Generation X: Kurt Cobain in a Cubicle.

Remember Nirvana? of course you do. Smells Like Teen Spirit is still tirelessly played on local rock radio stations. I remember hearing it when it first came out…I was 10. So, yeah that was 17 years ago. And it was the beginning of Generation X’s time to whine shine. If your old enough you will certainly remember Kurt Loder reporting about Generation X and the endless clips of Kurt Cobain giving everyone and anything the finger. God, I remember looking up to those guys like they were gods (I was a kid c’mon everyone’s got idols at that age). Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth, anything for that matter out of Seattle. It was grunge, it was the early nineties and it was Generation X wearing Doc Marten’s and not giving a shit about anything or anyone but their flannel shirts, distorted guitars, and ‘f— the world attitude’. The chip on their shoulders was is epic in size… Rock of Gibraltar like size. But god did I ever look up to them… they were the cool older kids that I so desperately wanted to be like. Jesus, what a misguided kid I was at the time.

Fast forward 17 years…. and they’re still pains in the asses and giving middle fingers in board rooms. Only now it’s not on TV it’s in offices and I hate to say it Corporate Headquarters around the world (except for in Italy, those Italians know how to weed em out). And they’re no longer just pains in the asses and underachievers to their baby boomer parents (god we feel so sorry for you). For the most part they’re hurdles that Generation Y’ers need to jump over. Harsh I know. You see the ‘f— you’ attitude that Generation X has is much different then the ‘f— you’ attitude Generation Y is perceived to have.

Generation X’ers attitude is ‘f— you’ and were going to pout it out, sit through it and wait for change to happen and generally waste corporate dollars doing nothing about an obstacle… basically wait for some else to solve the problem and bitch the entire time. While Generation X’ers pout it out they generally make the office as unproductive as possible for everyone else and certainly not help anyone accomplish anything.

Now what is very important is that you remember that the Generation Y ‘f— you’ is only perceived that is not what we are saying.

Generation Y’ers perceived ‘f— you’ is more of ‘f— you were outta here if we can’t solve the problem with managements help’

Us Generation Y’ers look at it like this… OK, we have a problem and we’re going to clear it up and get it resolved because we have to because if it’s not cleared up, if the obstacle is not removed or circumvented then it’s been a nice few months here but were leaving. Just like that we are out the door. You see we don’t have the kids at home and the wife and the minivan (which Kurt Cobain is laughing at I’m sure) or the absurd McMansion to worry about making payments on. Generation Y travels light. Think about it, Generation X’ers have 1000’s of cds to lug around in those clumsy black Case Logic’ cases… us Generation Y’ers have an Iphone. That’s what gives us the ability to bounce from a job if too many generational differences obstacles get in the way of us maturing professionally and developing personally. We are not tied down and won’t be for the foreseeable future.

While Generation X’ers are sitting in their cubicles and boardrooms (god I hope there’s not many) giving middle fingers with there bad posture and unkempt beards. Generation Y’ers are addressing their work issues with a hands on approach because for us if a problem or hurdle isn’t solved or jumped over it’s a waste of time and it’s time to hit the bricks and we know it. So while Generation X’ers are pouting in their managers offices about some yellow tape they’ve come across Generation Y’ers are figuring out ways to cross the yellow tape without breaking it. We really don’t fight for change… we simply make change because it’s the thing to do.

So next time you are looking to hire someone into an office environment or a truly corporate environment picture Kurt Cobain in a cubicle… because that is truly at the core of Generation X. Their Generational anthem Smell’s Like Teen Spirit chorus includes the lines…

…Here we are now
Entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now
Entertain us

What more can I say.