Of X, Y and Zs.....

I hate to admit it, but I think I’ve reached that part of life when I start conversations with ‘hamare zamane mein’. It is unbelievable, frustrating and yet funny all at the same time! It seems like yesterday when I would roll my eyes at someone who would say this, thinking silently, ‘why can’t they understand, adapt, or at least let it go?!’ (big eye-roll)! And now, the cycle of life has caught on and I can visualize eye-rolls targeted at me. And to think that I would actually pride myself on my ability to adapt and understand the younger generation. However, the reality is far different. The pace of change is so fast, it is difficult to keep up. So now I simply resort myself to…..its ok if I don’t understand it, at least let me co-exist without giving my two-piece all the time.

The difference in thinking is stark between Boomers to Gen X to Millennials to Gen Z and specially because today you find most of these at the workplace together. The multiple contrasting views and opinions we get to hear from ‘working hard’ to ‘hustling’ to ‘balancing’ to ‘chilling out’ to ‘following passion’ to ‘finding oneself’ etc. all at the same time are confusing to many, astonishing to some and plain irrelevant to few of us. The Gen Z just cannot understand why we must meaninglessly go to a 9-5, the Gen X cannot understand why the out-of-college and ripe-for-work lot does not WANT to work and rather wants to ‘find themselves’. Parents cannot understand their bright children getting into start-up modes, kids don’t see the point of hustling away to glory without so much of a look into what really matters.

The most interesting part is when a combination of such starkly contrasting views exist at the same place. There are merits in each such view and definitely some unlearning at each level is needed too. If we are able to steer the conversation away from the unnecessary noise and instead use the power of each such opinion to form a collective strength, then this is a winning streak for all. The freshness of ideas cannot be replaced just with experience. At the same time stagnant thinking needs to be shaken up. Most definitely we need all of this to progress better.

As for me, although I enjoy conversations with the Gen Zs, I do have my moments where I just don’t get them. I don’t get their language, their music, their pace, their attitude….! Just when I think I’ve mastered some new teen lingo, or listened to ‘their’ kind of music, there’s a whole new one doing the rounds! I’m sure that’s what they go through with me as well. But I guess that’s ok. You don’t need to become each other, just learn to respect genuine shared opinions that can together take us ahead. And why do we think that if we had to achieve something the hard way, so do others? If it’s possible to find a smarter way to get something, then wow – let’s go for it! I think this is the beauty of our very diverse workplace these days. Otherwise, when we were young, all we ever heard was ‘humare zamane mein’ and that would definitely be the end of the conversation.?

I don’t think we want conversations to end, we want to trigger more of them, we want to understand as much as we can, we want to adapt to each other’s mindsets, and we want to definitely participate in as many as possible!?

Here’s to a lot of contrasting chatter!