Unmanageable... or generational?
Sometimes it can be hard to tell!
In today’s workplace, you’ll find three primary generations:
- Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964
- Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, and
- Generation Y (sometimes called The Millennials), born between 1981 and 2000.
While unmanageable employees can, and do, come from each of these generations, it’s also sometimes true that generational differences in style, expectations, and priorities can present the appearance of unmanageability when none actually exists.
Test yourself on these scenarios. Are they…
Unmanageable? Or Generational?
- Joe constantly talks back to his boss in front of others, undermining his boss’ authority
- Mae has sent Zach half a dozen emails asking for urgent information; so far, he hasn’t written back
- Alice regularly calls in sick on Mondays and goes home early on Fridays, especially during the summer
- Pippa gets visibly irritated by long meetings that drag on; she told her boss, “Just give me the bottom line, so I can get back to work.”
The Answers, Please!
One way to start separating unmanageables from people of different generations is to look at the impact of their behavior on the team or the organization.
Behavior that has a purely negative impact on your organization or team is a much more likely indication that you’re dealing with a UE.
With that in mind, let’s revisit the four examples above:
- Joe is a UE, perhaps of the Rude-nik variety. While different generations have differing communication styles, rudeness and the undermining of colleagues is never in style.
- Zach is a Gen Y. When Mae (a baby boomer) said that her queries were “urgent,” Zach texted his replies. They’ll discover this when they have a “Reset the Relationship” conversation of the sort we recommend in Managing the Unmanageable.
- Alice is a UE Slacker or AWOL. As with rudeness, there’s no generational explanation or excuse for letting down the people who count on you.
- Pippa is a Gen X. Meetings where sociable, group-oriented Baby Boomers and Gen Ys want to reach consensus on every item will drive action-oriented, just-get-it-done Gen Xs crazy!
Separating style (personal as well as generational) from unmanageability can be tricky — but it’s a skill that’s well worth mastering. It will help you capture, keep, and develop the genuine talents that every generation brings to your workplace!
