Generational Frustrations
It’s only hard to hear the question, “Why?” if you don’t know the answer.
For many years, I taught math to young students who could frustrate me, especially in my early years in education. I would share important information with these young people, such as the effects of multiplying by 1, multiplying by 0, dividing by 1, and letting them know that it is impossible to divide by 0. There was almost always a student who would stop me. It usually wasn’t the students who scored highest on tests; they were busy using the new information and trying to complete their work early. Nor was it the students with the lowest test scores, but someone right in the middle would raise their hand and ask me, “Why?”
Why can’t we divide a number by zero? You can try it on a calculator; it will give you an error message. You can’t divide by zero. Why is that? That’s a little harder to explain.
Here’s the thing - it’s only a hard question if you can’t answer it. If you know why and are able to explain it to an inquisitive preteen in terms that they understand, then the question is a refreshing chance to help out a young thinker. If you’re not sure why but want to keep everyone under the impression that you are a competent teacher even though you are only a few years out of college, then that question is rather threatening.
The question, “Why?” is only challenging if you don’t know the answer.
When I am working with people in leadership and communication, one of the most common challenges from the audience is about the generational differences in the current workforce, especially the hard-working and experienced baby boomers trying to manage millennials who have a different approach to their work. The Boomer generation also points out that the younger people are constantly asking, “Why?” Why do I have to do things this way? Why do I have to come to the office instead of working from home? Why can’t I take off work whenever I want to? Why can’t I be a leader? There are lots of “Why?” questions, and they are especially challenging if you don’t know the answer.
There are many reasons that it can be difficult to work with people from a different generation, but one way to prepare is to be ready for the “Why?” question that may come. Maybe you know the answer. Maybe you used to know the answer but are no longer sure. Maybe you need to find out the answer to that question. No matter the situation, having that answer will be a step in the right direction. If you would like to know more about the power of having an answer to the “Why?” question, please Contact Us.
