Maybe the most frustrating work conversation is the “generational divide.” This is an evergreen topic that I’ve seen addressed mostly unproductively. We lazily group population correlations and apply them individually. Regardless of how “spot on” a label feels, it’s typically an insult.
One of the things humans do to simplify our lives is to stereotype. For the most part, this is just human nature. It isn’t pretty but we do it all over the place. Race, class, gender, careers, ages, orientation, regions, passions, subcultures, etc. We stereotype because we are cognitive misers. We’re lazy. I’d bet some animals do it too.
It is undeniable that where I grew up, how I was raised, who I was raised by, and the world I was raised in influence who I am. It is also undeniable that I have innate characteristics. The same is true for every member of every generation. Collectively, these traits help define a population, and maybe even a generation. But it’s still going to bug me when you define me by my population(s) and I bet it bugs you too.
I’m a millennial. Huffington Post calls me an Xennial. I also like Iliza Schlesinger’s self-identification as an Elder Millenial, per her Netflix Special. Long story short, I was born in the US in 1983 (Virgo). I included my astrological sign because I think it is about as accurate as my generational definition. I enjoy reading my horoscope and while it might not be wrong, you can’t make any scientific case for its accuracy. This isn’t to say that there aren’t statistically significant trends for every generation. There are predominant beliefs, values, experiences, or modalities operating at the population level. But what about the individual level?
According to the Pew Research Center, there are approximately 73 million millennials. 73,000,000.
Generations: Populations vs. Individuals
One of my favorite courses in college was a 400-level class titled Seminar on Evolutionary Biology taught by Tass Kelso (RIP). Skirting a rant about the definition and misuse of the word evolution… I’ll just say that populations evolve and individuals do not. From an evolutionary perspective, we are snapshots. Collections of genetic material (genotype) physically expressed (phenotype). As much as we mature, grow, learn, and adapt there is a degree to which we are what we are.
Systems Thinking & Generations
Jay W. Forrester was an early computer scientist and the founder of system dynamics. His work at the MIT Sloan School of Management introduced system modeling to the business world, creating the foundation for modern system thinking (I highly recommend Donella Meadows Thinking in Systems).
I bring this up for two reasons, first, systems thinking is a hugely valuable skill. Second, Jay Forrester describes humans as innately talented at finding the leverage point in systems and pushing the wrong direction!
I use this mental model a lot. Humans are constantly intervening in systems and often getting either no response or a negative response. The generation conversation, which comes up a lot, seems like a great example of leverage misapplied.
A popular mental model for teams formation is forming, storming, norming, and performing, otherwise known as Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development. It looks like this:
We’ve all experienced this swoop. It can be seen in sports, a group project, a meeting, family, even just casual interactions.
I think we’ve also had plenty of interactions where there is zero chemistry. In rare cases, this is the base state, there is truly no team potential. Far more frequently it is team members withholding or procrastinating.
Back to the Generation Conversation
So here we are. We know that we stereotype. We know that we are both an individual and a member of a number of populations (including our generation!). We also know we’re likely to label our interpersonal relationships, especially while storming. Do you still think that the difference is generational or are you procrastinating?
I stumble here (and probably always will!) which is why I try to approach the generation conversation as a red flag. Per Jay W. Forrester, I’m at the choke point in the system and I’m probably pushing the wrong way. There is a conflict (storming) and I’m jumping to intractable and offensive labels instead of unpacking the very human interactions that are occurring.
Do we have generational differences? Absolutely. But are you sure they aren’t personal differences?