There’s a phrase going around social media at present, often spoken by millennials in the workplace (ages ranging between 24-39), directed at those in the workplace (ages ranging between 55-75), and it goes like this: “OK Boomer!”
It’s not so much a sign of disrespect but more of a ligh
t-hearted comment used to dismiss or mock attitudes stereotypically attributed to the Baby Boomer generation. The phrase “OK Boomer” was popularized as a reaction to a video of an unidentified older man, in which he declared that millennials have Peter Pan syndrome: They don’t ever want to grow up and believe that the utopian ideals they have in their youth will somehow translate into adulthood. The video inspired the phrase “OK Boomer” as a form of retaliation.
Although I believe this is all intended in good jest, it did make me think that, as we advance in years in the workplace, we must be careful not to stand still in the present. In fact, I would argue that there’s an even worse position to be in as a Boomer in the workplace: remaining stuck in the past.
I recently sat with someone who firmly belongs to the Boomer generation. It felt as if his soundtrack was stuck on rewind. Every anecdote, every example — in fact, every word — was about the past. It was as if he wasn’t aware of the present and had no concept of tomorrow. I can imagine him being a very difficult person to work with or for. You see, Boomers like this just don’t see the talent around them that needs to grow because all roads lead to themselves and their perspective on how things should be done. OK Boomer.
This concept of being stuck in the past hit me again recently when my wife and I checked in at Burbank Airport. Have you ever paid attention to the recorded music being piped through the airwaves there? It’s all from the 1980s. Seriously! Check it out — it’s awesome (well, at least to me). I have this vision of someone coming into work nearly four decades ago, sneakily slipping in a “Best of the ’80s” multi-CD set, and it’s been playing every day, 24 hours a day, ever since.
The only worse vision than this is if some manager at some point in the past declared this was “good music” and had the explicit, formal authority to dictate that it should be played every day at Bob Hope Airport while on his watch.
My guess is that the staff at the airport doesn’t even hear the soundtrack anymore. They’ve tuned it out.
That’s my fear for my older friend at work: If he’s playing the same old soundtrack every day, chances are no one is really hearing him.
We have to be careful not to fall prey to all these generational differences in the workplace — there’s already enough to get people wound up. What I believe is the common denominator between people of all ages and cultures in the workplace is the value of being valued. Whether we want to label them “Boomers,” “Gen-X,” or “Millennials,” we should take care to show that we care about each other. I think there’s no greater way to show we care than to ask for their ideas, input and suggestions. Great organizations know this.
Boomers often complain that Millennials lack loyalty and will jump ship for a little more recognition across the street. There may be some truth in that, but I believe the recognition we all seek, regardless of age, is knowing that the work we do matters — that we’re making a difference with the time we invest in the workplace.
So, whether we’re just sitting down chatting or working side by side in the world of commerce, let’s be sure we don’t drown out the soundtrack that others want to sing just because we’re stuck on some multi-CD from the 1980s. OK Boomer?
Paul Butler is a Santa Clarita resident and a client partner with Newleaf Training and Development of Valencia (newleaftd.com). The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Signal newspaper. For questions or comments, email Butler at paul.butler@newleaftd.com.
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