cross-generational support
Boomer to GenX to Millennials to Gen Z
An op-ed piece in the WSJ [paywall] “What GenZ will lose if they don’t have friendships at work,” had me both reminiscing about my early-career experience in academic libraries as well as pondering strategies for supporting Gen Z in libraries.
Decades ago I co-edited The Gen X Librarian, which collected chapters written by and about that generation, which also referenced Boomers and Millennials.
Since then, I haven’t thought a great deal about generational divides in library workplaces.
I admit that I am out of touch with younger generations, though I strongly advocate on their behalf for flexibility in working from home, inspiring them to maintain positivity in an increasingly prescriptive workplace.
Jeffery Hall’s article explores how Gen Z doesn’t consider the office as a place ripe for friendship, which he insists was the status quo for previous generations.
Actually, maybe I’m an anomaly, or maybe Gen X hasn’t been researched enough, but I didn’t find my library workplace particularly warm, a place of socialization, acceptance, and belonging. I (correctly or incorrectly) attribute it to the majority Boomer librarians with whom I worked being cliquish and exclusive.
Hall says that remote work is a barrier to friendship. That lack of face to face socializing decreases the likelihood of making friends or even getting to know co-workers.
He wrote “After all, many employees’ best memories revolve around socializing during and after work in their early days, and the camaraderie that created.”
Another dynamic he wrote about is “why bother?” Why would someone want to make friends at work? People remain in positions for shorter periods of time. And if they don’t have the kind of support they need, job hopping ensues.
Ultimately Hall says we should refrain from “conflating the values of any given generation with their age,” as young workers are the loneliest adults, no matter what generation they are, as they’re experiencing “a series of changes at that time of life.”
When I’ve tried ideas that may appeal to Millennial and Gen Z people whom I supervise, I’ve had mixed results.
My weekly mental health check-in flopped with one person and the others played along, so I abandoned it quickly because I didn’t want people discomfited.
But some of the other ideas, like slowing down and asking everyone to slow down to offset burnout is something I do.
As a supervisor, my direct reports’ mental health is my number one priority. Much of that is tied to an organizational structure that doesn’t give everyone a voice. On my team, however, everyone feels empowered to speak up and be heard.
One of the sticking points, in my experience, is that my library workplace doesn’t allow integration of selves. Many people keep their personal and professional lives separate. Maybe it’s because of living in a red state. Maybe it’s because higher administration in my library exhibited historical patterns of bullying, gaslighting, and other emotional abuse behaviors.
It seems like giving people space, but also checking in with them periodically, provides a decent balance for those cross-generational relationships to grow. Also, just asking what people need seems like the best way to support their growth and efforts in the workplace.