Staying Relevant At Your Company

A conversation series between Lindsay Boccardo and Lauren Moffatt, HR expert.

Lauren: So Linds, I have this question for you. One of the questions I got this week was from a boomer and he was wanting to know how can he be more relevant in the workplace.

Lindsay: Oh, yeah. I think boomers are feeling that more than ever. They're feeling just as threatened around their work, around their viability. Like am I aging out? We're talking a lot more about ageism in the workplace. The tension is palpable.

Lauren: Very much so. He was definitely frustrated.

Lindsay: Well let's talk about one area. Technology I think is a big one where boomers don't feel relevant, or they're wondering how they're going to keep up. I think that we're in this new era where if you know how to use technology, you can get more done faster. Just because technology exponentially speeds up your work. I feel for boomers who are trying to catch up with how much technology is changing. I'll tell you millennials, those of us who are like, "Sure Barb, I'll help you attach your document ha ha ha." Guess what? Gen Z is going to come up and instead of taking like typing classes, they're taking coding classes. So they're building whole universes online and some of us millennials know how
to code, but not all of us. That's going to be natural for your kids. They're gonna be like, "Yeah, I can code this real fast" -- boop boop beep beep boop boop. Then millennials are going to feel the same way that boomers do now. 

If you grow up with technology, your brain wires different and you think about things differently. There is going to be a variance in terms of comfort around technology. To the degree that you're willing to adapt yourself, especially as a boomer, to be willing to learn what it takes technologically, will help you stay relevant.

I just had somebody today tell me, "I just have a millennial come and fix it every time." And I thought, well, that's kind of lowering your perceived respect, because you're just letting somebody else do it for you. There's this level of, "It'd be awesome
for you to take some time to actually learn that."

Lauren: I love that because then you're not saying you need to be relevant in all different areas, but for the work that you do, what is the fastest way to do that?

Lindsay: Exactly. I think that millennials are chiefly thinking about efficiency, even more than quality sometimes. I totally feel for boomers, cause there was a time where if you were the most experienced, you are automatically top dog. And that's just not true anymore. Now it's the most educated in certain areas or it's just a totally different world. I can imagine watching all that flip on your head. The introduction of technology  would be concerning in my career if I was a boomer. 

Lauren: Yeah! You've waited for your time. You've waited your moment, and then this whole group comes in and now the rules of the game are changing.

Lindsay: I think everybody can do kind of a check within themselves in terms of, "Am I resisting change or am I accepting it?" The world is changing, choose to grow with it. That'll make a huge difference.


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