Damn millennials. . .

I send a few emails to an engineer in another branch and his supervisor for support.  I did that because he's pretty young and I was pretty sure he needed guidance from his supervisor.  His supervisor isn't very good as he doesn't manage nor teach his engineers well.  Anyways, each email CLEARLY stated what I was asking from them and I added some background and commentary.  While they are a different discipline, I know enough that I can get at least 50% of the answer. 

So the engineer comes to see me this morning asking be about what I wanted.  I figure ok, he's wanting some additional insight beyond what my email said.  No.  He was clarifying that what I wanted was what I said in my email!!!  I then ask him if he went to see his supervisor for some guidance, to which he answered "no".  I mean I am definitely good with teaching and mentoring the younger engineers, but 1) that's not my job and 2) especially pissed about it because his supervisor is terrible (and other branches know it).  The engineer then goes on and on about how they did it at his previous office, which wasn't wrong but totally irrelevant. 

I've been dealing with millenials for a while now and I've actually taken courses specifically for managing them.  That said, even though I am aware that they generally need more guidance and pushing, damn.  They are grown ass adults that seem to need constant hand holding and can't think for themselves. . . 

Anyways, think my coffee is kicking in. . .

Feel free to share your work frustrations. . . Or frustrations in general. . .

Know EXACTLY how you feel..

Couldn't find the clip when he goes to payroll.

Most millennials i’ve Worked with and have met along the way don’t have the common sense of a stone, my youngest daughter included!

Man, sounds exactly like my work place - even having to deal with engineers on a daily basis.  I have a few millennial that work for me.  Good people that sometimes exhibit the kind of behavior you describe, but I try to be patient.  My beef is mostly with management - incompetent, arrogant and uncaring.

Man, sounds exactly like my work place - My beef is mostly with management - incompetent, arrogant and uncaring.

Which Hawaii politician do you work for?

It's a time-honored tradition to feel the newest generation is awful. I came across a quote it which Plato was lambasting the youth of his day. Plato! It would have sounded right at place coming out of one of your mouths today. As a college prof, though, I don't see it. Don't get me wrong; the students perform as college students have always performed, as I myself performed. There's a certain philosophy of minimal effort and delayed implementation in most cases. But they're every bit as bright, and able to learn, and able to implement complex constructs, as any college student I've ever seen, myself included.

Now, they do have an alarming dearth of practical skills. I had one email me after graduating to ask what high beams on her car were for. Folding fitted sheets, driving a standard, writing in cursive...

Most millennials i’ve Worked with and have met along the way don’t have the common sense of a stone, my youngest daughter included!

If you're going by common sense as the indicator, I will say that there's that in ALL generations.  But yeah, probably seems more apparent in the younger millenials and Gen Z generations where they seem to lack some very basic life skills.  So many raised so sheltered.  Not saying I did the whole walk to school uphill in the snow both ways that the baby boomers did, but there is a lot to be learned in the world if you aren't raised in a bubble. 

Man, sounds exactly like my work place - even having to deal with engineers on a daily basis.  I have a few millennial that work for me.  Good people that sometimes exhibit the kind of behavior you describe, but I try to be patient.  My beef is mostly with management - incompetent, arrogant and uncaring.

Yeah, there are definitely good people that innocently exhibit the behavior that I described and causes me frustration.  It's not about them being assholes or anything like that.  This one guy that I was talking about in my OP seems to be a nice guy.  Just clueless.  I mean I get some folks need to have things laid out 1 through 10.  Some folks prefer telling them get to 10 and they find their own way.  I basically told him answer questions 1, 2, and 3 and he proceeded to ask me to confirm I wanted 1, 2, and 3.  Later, he responded without answering 1, 2, and 3, but then proceeded to confirm stuff that I already knew.  He should have known I already knew that because I told him that in my initial email.   

I have been patient and will continue to do so.  My frustration with this particular guy is that his supervisor is terrible and doesn't teach him anything, so he depends on folks in other branches, like me.  So yeah, that goes along with your beef with incompetent management.  In this case, not arrogant or uncaring though we do have some of that here, but thankfully not folks that I deal with regularly. 

It's a time-honored tradition to feel the newest generation is awful. I came across a quote it which Plato was lambasting the youth of his day. Plato! It would have sounded right at place coming out of one of your mouths today. As a college prof, though, I don't see it. Don't get me wrong; the students perform as college students have always performed, as I myself performed. There's a certain philosophy of minimal effort and delayed implementation in most cases. But they're every bit as bright, and able to learn, and able to implement complex constructs, as any college student I've ever seen, myself included.

Now, they do have an alarming dearth of practical skills. I had one email me after graduating to ask what high beams on her car were for. Folding fitted sheets, driving a standard, writing in cursive...

Yeah, there's certainly that.  I am close to the kids of one of my best friends.  The oldest is 17 and he cruises with "da uncles" when we drink.  He goes on and on about what he thinks about life, what he thinks about us old guys, etc.  My friend look at each other and see right through his teenage BS.  Meanwhile my friend's dad is drinking with us and just laughing to himself while my friend and I talk about how knowing what we know now, how we've been there, done that, that it seems funny that teenagers think they are so innovative.  My friend's dad just laughs.  I ask "I bet we sounded just like that to you when we were that age!".  He just laughs and goes "YUP!".   

For me, while I'm a Gen Xer, I relate more to Baby Boomer style, at least for work.  That's how I was groomed when I started work right out of college.  And now that we have the younger Gen Z, millenials are still the most problematic generational group.  At least from what the trainers are telling us. 

The death of practical skills is definitely something I see and I alluded to above.  I mean much of what we feel is practical doesn't apply to younger generations.  Like knowing how to operate a rotary phone or soon even how to write a check.  But there are some life lessons that are timeless, and much of that seems to be lost on younger generations. 

Damn older coworkers. . .

One of my coworkers is an older Chinese guy.  Maybe late 60s or early 70s.  Anyways, this guy is an eating and farting/burping machine!  Not really venting, but more    I dunno if he thinks folks can't hear, but he farts and burps ALL THE TIME!  He eats pretty often as well and he's super loud.  I don't think he's hard of hearing.  Sometimes, after he's eaten, he'll burp really loudly and I'll say over the partition "What did you say (his name)?".  He'll laugh say "excuse me".  It doesn't bother me, but damn!   

In my previous office, one of my coworkers was an older Chinese guy (coincidence?) who would crop dust the entire office.  I think he was 73 when he retired.  Anyways, he'd walk down the aisles and tooting along the way!  Everyone noticed it, but we all wondered if he knew, or if he even cared.  SUPER nice guy and I don't think anyone ever had the heart to tell him.   

Also in a previous office, there was an older Swiss guy.  He was a burper.  Super loud burper and sneezer.  He knew it too.  After a loud burp or sneeze, many times he would say out loud "oh shit!".  It was pretty hilarious.  I think he was in his early 70s at the time. 

When flying, someone who keeps putting their knees in the back of my seat and then when getting up, pulling on my seat back with so much force it feels like I’m almost lying flat. 

Was lucky to get upgraded to 1st in my second leg. But this one is only an hour and 30 min flight.

Older coworker is at it again. . . He's retiring at the end of April though.

I brought in some Big Island Crunch Bars for my coworkers.  My buddy's son is selling them for a fundraiser and he conned me into buying a box.  It's a crunch bar, like a Whatchamacallit.  Anyways, he's eating one this morning and he's chewing so loud that it sounds like I'm sitting next to a HUGE COW!  And of course the obligatory burp.   

I always buy stuff when friends/coworkers kids are selling.  Because when I was small, lots of friends/coworkers bought from my parents what I was selling. 

DRCK, you starting to sound like Mrs.CMO.  I would play xbox with the headset on (no volume on TV) and she would complain, "I can here the buttons clicking.  It's to loud".

I always buy stuff when friends/coworkers kids are selling.  Because when I was small, lots of friends/coworkers bought from my parents what I was selling. 

DRCK, you starting to sound like Mrs.CMO.  I would play xbox with the headset on (no volume on TV) and she would complain, "I can here the buttons clicking.  It's to loud".

Not really complaining about my coworkers. Just something I notice.

And if she’s complaining about the volume of the buttons clicking, that’s saying something else...

Not really complaining about my coworkers. Just something I notice.

And if she’s complaining about the volume of the buttons clicking, that’s saying something else...

As long as she doesn't tell me to stop buying gun stuff, it's all G.

"Today's youth is rotten, evil, godless, and lazy. It will never be what youth used to be, and it will never be able to preserve our culture."  -Babylonian clay tablet dated around 1000 BC

There's a great book by Robert Greene called The Laws Of Human Nature and chapter 17 is all about understanding different generations. Boomers are more self obsessed because they were raised during peak empire, Gen-x are cynical because decline began in the 1990's, and Millennials are more prone to avoid direct confrontation because they grew up in an era of terrorism. There's a lot more too it than that, but if Kids These Days make you want to pull your hair out it's a good idea to do some extra research into the phenomenon, especially if you are in a supervisory role.

"Today's youth is rotten, evil, godless, and lazy. It will never be what youth used to be, and it will never be able to preserve our culture."  -Babylonian clay tablet dated around 1000 BC

There's a great book by Robert Greene called The Laws Of Human Nature and chapter 17 is all about understanding different generations. Boomers are more self obsessed because they were raised during peak empire, Gen-x are cynical because decline began in the 1990's, and Millennials are more prone to avoid direct confrontation because they grew up in an era of terrorism. There's a lot more too it than that, but if Kids These Days make you want to pull your hair out it's a good idea to do some extra research into the phenomenon, especially if you are in a supervisory role.

I’ve already down research on it as well as had many course on generational diversity, managing (fill in the blank) generation, how to handle condescending socialists, etc. Still makes me want to Darth Vader choke folks every so often. Would be good therapy to see their faces...

It's only going to get worst.  Probably when I'm your guys age, I will be reviving this 20 year old post.  Kids now being taught by actions, it's OK to assault or harass a conservative/republican/Trump supporter.  They won't really get in any trouble.  We've all seen the videos online that someone wearing a MAGA hat is being harassed, denied service or entry like it's the cool thing to do.  It's OK to disregard facts/science.

I remember being at the Miracle Mile in Vegas and they had a Trump Store.  There was a girl in her 20's taking a selfie of her giving the finger to the stores sign.  Imagine how she's going to raise her kids.

So here's the 20 year prediciton: CMO-Damnit, there's this young kid who got written up because of XYZ (facts) reason.  They'e saying those reasons (facts) don't apply to them because they feel like they are correct and the facts are wrong.  And this kid blinks to loud. (Notice how I didn't use he/her)

It's only going to get worst.  Probably when I'm your guys age, I will be reviving this 20 year old post.  Kids now being taught by actions, it's OK to assault or harass a conservative/republican/Trump supporter.  They won't really get in any trouble.  We've all seen the videos online that someone wearing a MAGA hat is being harassed, denied service or entry like it's the cool thing to do.  It's OK to disregard facts/science.

I remember being at the Miracle Mile in Vegas and they had a Trump Store.  There was a girl in her 20's taking a selfie of her giving the finger to the stores sign.  Imagine how she's going to raise her kids.

So here's the 20 year prediciton: CMO-Damnit, there's this young kid who got written up because of XYZ (facts) reason.  They'e saying those reasons (facts) don't apply to them because they feel like they are correct and the facts are wrong.  And this kid blinks to loud. (Notice how I didn't use he/her)

Yeah.  Every generation is different from the previous and the next.  I've had many talks over beers with one of my best friend's dad about what my friend and I notice about his son.  Same shit, different generation.  That said, millenials are definitely different.  When the younger generation bashes on them, it's 

It's a time-honored tradition to feel the newest generation is awful. I came across a quote it which Plato was lambasting the youth of his day. Plato! It would have sounded right at place coming out of one of your mouths today. As a college prof, though, I don't see it. Don't get me wrong; the students perform as college students have always performed, as I myself performed. There's a certain philosophy of minimal effort and delayed implementation in most cases. But they're every bit as bright, and able to learn, and able to implement complex constructs, as any college student I've ever seen, myself included.
Now, they do have an alarming dearth of practical skills. I had one email me after graduating to ask what high beams on her car were for. Folding fitted sheets, driving a standard, writing in cursive...

I heard they found hieroglyphics in Egyptian pyramids complaining about the new generation.