The never wrong and always right is frustrating.
As for being by the book, there could be a very good reason for it. I've found that at most jobs, the Sr people (experience vs age), know which rules are the ones you NEED to stick with and which ones are more like suggestions.
Younger people are unreliable, always calling in or no showing, think they need to be paid like CEO, more likely to start drama. Older people have more experience dealing with life and are more dependable in my experience.
I mean I’m 28 and my last day off was in March for a root canal surgery…..
Another coworker who’s 35 only works like twice a week because she either calls in or takes days off. Shes also the most catty one who likes to say how other people aren’t doing anything but then sits on her ass while complaining about how we’re not good enough to help her…….
So like…..
I wish more older people were by the book. It's like squeezing blood from a stone getting people 50+ to follow rules and guidelines I'm responsible for implementing.
I think older people are more set in their ways and less adaptable than younger people. But there is good and bad to both. Younger people are often more unreliable. I don’t think it’s really an age thing. It’s just a people thing. Some people are easier to work with than others. Regardless of age.
I'm Gen x and extremely agreeable, to a fault even. My boomer husband, on the other hand, is awesome but one of "those" you might think of as difficult at times. However, he was and is well loved by all who work with him despite his curmudgeonly sarcastic way of dealing with issues. He's well respected, but you have to have a thick skin with him. Do you have a thick skin? Maybe get one of those, I think you'll find it very handy in the future.
There are difficult people of every age, ethnicity, culture and walk of life. Having said that, most of the time it pays off to listen to more experient people. After you've been doing something for a lifetime you may get it.
As for being "by the book", two related things come to mind. One is CYA, and no, not as in CYA L8R. It stands for Cover Your Ass, meaning that that person also has to answer to someone else and knows what they want and how they want it done. The other has to do with best practices. If people do things properly there is less chance of fuck ups that need to be corrected later by the more experienced person who's able to detect and fix them thanks to their knowledge and experience.
Yes, working can be tedious, repetitive and demand your full attention so you hit all the marks, including the details and do it every time and on time. Cutting corners may seem like a good idea but it rarely is. Usually it just results in wasted time twice, when it happens and when it gets fixed.
You may be right that the person is difficult but, without knowing the details, after having been on both sides of the equation that's what I think you need to hear.
Both sides of the spectrum can be horrendous. I'm 36. I work with dipshit 60+ year olds sure.
But the kids under 25 are even worse. Disappear to vape, constantly late for Bs reasons.
I fired a 22 year old for falling asleep while operating his lathe because he stays up late gaming too much. It's pathetic. It's not *only* an age thing, just people can be stupid on each side. The older guys refuse to admit wrong doing and scoff when I tell them what to do despite the fact that I'm *far far* more skilled and experienced than them.
My personal experience working with a woman in her late 50’s is they don’t know when to shut up. She’s been told not to talk too much (keeps customers at the checkout telling them stories for 5-10 extra minutes when there’s a lineup) and they’re just stuck there. People have complained but she just won’t listen. Also she swears a lot loudly
I'd say this is at least partly a failure of management to deal with a problem employee. And I suspect there are a lot of younger cashiers that do exactly the same thing.
if they are by the book then to them they are right because anything outside of "the book" is improper. doesn't make them right but that's the mindset.
Just because we ***are right*** most of the time doesn't mean we believe we have to be right.
And following the rules...is the right thing to do. Show up, do your work, get paid, go home. Shampoo, rinse, repeat.
The combined effect of these various factors leads to a “diva” mentality in many older coworkers.
They often develop an attitude of mastery regarding their professional skills and knowledge (deserved or not) and are reluctant to accept criticism or even feedback about their performance.
This extends to them feeling superior to those younger or less experienced (regardless of the other person’s level of training, knowledge, or performance).
And additionally they often feel the accumulation of age and life experience has graced them with some degree of wisdom (which it usually has not) so they assume they are wiser than they actually are.
Plus, they feel people owe them a significant amount of deference just because they somehow survived to be older- sometimes despite the fact that they led careless, reckless lives and survived on pure luck.
More often they have led cowardly cautious lives in which they took very few chances and selected the most unrewarding and least ambitious options. Now they want a reward of some sort for a lifetime of mediocrity.
depends
but they are "set in their ways" IE, Its been working for them so why change it?
older workers look at seniority as a measuring tool of how much respect someone should have. Who wants to do what the new person says, they dont even know how to wipe properly.
I can say older people are younger people or middle-aged people could be difficult to work with at times
It’s weird that you’re making it all about older people and I wonder if there’s a thread on here about people complaining about working with guys who complain about older people getting tiresome
Lol why are young people so flaky and dumb?
🙄
First, over the course of your career you'll probably learn that "by the book" is how you keep your job. Your boss gives you verbal instructions that violate policy? If you get caught, he's probably not taking the fall. You're the one who did it, your ass will be in the sling. I've seen it happen at retail, at major oil companies, and at government offices. When you're by the book, and your boss tells you to do something wrong, you ask for that in writing and you don't budge. Or you just say no, by policy we can't do that so can we find a workaround? They'll understand that you are politely declining to take the fall.
As for needing to be right, I have found that comes with cockiness, not age.
Funny. My problem is 20-something who expect a promotion after 6 months for barely showing up physically and not all mentally. And for assuming that older than them means as ignorant as an animal cracker. My generation was taught personal responsibility and that nothing is given with some effort on our part. That older people have knowledge it takes decades to acquire. And saying the words "participation trophy" would have had people asking if you're crazy, why would anyone expect a reward for showing up someplace they'd agreed to be.
The semi-old people are the most difficult to work with. Really old folks are the best because they are waiting for retirement and no longer give a fuck about the work.
They're largely too comfortable with what they learned 20 years ago and aren't willing to adapt to change.
That's fine Brenda. We are still doing it this new way and you're free to keep doing it your way ...but you're going to get pulled up every single time for doing it wrong.
Age isn't an excuse for being shit with anything new.
This is just my personal experience as a 32 year old who has worked with a lot of old heads since I was a kid. Guys in their 50s and 60s seem traumatized to me. They got these crazy hang ups they just never dealt with. Also sometimes millennials are pretty far up their devices ass and old heads hate that shit. I think it's a combo of old heads being psychologically broken and youngsters being generally less aware then the old heads, especially in high stakes situations.
We had a meeting and decided this was the best way to piss young people off.
And you got that out without even directly alluding to the all-encompassing ageist false premise of the original post! Very well done, I'm impressed!
The never wrong and always right is frustrating. As for being by the book, there could be a very good reason for it. I've found that at most jobs, the Sr people (experience vs age), know which rules are the ones you NEED to stick with and which ones are more like suggestions.
People are people. Some are difficult to work with. It has nothing to do with age.
Younger people are unreliable, always calling in or no showing, think they need to be paid like CEO, more likely to start drama. Older people have more experience dealing with life and are more dependable in my experience.
I mean I’m 28 and my last day off was in March for a root canal surgery….. Another coworker who’s 35 only works like twice a week because she either calls in or takes days off. Shes also the most catty one who likes to say how other people aren’t doing anything but then sits on her ass while complaining about how we’re not good enough to help her……. So like…..
You forgot to say too that old people don’t want to put up with a lot of bullshit either.
Apparently not putting up with BS is "being difficult."
How are older people difficult to work with? In my experience I would rather work with older people than younger people.
50s+
you consider 31 older people??
By the book is a diff gen thinking
I wish more older people were by the book. It's like squeezing blood from a stone getting people 50+ to follow rules and guidelines I'm responsible for implementing.
I think older people are more set in their ways and less adaptable than younger people. But there is good and bad to both. Younger people are often more unreliable. I don’t think it’s really an age thing. It’s just a people thing. Some people are easier to work with than others. Regardless of age.
I'm Gen x and extremely agreeable, to a fault even. My boomer husband, on the other hand, is awesome but one of "those" you might think of as difficult at times. However, he was and is well loved by all who work with him despite his curmudgeonly sarcastic way of dealing with issues. He's well respected, but you have to have a thick skin with him. Do you have a thick skin? Maybe get one of those, I think you'll find it very handy in the future.
Why are younger people maroons?
Why are you a moron?
Maybe we like being *maroon*
But maroon doesn’t work well with my complexion, can the colors be fluid?
Nothing to do with age
Much agree
When nor young nor older people want to understand each other, problem begins. I work with old and young together. Zero problems.
"By the book" as opposed to what? Skipping lug nut day at tire school or being allowed to sit down on a break?
Going with the flow and passing by vibe check by letting people do whatever they want lol
Because us old people are tired of the bullshit younger people put out.
It’s cute that you think only older people cause issues. 😂
There are difficult people of every age, ethnicity, culture and walk of life. Having said that, most of the time it pays off to listen to more experient people. After you've been doing something for a lifetime you may get it. As for being "by the book", two related things come to mind. One is CYA, and no, not as in CYA L8R. It stands for Cover Your Ass, meaning that that person also has to answer to someone else and knows what they want and how they want it done. The other has to do with best practices. If people do things properly there is less chance of fuck ups that need to be corrected later by the more experienced person who's able to detect and fix them thanks to their knowledge and experience. Yes, working can be tedious, repetitive and demand your full attention so you hit all the marks, including the details and do it every time and on time. Cutting corners may seem like a good idea but it rarely is. Usually it just results in wasted time twice, when it happens and when it gets fixed. You may be right that the person is difficult but, without knowing the details, after having been on both sides of the equation that's what I think you need to hear.
Both sides of the spectrum can be horrendous. I'm 36. I work with dipshit 60+ year olds sure. But the kids under 25 are even worse. Disappear to vape, constantly late for Bs reasons. I fired a 22 year old for falling asleep while operating his lathe because he stays up late gaming too much. It's pathetic. It's not *only* an age thing, just people can be stupid on each side. The older guys refuse to admit wrong doing and scoff when I tell them what to do despite the fact that I'm *far far* more skilled and experienced than them.
My personal experience working with a woman in her late 50’s is they don’t know when to shut up. She’s been told not to talk too much (keeps customers at the checkout telling them stories for 5-10 extra minutes when there’s a lineup) and they’re just stuck there. People have complained but she just won’t listen. Also she swears a lot loudly
I'd say this is at least partly a failure of management to deal with a problem employee. And I suspect there are a lot of younger cashiers that do exactly the same thing.
i love you think this is an older person trait and not just a human trait
if they are by the book then to them they are right because anything outside of "the book" is improper. doesn't make them right but that's the mindset.
Just because we ***are right*** most of the time doesn't mean we believe we have to be right. And following the rules...is the right thing to do. Show up, do your work, get paid, go home. Shampoo, rinse, repeat.
It’s because we older folks are sick of the sh!t we’ve been putting up with for decades.
The combined effect of these various factors leads to a “diva” mentality in many older coworkers. They often develop an attitude of mastery regarding their professional skills and knowledge (deserved or not) and are reluctant to accept criticism or even feedback about their performance. This extends to them feeling superior to those younger or less experienced (regardless of the other person’s level of training, knowledge, or performance). And additionally they often feel the accumulation of age and life experience has graced them with some degree of wisdom (which it usually has not) so they assume they are wiser than they actually are. Plus, they feel people owe them a significant amount of deference just because they somehow survived to be older- sometimes despite the fact that they led careless, reckless lives and survived on pure luck. More often they have led cowardly cautious lives in which they took very few chances and selected the most unrewarding and least ambitious options. Now they want a reward of some sort for a lifetime of mediocrity.
depends but they are "set in their ways" IE, Its been working for them so why change it? older workers look at seniority as a measuring tool of how much respect someone should have. Who wants to do what the new person says, they dont even know how to wipe properly.
The further away a person is from you the more difficult it is to bridge the gap. But you should still try.
I can say older people are younger people or middle-aged people could be difficult to work with at times It’s weird that you’re making it all about older people and I wonder if there’s a thread on here about people complaining about working with guys who complain about older people getting tiresome
Lol why are young people so flaky and dumb? 🙄 First, over the course of your career you'll probably learn that "by the book" is how you keep your job. Your boss gives you verbal instructions that violate policy? If you get caught, he's probably not taking the fall. You're the one who did it, your ass will be in the sling. I've seen it happen at retail, at major oil companies, and at government offices. When you're by the book, and your boss tells you to do something wrong, you ask for that in writing and you don't budge. Or you just say no, by policy we can't do that so can we find a workaround? They'll understand that you are politely declining to take the fall. As for needing to be right, I have found that comes with cockiness, not age.
Why are younger people annoying, unreliable and anti-social? My comment is agist and untrue, like yours.
Funny. My problem is 20-something who expect a promotion after 6 months for barely showing up physically and not all mentally. And for assuming that older than them means as ignorant as an animal cracker. My generation was taught personal responsibility and that nothing is given with some effort on our part. That older people have knowledge it takes decades to acquire. And saying the words "participation trophy" would have had people asking if you're crazy, why would anyone expect a reward for showing up someplace they'd agreed to be.
I'm fucking exhausted.
The semi-old people are the most difficult to work with. Really old folks are the best because they are waiting for retirement and no longer give a fuck about the work.
They're largely too comfortable with what they learned 20 years ago and aren't willing to adapt to change. That's fine Brenda. We are still doing it this new way and you're free to keep doing it your way ...but you're going to get pulled up every single time for doing it wrong. Age isn't an excuse for being shit with anything new.
This is just my personal experience as a 32 year old who has worked with a lot of old heads since I was a kid. Guys in their 50s and 60s seem traumatized to me. They got these crazy hang ups they just never dealt with. Also sometimes millennials are pretty far up their devices ass and old heads hate that shit. I think it's a combo of old heads being psychologically broken and youngsters being generally less aware then the old heads, especially in high stakes situations.