Hard work, but not as we know it
Here’s what I’ve learnt about the world so far: The Bullshit and The Truth.
I found myself in a fascinating conversation with my wife the other day, so fascinating that I had to share this with you, my awesome HWILATWSF Community.
We were talking about the varying attitudes we notice to the concept of hard work by different generations in the workplace. This got me thinking…is something going on here that we’re not yet appreciating 🤔?
A quick Google search brings up the following beautifully curated AI summary to the question ‘what are the attitudes to hard work by generation from Baby boomers through to Gen Alpha?’:
Baby boomers
Known for their strong work ethic and loyalty
Considered optimistic, competitive, and team-oriented
Valued hard work and consistency
Generation X
Known for their work-life balance and independence
Considered flexible, informal, and sceptical
Millennials
Known for their desire for meaningful work, flexibility, and work-life balance
Considered competitive, civic-minded, and open-minded
Generation Z
Known for their entrepreneurial spirit, resilience, and social responsibility
Considered global, progressive, and less focused
Generation Alpha
Expected to value technology, diversity, and work-life balance
Expected to want customized work experiences and to use technology to make their work more efficient
(Google search results from the UK, 24th February 2025 @ 7.59pm)
It’s clear different generations have different attitudes towards work, which are influenced by their values and technology of their time.
But where do those values originate from?
Values surface when we learn of the perspective on a moment from someone or a resource we know and trust, or from an experience that we have a positive or adverse reaction to. I value authenticity for example, because I have a strong sense when someone is not telling or withholding the full truth on a matter, and I’ve experienced far too many occasions when that withholding has caused me hurt.
And how long do we routinely engage in our objective curiosity to learn of someone’s values and where they origin from?
It probably took you 30 seconds for you to read of the origin of my value of authenticity – would’ve been 10 if we’d been together and I spoke of my truth, where you would also have learnt of my non-verbal actions as I recall the story – an invaluable aspect of human-to-human engagement and rapport.
When this interaction activity is engaged in from an objective and curious point of view, something magical happens. Because as you may have just thought, you have your own values, and our human brains are world class at trying to process the level of similarity and difference between your values and those of others when you engage.
By working to be objective and curious (so not judgmental and employing unconscious bias), we afford ourselves the opportunity to connect and with a lot less energy than you might think, find a mutually beneficial way forwards.
This would mean Baby Boomers can contextualise why their beliefs of hard work, going above and beyond and consistency can lead to benefits for all, and why Gen Z value allowing multiple aspects of their personalities and lifestyle to thrive – with each find a way through any conflicting values together.
Gen Z could see that deliberate bursts of high intensity output well communicated with their Baby Boomer or Gen X leaders earn the reward of deadline-free moments in their day. Baby Boomers can subsequently ease the burdensome pain they feel when someone younger in the organisation doesn’t demonstrate the same unwavering focus on the task in hand for days and weeks at a time.
What I’m saying is why don’t we stop focusing on the differences between generations and instead find a way to mutually benefit from each other’s values and approaches.
