JobXpresso

Adam Weise asked:


We’re too cool to wear the company logo embroidered denim oxfords from the retreat. We’re not afraid of sushi; in fact we love it. And we’re the wave of the future, so who are you to tell us otherwise?

My generation of twentysomethings often gets a know-it-all attitude for a variety of reasons. So when someone tells us “computers do more harm than good” and can’t figure out how to set his fantasy football lineup then attempts to give us advice, we think “ha, like I would ever listen to someone so out of touch and delusional.” In actuality, this person has a lot to offer us and their thoughts on technology may originate from feeling threatened by the high tech world or for another completely legitimate reason.

It’s true—our older co-workers may not be able to tell us what the keyboard shortcut for “paste” is, but here are some truly valuable lessons they can impart:

1. Experience – all these situations younger workers are coming across, that older coworker has lived through before—probably multiple times. Not only have they done it but they’ve failed and succeeded in those spots so they know exactly what works and why. Next time you want to get out of the weekly sales meeting first consult your older coworker, in all likelihood they have a list of proven techniques for playing hookie.

2. Office Politics – if they’ve been around this long, they’re doing something right. Watch what they say and what they do not say. If they are one of the rare employees who are disdained by their boss but are still employed, analyze their situation. Why does the boss **** them? Why are they still around? Are they that good at their job or is their brother the president’s best friend? Then apply this knowledge to your career by determining answers to questions such as “how much can an employee get away with before their job is in jeopardy?”

3. Your New Buddy – asking for advice from an older colleague will endure you to him. There is no easier way to flatter someone than to ask for their advice. You may have to sit through a few war stories but nod politely and smile while doing so and you will have gained an ally for life.

It is important to keep the advice in perspective, is your older coworker a tremendous success or has he been stuck in middle management, much to his chagrin, for ten years? With a few rare exceptions, by the time someone is 55 they have reached their appropriate spot in the organization. Learn more about them and determine why they are in this spot in the organization. Regardless of job title all of your older colleagues have their own unique wisdom to depart all you need do is ask.

(If this column receives a positive response, a second article on what the older generation can learn from the younger generation could be written. Either I or an older coworker could write/co-write it. (what they need to learn from us example: broaden your possible solutions for a problem, resist only using what has worked in the past))