Don't Be Pejorative - Bob Wendover, Common Sense Enterprises

Don’t Be Pejorative

A gentleman in his fifties raised his hand in one of my sessions recently and accused me of making pejorative comments about the Millennial generation. I asked him to explain.

“Everything you’ve said about them is negative,” he said. “I think they have a lot to contribute.”

I agreed with him, but also pointed out that there is ample evidence that a good number in this cohort are struggling with basic skills due to a variety of influences. Trying to find a balance in these characteristics is always tricky.

I have been studiously careful about not painting an entire generation as a bunch of know-nothing slackers over the years. Having conducted several hundred seminars on this subject, I have been accused of being out of touch by everyone from 18 to 80. But this gentleman’s comments brought to mind once again how easy it is to listen to only the characteristics or facts with which we agree. This is true whether the topic is generations, politics, social policy or anything else.

We all bring our biases to work. When we observe a particular behavior that fits our paradigm, we feel validated or reinforced in our perceptions.

Several months ago, I entered a convenience store to purchase some milk. The young man behind the counter was dressed in a goth-type tee-shirt, covered with tattoos and wore eyeliner and a mohawk. But when I approached the register, he treated me with a friendly professionalism I have not witnessed in many of his “clean cut” peers. We have all had occasion to make these same types of generalizations and, worse still, spread them to others. There’s no practical tip or moral to this story other than encouraging everyone, including myself, about making pejorative judgments about those of other generations, especially on the job.