6 Annoying Things Millennials Do @ the Office
I have always preached that too much is made about Gen X vs. Gen Y in the world of work. Generalizing an entire generation, regardless of when they were born, is totally unfair. One can easily sit back and accuse Gen X of being a bunch of anxiety-ridden control freaks who spend too much time sulking and complaining about work at Happy Hour. Or that Baby Boomers are technologically irrelevant and should be forced into early retirement (or at least coerced to take some social media classes!). It might not be right, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun to write about.
Here are several annoying things that Millenials seem to have in common.
- "Did you get my e-mail?" - As a member of society who has grown up with computers and the Internet, you know damn well that there's a 99.9% that I received your e-mail. The question is, have I had time to read it yet? The answer is no. So cool your jets and go back to your desk and read TechCrunch until I'm ready for you.
- Too many details on personal life - Let's face it, when we ask "How was your weekend?" we have no interest in the answer. For whatever reason, this generation of transparency thinks we care that they saw Joe and Jill at the Gym Class Heroes show.
- More practice, less preach. From yoga to tofu, mass transit to creative license, those who really feel good about what they are doing on a personal level do not have to share it with others - let alone their co-workers. I've noticed a whole lot of holistic talk, but not a lot of action to back it up.
- Sorry, everything is NOT great. I appreciate your positive, 'can-do' attitude. But if we're going to be honest, your phony smile and willingness to swallow a lot more crap than previous generations is quite annoying, and it forces other people to adapt to conditions that might not be acceptable to them (smaller raises, cramped working conditions, etc.). We’re not a union, but there is a ‘way’ we do things.
- Goooo team! There might not be an "I" in team, but well-educated individuals are sometimes expected to conduct work on their own, sans group. There need not be a brainstorming orgy for every task.
- Learn to monotask. Gen Y is jack of all trades but master of none. You can't be great at everything. So spend some time reflecting on what you excel at and concentrate on it. Your opinion is sometimes appreciated but not always necessary. Use good judgment before running your yapper.
What are Millenials doing at your office that’s driving you bonkers?
Related:
- How Can Gen Y Quit Annoying Gen “Old” at Work?
- When Gen Y Just Doesn't Fit In
Andrew G.R.
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Reader Comments (7)
Gen Y generalizations usually just make me angry, because like all generalizations- they are simply stereotypes that can't/don't apply to everyone. I have seen many of the traits that people consider "Gen Y" in my friends and colleagues, but I think it is unfortunate that we have to be perceived so negatively as a whole.
Steph
I can clearly recall my fellow Boomers complaining about the new Gen X crowd. They are too pushy. They think we have nothing better to do with our time than listen to their stories and complaints. They spend too much time talking about the parties they went to on the weekend. They aren't grounded in reality. They lack ambition. They have too much ambition. They are too materialistic. They have no understanding of the value of money. They don't want to put in their time. It's all about the latest technology with them. And the list goes on.
The reality is that every new generation is going to be annoying to the one that came before because they are a visible reminder that we are getting old. That things change. That time moves on. That we are no longer the up and comers, but the ones who have to fight to hold our own.
How long has this been going on? Well, yesterday I listened to rebroadcast from 1973 in which an Ad-man-era gentleman complained that new university graduates only wanted to earn enough money to pay for their weekend fun. Need more evidence? Graffitti was found on some buildings in Egypt that said (and I paraphrase) "I despair leaving our city to the next generation." When was it written? About 3000 years ago.
Alluding to what Karen said, it's amazing how we tell ourselves when we're young that we'll be different from our parents. Yet, when we get to be parents ourselves, we silently scoff at what our kids and their peers are doing. But it's silly to think that everyone of a certain generation thinks the same way. And it's not fair to stereotype anyone of a certain demographic group as having a pre-defined set of behaviors just because they were born within a particular "sociological era."
Here's hoping we can all "just get along."