When we think about generational diversity, we love to focus on the strengths and uniqueness of each generation. This is important because these are the areas that we can leverage for positive impact. However, as I work with clients and teams I see how important it is to have empathy for the different vulnerabilities each generation has, especially around emotional intelligence.
It is easy, and typical for us humans, to demonize or judge those who navigate their thoughts and emotions differently from us as wrong, immature or old-fashioned. Sadly, on the spectrum of emotional intelligence each generation has strengths that we need to learn from and struggles that we have opportunity to hold with grace and compassion. Today, we will explore aspects that challenge us as a human race as we navigate these real emotional vulnerabilities.
First let’s address a couple key challenges that are common to every generation:
Chrono-centrism:
This is the belief that one’s generation is superior or more relevant. Here are the ways to notice if you may be affected by this bias:
Idealizing "Better Times": This is where we tend to romanticize our formative years. Whether we consider “the good ole days” as the ideal time to grow up, or we perceive our upbringing to be at the forefront of enlightenment we are at risk of seeing any other generation other than our own as inferior.
Judgment of Emotional Norms: This is where different generational experiences and contexts create significant misunderstanding and judgement. Depending on the influences that shaped your formative years, you will hold a certain opinion of what is appropriate when it comes to emotional expression. Some will be judged as rigid or repressed, others as out of touch or cold, still others as over-sensitive or lacking resilience. The challenge is when we judge another generation's emotional expression against our own baseline of understanding or experience. This idea that our experience was the right one becomes relationally problematic.
Confirmation Bias: This type of bias is prevalent to all humanity, not just because of generational lines. As humans, our brains are always seeking evidence to support what we intrinsically believe. As a result of this, we often think that our perspectives are both common and right. This causes us to stop listening and start correcting each other which rarely ends well.
Some examples of chrono-centric thinking across generations might look like:
Boomers might undervalue Gen Z’s advocacy for psychological safety, seeing it as overly sensitive.
Gen X might misinterpret Millennials’ emphasis on collaboration as dependency rather than teamwork.
Millennials may view Boomers as rigid, failing to appreciate their steadiness during challenges.
Gen Z might label Gen X as detached, overlooking their balance of independence and pragmatism.
Our Human Need to be Right:
Sadly, when we are unaware of the influences and experiences that shaped an individual's tool box of strategies to navigate relationships, we may find ourselves in a place of judgement which prevents us from leaning in and seeking understanding. This may be because at our core, we believe we are right and that our perspective reflects common sense. Our understanding of right is always incomplete and needing ongoing refinement and challenging, but this requires humility, listening and a willingness to adjust our own often well-established opinions and beliefs.
“ Changing your mind is not a sign of losing integrity. It's often a mark of gaining wisdom. Realizing you were wrong doesn't mean you lack judgment. It means you lacked knowledge.” Adam Grant
In our next edition of Inter-Generational Dynamics we are going to explore the different vulnerabilities that different generations may experience and look at how we can come together to support each other and nurture understanding and unity.
Comentarios