationships, passions, community, and yes, work itself. Stop thinking generations are different - there are folks in each of them that love work, hate work, do as much as possible, and do as little as possible. Leaders should focus on individuals and their unique motivations, not the generic labels associated with their ages. Don't worry about how to motivate millennials or boomers or whomever comes next. Focus on how to connect with Dan and Jennifer and Tareq. They are people not archetypes.

I can't wait until my daughter grows up and expects things like a 4-day work week and mandatory vacation time. She'll have to hope she gets it all too...after all, her generation is so damn lazy.