We started our careers on typewriters, pagers, and fax machines. And 10 years later, they were already managing remote teams through Skype, which had just appeared. We didn't "study" digitalization - we lived inside this hurricane, and it became our natural environment. We started with phones with a disk, and today our smartphone controls our home. If that doesn't make us flexible, then what is flexibility?
We were raised in the paradigm of "the boss is always right." And now we are holding coaching sessions and collecting feedback. It's like learning how to write with your other hand - it's difficult, but we did it. Because they saw the point in it, not the threat.
We found a world without the Internet, so we totally appreciate the speed it gives, and we are not afraid of it.
We have experienced several global economic crises (1998, 2008), which have taught us a fundamental thing: nothing lasts forever. Neither the market, nor the business model, nor the position. This does not make us pessimists. This makes us pragmatic and adaptive.
We weren't raised in an "everyone is special" culture like millennials. We were taught to survive.
Yes, we are different. And this is our strength, not our weakness.
We look at you, millennials and Zetas, with sincere interest (and a little envy for your ability to relax). Because we already understand that your work-life balance requirement is not laziness. For us who burned out at work in the nineties and noughties, this is a revelation. And we learn from you to say "no" and value your time. Thank you for that!
We are not always ready to instantly adopt every new management philosophy. But we are the ones who translate your bold ideas into the language of executable processes. And today we are a bridge between the rebellious spirit of Generation Z and the harsh reality of business.
We listen to millennials and zoomers, and we hear you. Your demand for balance, environmental friendliness, and meaningful work is not a challenge to our system, but its logical development. And we, who have gone from "working to survive" to "working to live," understand this like no one else.
And all of us working together are not just a generational mix. We are the dream team of the modern world. It boiled over after a long job search when I'm not even invited to interviews.
