AFP – In the workplace, everyone has to deal with the quirks of their colleagues, but not all irritating behaviours affect us the same way.
For instance, while some may get frustrated when interrupted during a meeting, others may shrug it off.
This could be a matter of individual sensitivity, but it might also be influenced by generational differences.
A survey conducted by Meeting Canary (via Censuswide among 1,016 British office workers who participate in video or in-person meetings weekly) and reported by Fortune found that workplace annoyances vary by age group. For example, baby boomers are especially bothered by condescending attitudes from coworkers.
Some 74 per cent find this unbearable, compared to 63 per cent of Gen Z.
Similarly, boomers can’t stand meetings that drag on unnecessaririly (84 per cent). Their patience is sorely tested when they have to listen to their colleagues’ long-winded monologues (76 per cent), something that doesn’t seem to bother their Gen Z colleagues nearly as much.
But the generation gap is most pronounced when it comes to professional jargon.
The most experienced employees loathe the technical terms and trendy buzzwords that are used incessantly in the workplace.
In fact, 70 per cent of boomers find this corporate jargon irritating, compared to 44 per cent of Gen Z. Perhaps it’s because this professional jargon excludes the uninitiated, to the detriment of team cohesion.
RESPECT MATTERS
Generally speaking, baby boomers place great importance on politeness in the workplace.
They take a dim view of any behaviour that goes against the elementary rules of good manners.
For example, they take a dim view of colleagues who fail to arrive at the office on time.
Their younger counterparts, on the other hand, are much more forgiving of tardiness. Some 40 per cent of Millennials have no trouble forgiving someone running 10 minutes late, while 70 per cent of baby boomers have a zero-tolerance attitude towards any kind of lateness.
Nevertheless, it would be wrong to say that there is a real generational divide between young and old. Gen Z and baby boomers have a lot in common when it comes to their views on the most annoying behaviours at work. Whatever their age, employees find respect and civility in the workplace to be highly important, for example. That’s why you should make every effort to mind your manners at the office.
Of course, no one is perfect, and quarrels between employees are commonplace in the workplace. But managers must ensure that these tensions do not fester over time and build up into bigger issues.
