Last week, I spoke about the merits of grace — or lack thereof. That the ability to be unapologetic, honest and forthright at the same time will benefit those Gen-Z who aren’t afraid of the Boomers’ precious ‘respect’ (see: the thinly veiled demand that you be subservient just because you’re younger).
That being the case, the onus is now on Gen-Z to keep the ladder free for the Gen-Alpha behind us. While I always sensed that millennials and Gen-X were doing their best to bring us up behind them, there was still a clear desire to succeed while playing by the Boomers’ precious rules. Wait your turn, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, etcetera etcetera.
It was defiance that drove them, beating the Boomers at their own game, but as Gen-X and millennials enter those positions of leadership, it seems that they want to force us to do the same thing.
In doing so, they perpetuate a pointless cycle of unrewarded hard work, for no other reason than that respect for the status quo is too deeply ingrained into daily human life.
Which is why Gen-Z, in embracing disruption, need to keep the door open for Gen-Alpha behind us in a way that was not for us. I’m not talking about mentorship or understanding pop culture references — I’m guarding brat until the day I die — just not stopping the work for something better once we have the better pay, the better job, the easier life.
In doing so, and to get to the headline, I think it’s time to do away with defining groups by generation. I think when it comes to in-depth sociological sciences and the occasional pop culture reference, the only confirmed result of defining each other by generation, is to divide us.
The naysayers will cry that tribalism and division are normal and necessary for growth, that Mother Nature craves not just disruption of a system, but violent chaos.
I say no! I say that we can do away with them entirely, because other than making sure everyone’s age appropriate, letting the 14-to-20-year span of time when you were born define you does nothing more than to give us opening to pass off problems in the face of actual causes.
A specific person may be to blame, greedy and corrupt be they Boomer or Millennial, or a much bigger problem like systemic injustice or, what is far *far* more likely than anyone gives credit — incompetence.
That’s right kids, that’s really what we’re all afraid of, and Gen-Z is realising that both about themselves and each other. Anyone perpetuating the cycle of pointless and uncompensated hard work?
Guarding their own incompetence. Because what other explanation could there be for someone who contributes to the contrived miscommunication that causes most of a business or workplace’s problems? Or the miscommunication of life that are easily solved by the speaking up that Gen-Z love.
With that in mind, let’s not change how we communicate. We might see Generation Alpha as a bit weird, but they aren’t held back by the shame, pride, and anxiety as those that came before them. I feel that if Gen-Z can stay the course but actually make the changes promised by those who came before us, when Generation Alpha enters the workforce and the world beyond childhood, we will have real allies to finally do away with the generational divide.