This column is going to hopefully open the eyes of not only my younger audience, but my older audience as well. Since I have started my journey as an adult, participating in grown-up jobs and working with those who are closer to my parents' age rather than mine, I have learned a lot. Most lessons are positive, but there are also those instances that really stick out, and not in the best way. Of course, what other place to speak about those negative lessons than with my dear readers!
I have always been told that I am mature for my age, and I take pride in that statement. I have never found it difficult to work well with adults who have a bigger age gap. Honestly, they are normally easier to work with than those who are my age. But then again, that's in a “normal” circumstance. Entering the coaching world has introduced me to varying types of adults, and since I am in the athletic community, I have realized that there are adults out there who take their competitiveness to a whole new level. There are others who have shown their true colors and, as it turns out, some adults are more dramatic and selfish than the 16 year-old girls that I coach. This came as a shock to me, because I had not encountered these adults firsthand, since I was always the child in these moments. However, I am now equal with these adults, even if other people may not see it that way.
That being said, I wanted to take this article and experience and speak to both the young and the old. To those who are young adults and beginning their working journey, be respectful, but do remember your worth. In your workplace, you are equal to your coworkers. No one is better than you just because you are younger. If anything, the upcoming workers who are my age and specifically come from Madison are some of the hardest-working people I have ever met. We bring new, fresh ideas to businesses that have been doing the same techniques for years. We are helping our jobs progress rather than staying stagnant. Take pride in that.
To my older audience, do not “eat the smaller fish” that are in your workplace. Do not become jealous because young adult workers may come in full-force with their jobs. If anything, be grateful that we are working so hard to make wherever we are a better place. Have some compassion for those who are wanting to help, rather than leaving them in the dust or putting them down because of their age or lack of experience. Take them under your wing. Doing so will ultimately help the future of the workplace because, whether people like it or not, we are the future. You are never too old to be helpful and respectful, or to learn new things from young people. Keep this in mind next time you get annoyed or aggravated with your young workers.