R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What It Means to Me

(Boomer): Hello, how are you today?

(Millennial): Hey.

: Hey, I’m trying to better understand your generation—your goals, what’s important to you. The stereotypes about people born from 1982 through 2000 range from you being the brightest bunch of do-gooders in modern history to being self-absorbed slackoffs who value socializing with your friends more than your job, wear flip-flops everywhere, and are unable to communicate without a BlackBerry or an iPhone. So, would you help me get a clearer picture of who you are?

: IDK.

: Do you mean “I don’t know”? Or do you mean it really isn’t important what I think or whether I understand you?

: WYSIWYG.

: “What you see is what you get” is a saying that’s been around a lot longer than either of us has, my friend. And what I see is a wide generation gap that will become a huge chasm if we don’t learn how to communicate with each other. We need to understand each other’s expectations and differences so we can work better together. This isn’t a small matter: In four years, you Millennials will account for nearly half the employees in the world. So, let’s start. If I were your boss, what would you expect from me?

: Work that means something, so that my life isn’t a CWOT.

: I don’t want your work to feel like a complete waste of time either. So maybe something I could do better is break down departmental silos in our company and communicate our strategic plan in a way that makes clear how your contributions are important to the entire company’s strategy and goals. Would that make sense?

: THX.

: You’re welcome. You know, this apparent addiction to the Internet, cell phones, e-mail, texting, and social media instead of just talking with us face to face makes my generation think that your generation doesn’t really value our knowledge or experience . . . like our lives have been a CWOT.

: WDYK?