"Older Worker" mentalities

I need an explanation here. Why do older people seem to think, on the job, age "means something"? Here is the story of someone getting fired from the best bar job they will ever have.

For those who have been here for a while you have heard the tales of the best worker I have ever had, Taylor. Wife hired on a friend's mom to help her out. Immediately the woman assumed that her AGE meant she was in charge. Not just of the people she is on equal footing with. But her managers. She was telling people like Taylor, her actual MANAGER, how to do things "correctly" based on her "life experience". She was fired straight off by my Brother in Law, the overall GM for all the places. I know so many people who have hit this over they years.

So I ask. Why do "elders" think their age (or even time on job) means they tell others what to do?

 

I don't think its a older worker thing only. I've run into younger workers, who think they know everything, they may not try to boss everyone around, but they refuse to listen to those above them. They think they know best what to do and you can't tell them anything. I guessing its more of a narcissist thing rather than an age thing.

 

But the issue is that older people do that. They attempt to exert "boss" status on younger workers. As to knowing everything? Well over half the time I have come across that in my life? It was a younger person creating efficiency and the older person attempting to keep it the way they like. Usually because the efficiency involves computer systems. While there are younger people like you say who really cant be told things because "they know......" there is a much larger majority of "elders" who think their "life experience and age" mean they "just know things about things".

Example. I tend to trust an AR accountant who is a year or two out of school on GAAP, over an "elder" who totally graduated 12th grade and has "life experience" or "did it for years". Why you ask? Because I have, in discovery, found SO MANY legal violations because "elder X" did it the same way for 30 years. The RIGHT WAY. The problem? The actual law changed 5 years ago, but the boss and them did not bother to stay up to date. The kid a year or 2 out likely sat for a CPA, or is about to. That means, like me, he is subject to CE requirements now.

 

It dates back to our tribal roots. "Elders" were respected, and their advice was sought out, because they had aquired knowledge through experience (it was the only way to aquire knowledge back then).
These days, there are ways to aquire knowledge far more rapidly and efficiently. Each younger generation is exponentially more knowledgeable than the previous one. This creates a friction, as the older you get, the more challenged you become, and people tend to take it personally. Now knowledge without maturity is a dangerous combination, but maturity without knowledge may be even worse. Our "elders" feel they are being disrespected.
People so often pine for the "good old days", but if you looked back with a non-nostalgical view on it, the "good old days" were pretty bloody bad, all in all.
Today was built by the efforts of those of yesterday. Thank you, Grandpa, now shut up and let me do my job, tomorrow needs me.

 

I'm not saying older people don't do what you are claiming, I'm saying that younger people do it too and that age is not the most relevant factor. Some other aspect of their personality looks to be the common thread.

 

I am more referring to places like Retail, Offices, etc. Where old workers demand everyone work less efficiently because back in the day it was done by hand. The equivalent (possibly) in your field would have happened like this "Well in MY day we did not use the new fangled electronic gadgets! We measured by HAND and used pencil and paper. The RIGHT WAY.".

I have defended clients in the past who fired an older person because the older person "knew best" when speaking to their supervisor. The last one, I kid you not, was someone who quit and sued when she was passed over for a promotion (manager to a VP position). Because? She insisted everything in her department be done with pen and paper, by hand, and filed in a physical file. She did not accept things being done electronically in her department. Her way was the right way, in her mind. Note though, there were 3 layers over her who were all attempting to go paperless. So they promoted a "kid" (33) who was a tech whiz instead. Her head almost exploded that her "20 years on the job" didnt trump his ability to make things electronic and paperless. Someone she tried to get fired 2 years before, not even her direct employee, because he played his guitar every so often in his office was now her boss.