The joke starts out like this, " Boomer: "Why won't these kids work 60 hours like me?" Gen Yer says "Sorry it takes you so long to get your work done." It would be funny, if it weren't so true. This was an actual Tweet on Twitter, but it could have come from anywhere. In fact, I hear this all the time.
I do a lot of work with companies to help them integrate the generations at work. This allows me an opportunity to have some great one-on-one conversations with their employees. Just about every time I speak with people who are Gen Yers (Millennials) they always say "Don't mistaken my ability to get my work done early as laziness." Now how can you argue with that one?
Okay, so many of you Boomers are holding your fingers in your lap so that you don't pound out something you'll later regret. Yes, I know we found more work to do. But let's admit it. We used to call that work "busy work." Why? Because it made us look busy. We had no idea why we were doing it nor did we see a point to it. We just did it.
I'm glad this generation isn't like us. And I'm also glad they can do many things in half the amount of time that it takes us Boomers to do things. It makes me hopeful that this generation may actually figure out a way to balance work and life. Then maybe we can all go home at 5:00 PM.
