Generational Gaps In The Workplace
You've probably heard a podcast or read a book on the generational gaps in our workplaces today. It's been a buzzword for awhile now. We find ourselves in a culture where there can be up to 5 generations in the workplace - the Traditionalists (1927-1946), Baby Boomers (1947-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), Millennials (1981-2000), and the newest, Generation Z (2001-2020).
What does your organization look like?
I worked in a church several years ago in the Student Ministries Department (5th - 12th grades). We often found ourselves frustrated by the generational gap in the church. We had babies in the nursery, students in student ministry, parents in Bible Studies, and grandparents in the choir. But none of these generations were overlapping in the church setting. So we set out on a mission to make a change.
We hosted a Christmas Party (find common ground right?) to bring the generations together. We invited everyone. We closed the nursery so that parents were encouraged to bring their babies with them. We spread the word in ALL the Sunday School classes, child and adult alike. We told our students to invite their grandparents. You get the point. And then...
We showed up to the event. It was like going to a junior high dance. But instead of a divide between boys on one side of the gymnasium and girls on the other; it was pockets of generations sitting in their age appropriate groups. Parents with young children were sitting at the back tables so they could leave if their babies started crying. The teenagers were at a table by themselves, finding it cool to sit without their parents. The remaining parents were sitting together because their children were in a safe environment and it was a great time to connect with people their own age. And the grandparents weren't there at all because it was "too" late and "too" loud.
Those in attendance walked away saying "what a great event! We had so much fun!"
But as staff, we walked away knowing we had failed. We had envisioned tables with multiple generations sitting around them, talking about Christmas and family traditions. Multiple generations finding they weren't that different from the other and bonding over the shared experience. It didn't happen.
So we went back to the drawing board. Our department asked our teenagers "how do you feel about the older generation?" Sure we had to explain to a few of them what we meant by the "older generation" - i.e how do you feel about your grandparents and their friends. And the responses we got:
We went to the choir (which was filled with many of the students' grandparents) and asked the same question: "how do you feel about the kids in Student Ministries?" And the responses we got:
We realized we had a problem. As a staff, guess how we felt about our students:
They were amazing, they had hearts of gold, they worked hard and poured out their blood, sweat, and tears for us on volunteer community projects.
So how were we going to bridge the generational gap? We were going to have to give the "older generation" the opportunity to see the kids in the environment in which we saw them.
We planned another event...but this time a much more intentional event. The choir was going to be doing a concert during Lent,?"a non-liturgical Missa brevis with pieces in Latin and Greek, mixed with several English poems". I.e. very difficult songs, sang almost opera style. They were a talented choir and wanted to showcase their talent. We proposed the idea of having students sing with them.
They didn't like the idea one bit.
They songs were "too hard for such young voices". "The Choir had been working for months on this concert, it was too late to make this kind of change".
All sorts of excuses.
We asked them to trust us, they conceded. And so we paired students with a choir member. We did separate interviews with the choir member and with the student before we began the project. We asked the Traditionalists and Baby Boomer Generation (grandparents) about Generation Z (their grandchildren). They gave us the same answers as before. We did the same with the students - same answers as before.
And then for the next two months, the choir members and the students practiced together one right next to the other. The students worked hard to learn the songs. They practiced after choir practices, they called the choir members after "hours" to get help.
Right before the concert was supposed to happen, we interviewed each group again, and filmed the interviews. The "tune" had changed. Suddenly the choir members were ranting and raving about the students:
And the students responses:
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We then interviewed a choir member and a student talking to one another about their experience over the past couple months. We aired the interviews between songs the night of the concert. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. If you watch the interviews posted below, you may not be moved. But trust me - if you knew the background on these students' and the adults', there was a powerful story being told verbally AND non-verbally.
If you choose to watch these videos, PAY attention
Ignore the Christian language, pay attention to what's really being said. What we ALL need to hear no matter what our religious beliefs are.
What I want YOU to get out of watching these videos:
A student learning something new, only to find out that it was new to his mentor as well - it was a powerful moment in the relationship of these two.You can literally feel the connection between these two.
An adult encouraging a student "(what you're doing) That's a pretty big deal. That's cool" (Video 0:58-1:21)
An adult being vulnerable in front of a student and then praising the student "That is such a mature answer. That's so good. That's really good. I don't have anything else to say, and I'm TWICE her age." (Video 1:37 - 1:54)
Student reminded ME that SHE was more powerful than I was - I couldn't get in Junior Highs, but she "lived" there and she knew the power behind that. I learned a TON from my friend Holly. And I never want to forget the lessons she taught me
So often we think we (I'm a Gen Xer) have some sort of knowledge that we need to impart on the younger generation. What we often forget is - THEY have knowledge (and power) that WE DON'T HAVE. If we could only humble ourselves long enough to learn it. But we don't, and now some of us are paying the price. However, those that have taken the time to learn the lessons that the younger generations have taught them, and embrace the power that Millennials and Gen Z's behold, are reaping the rewards.
The tide had changed
The tide had definitely changed within this organizations walls. And we could ALL feel it. From everyone in the Student Ministries department, to the choir, to the elders; we knew we were walking on holy ground.
So when I hear us talk about the "generational gap" in the work place, I think about this experience. I understand and hear where your co-workers are coming from. But...
I believe we are perpetuating the problem by focusing on the problem. And I don't even believe it's the problem, it's just the symptom of the actual problem.
What if we focused on working together instead of focusing on our differences. I often walk into work places and get a very strong sense of "us against them". Groups are developed for Baby Boomers to meet and discuss how they can better engage with the Millennials, yet they don't include a single Millennial in their conversation. The Millennials feel left out and end up leaving the company all together.
It's sad. It doesn't have to be this way.
How does it work in your organization? How are you all getting along? And how are you doing it?
Do you need help, need ideas, want to brainstorm?
Contact me!