: to make different in some particular : ALTER
: to make radically different : TRANSFORM
: to make a shift from one to another : SWITCH
: to become different
Ahh yes: “Alter, transform and switch, to become different’’.....these words resonate a lot in FIG’s evolution, we’re excited about a little bit of change (and a little apprehensive if we’re being honest!).
In her Wall Street Journal article: Digital Addictions Are Drowning Us in Dopamine, Dr, Lembke, a Stamford University professor and psychiatrist, talks about the scientific biological effects of addictions to our devices. It’s real folks. This is not FIG banging the drum of putting down our phones or any other technological apparatus and talking or connecting with our fellow human beings. No. This is concrete, physiological, measurable, science based fact that continuously interacting with our high-tech electronic leashes, gaming apparatuses and social media actually, physically, alters our brains to crave more of it, thereby de-incentivising us to engage with others on a human level.
Gasp, shock and awe!
Mistakes. We all make them, we’re human beings and by definition 99.9% imperfect (with apologies to those of you who think otherwise), which results in, guess what? Mistakes (we make them hourly at FIG)! That gaffes, miscalculations and oversights are a part of our collective experience on this earth. Why (on earth!) is it so hard to admit to making mistakes, take responsibility for these human aberrations and move on after making a miscalculation or error? Hmmmm?
We all have habits - some serve us well and some get in our way…...Google states: “A habit is a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.” Establishing a habit usually takes about two weeks to become routine and is subsequently supported and reinforced by practicing it daily.
Ever had a “Monday” on any day of the week? Ever had your day perfectly planned, scheduled and organized only to have all your intended “to-do’s”: meetings, calls, oh yeah, actual “work,” utterly blown up by an unexpected interruption, complication, interference? Ever had someone insert themselves into your day with their drama, troubles or lack of planning (real or self-inflicted), requiring you to shelve your carefully laid out day(s) and requiring you to stop whatever you’re doing for their fire drill?
Yeah, us too.
Recently we’ve tackled the concept of “words we throw around professionally.” We’ve made an effort to disseminate an initial understanding of leadership, relationship culture, etc. Here are a few others we can toss into that mix: “Ok Boomer!” “Damn Millennials!”.
OK, so what’s up with this? What’s up with the vilification of “other” generations? As often repeated, there’s a reason for everything: here are a couple:
Entitlement - it’s a loaded word and one we’d like to highlight as it seems to be thrown around a lot these days, particularly aimed at the younger generations. What exactly does it mean? In business, culturally, and societally?
Dictionary.com defines “entitled” as: “to give (a person or thing) a title, right, or claim to something.”
We’d like to focus this week on what’s “right” and who’s to say what’s right or wrong, particularly in the workforce.
Thank you for joining us on this journey through understanding the different generations. Over the past month or so, we’ve covered four of the five generations currently in the workplace - Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y (Millennials) - and how their respective experiences and cultures influence how they create personal and professional relationships and function in the workplace. With that….we’ve reached our youngest!
Welcome back to our exploratory series on how each generation functions in the workplace - and why they function that way. So far, we have examined the upbringings, cultural norms, and professional habits of Traditionalists and Baby Boomers. We’ve learned what makes them tick and why they act as they do in professional spaces. Next up...
Generation X. These are my people.
