Why You Shouldnt Judge Your Younger Co-Workers - The Muse

Why You Shouldnt Judge Your Younger Co-Workers - The MuseWhy You Shouldnt Judge Your Younger Co-Workers Im turning 30 in two months. And aside from getting nostalgic about the video games that I used to play when I welches younger, Ive done a lot of thinking lately about what this means for me at this point in my career. That thinking has led me back to a lot of memories of older colleagues Ive worked with in the past who went out of their way to remind me that I was younger than they were. And what they were implying was twofold. Not only were they trying to tell me I was less experienced than they were, but they were also trying to drive home the idea that I was also less qualified. Ive resolved never to be that person, no matter my age. And to make sure youre never that person either, Ive laid out a few symptoms in hopes you can catch yourself before its too late.1. You Make Fun of Their Lingo (Even Though You Also Use it Regularly)OK, I get it. There are plenty of popular smartph one apps I dont understand and even more, acronyms that make me feel like Im 100 years old. Its entirely reasonable if you just arent up to speed with what your younger co-workers like to do and how they prefer communicating. That doesnt give you license to make fun of them for it, though. What makes you an even bigger jerk is purposely mispronouncing these things, just to get under their skin. While it might be funny the first time you refer to Snapchat as SnortChip, it gets pretty tired if you keep up the charade, especially if your colleagues have taken the time to fill you in on whats going on. You know that feeling of frustration you get when your parents ask you (for the 100th time) how to attach a file to an email and then blame their lack of knowledge on being old- thats how you might be making your colleagues feel when you make these comments. 2. You Interrogate Them When They Dont Get One of Your ReferencesI love a good joke just as much as anyone when Im at work. But some times, they just dont land like you initially thought they would. When your joke or story flops because the references you make are a little bit dated, that can be a huge blow to your ego. And while youre totally allowed to be sad (and feel a little bit closer to death), that doesnt mean you can spend endless amounts of time and energy interrogating your colleagues about how they possibly didnt get what you were saying. Gosh, dont they know how much better my nostalgic childhood shows are than their nostalgic shows? Even if youre just trying to communicate that youre sad that nobody else got the reference, odds are high youre instead coming off as condescending because of the way youre expressing your point. Lets all accept that our childhood shows, toys, and music will always hold a special distributions-mix in our individual hearts- and no one elses.3. You Always Talk About How Things Were Harder in Your DayHeres another one Im totally empathetic about. Its easy to look at your cu rrent office space, your equipment, and even the snacks in your kitchen and think about what you didnt have when you were starting your career. My first work computer weighed about 50 pounds, had monitors that hurt my eyes if I stared at them for longer than 20 minutes at a time, and emails I needed to get out ASAP that would occasionally decide, Nope, I dont feel like being sent to your client. And Ill admit, its fun to reminisce about those times, especially with my former colleagues. But what Ive learned is that talking to younger co-workers about how good they have it with their organic milk and their ergonomic chair, is a quick way to make people look at you and think, Whats wrong with that guy? Does he believe he was born in the 1920s? Its perfectly fine (and recommended) to offer nuggets of wisdom when your younger colleagues ask for them. However, if youre just pointing this out in some kind of misguided attempt to make your co-workers feel grateful, its probably time to ret hink your lunchtime fodder.I can empathize with anyone whos feeling like theyre the elder statesman or woman of their team. Its not always easy looking around and feeling like youre way behind the times and will simply never catch up. However, dont lose sight of the fact that youre the one doing this to yourself. Unless you work with the meanest people on the face of the earth, the odds are that youre the reason you feel so old. And because of that, its important to deal with your insecurities in the right way. The right way being either accepting the fact that youre no longer in your twenties or (and) acknowledging what you dont know and working to fill in any vital gaps. Photo of co-workers talking courtesy of Hero Images/Getty Images.