Episode: 206

Episode Title: Moving Beyond OK Boomer 

OK Boomer, OK Zoomer—these viral phrases aren’t helping us move forward at work. Find out more, coming up next on the Syndicate.

Ep 206 show:

Hello and welcome—you are now in The Perna Syndicate! At home and at work, young people have always seen things differently from the older generations—and vice versa. It’s just human nature to think our personal approach to life is the best. But it’s only recently that that frustration has been captured in a single viral phrase: OK, Boomer. 

The Boomers, of course, have a swift comeback in the phrase ‘OK, Zoomer’—and there you are. We have two major generations, with widely divergent views on life, expressing their disconnect with a phrase that equates to a verbal eye roll. 

It’s not moving things forward productively. And at work, the intergenerational friction can create problems far beyond interpersonal conflict. 

As a ‘silver tsunami’ of Boomers start retiring, demand for top Gen-Z talent will skyrocket. Today’s organizations don’t have the luxury of easing into the changes that are already transforming the workforce. And of course, this shift has only been accelerated by the pandemic. 

A recent report from Washington State University offers several insights into how Gen-Z workers approach their professional lives. For me, it raises the question: Are Zoomers and Boomers really all that different?  

On both sides, we have to move beyond the knee-jerk OK Boomer, OK Zoomer responses and embrace what Gen-Z can bring to the world of work.

Tomorrow: in a fast-changing world, who’s more worried about their career—the Boomers or Gen Z? The answer might surprise you. We’ll see you back here tomorrow at the Syndicate.