Sweeping Statements

This discussion period is designed to help you reflect on what you’ve learned this morning and to offer some thought-provoking ideas for the rest of the day. Let’s start by considering the following question:

Have you ever caught yourself saying, or overheard someone else saying, any of these comments?

• “These young kids refuse to dress properly for work.”
• “Our young employees don’t seem to have any loyalty to this place.”
• “The older employees won’t be able to keep up with us once we figure out what’s going on around here.”
• “When I was a new employee, I…”
• “When I become the manager, I…”

These statements often reveal underlying assumptions and generational biases. Discussing them can help us better understand the perspectives within our workplace and how we might address these issues constructively.

Q: In terms of what we know about generalizations, what can you say about these comments?

Q: Based on what we know already, how are your workplace set up to manage workplace generational issues?

Q: Can you cite some real examples of workplaces that do not seem to have generation gap issues?

Write down your answers to review them at the end of the course.