Bridging the Gap

"Workers under 40, he says, require far more stroking. They often like "trendy, name-brand merchandise" as rewards, but they also want near-constant feedback. "It's not enough to give praise only when they're exceptional, because for years they've been getting praise just for showing up," he says."

Written like a true Boomer... This weekend's edition of the Wall Street Journal featured an article discussing what they call "the most praised generation" and their impact on the workforce. The article touches on the latest generation's need to be "nurtured" by their superiors citing a number of companies that have gone out of their way to praise and nuture their newbies.

Nurture? Try force-fed. We were raised in an era where excellence was expected and anything less was unacceptable. We know the drill...9 a.m. piano lessons, 11 a.m. french lessons, 2 p.m. soccer practice- throw in a full day of school, a part time job, and all the accoutrements that come with the pre-college lifestyle (ASB, yearbook, drama club, chess club, you name it). Why would we choose to put ourselves through this rat race you may ask. Easy...we didn't. We were bullied into it. At a young age we learned to "suck it up and go." Those who couldn't live up to the task would not be able to get into a good college, therefore not be able to get a good job and would continue down the road to mediocrity... and that was simply not acceptable. Especially, for their over worked, aggressive and persistent Boomer parents. How else could they compete with their Boomer cohorts outside of work? When management positions became easier to obtain, children begin to take its place as a competitive bragging right among Boomers. "Your child went to Berkeley, well mine is at Harvard."

Perhaps our generation may be a little pushy, a little assertive and demanding- well hell we've earned it! Thanks to our boomer rents we've become little more than a carbon copy of their Ohhh so fantastic generation ...expect we will never be given credit for it.

Many Boomers like to write us off as the spoiled, brat pack generation- but I think they're missing something. For all the "supposed" praise there are hours of hard work, determination and the need to prove ourselves. We're busting our ass waiting for our Boomer superiors to take notice.

They talk about the ever constant flow of praise, but that's not how I remember it. I remember basketball games when my dad would curse me out because I didn't score 15 points that night. Groundings for a B+ in math class instead of the expected A. Pressure to join clubs I had no real interest in just because it looked good on a college app.

If there is one thing I'm in agreeance on its our need for praise, but not because we're narcissitic bastards (as Jeffrey Zaslow likes to suggest), but because we've put in the time, we've worked hard for it, and more importantly because we deserve it!

To all you Boomers out there...cut us some slack! We may not "get it right the first time," but we're capable, driven and have been raised by the best. We're not expecting flowers, raises, or for you to kiss our feet...but a pat on the back now and then would be greatly appreciated and would come a long way in bridging the gap between these two stubborn, prideful and aggressive generations.