The very rattled generation

Here is an old story, but it depicts the temperature of the current times.

A gentleman went to a local diner. Sat down and waited for his lunch. His countenance was down. He was sad, his tone melancholy, and he felt too discouraged. The waitress working in the diner saw he was feeling low. She approached the lonely gentleman and suggested that he goes and see Grimaldi. Grimaldi was a circus clown who made everyone laugh. And the timing is right because the circus was in town. The waitress was certain Grimaldi could cheer up her sad customer.

The lonely gentleman looked up at her and, with even more downcast eyes, replied, “I am Grimaldi.”

In his brand-new book “The Pandemic Generation,” Tim Elmore says that this Grimaldi story mirrors and illustrates the state of millions of American teens today. “This is a picture of the Pandemic Population,” says Tim Elmore. “On the outside, the Generation Z are clowning around on Snapchat and TikTok, laughing at memes and making others laugh at filtered photos on social media. Inside, however, their mental health has gone south. It appears their life is a comedy, but in reality, it feels like a tragedy. They are mourning just how overwhelmed they feel – how behind they assume they are and how much they’ll have to make up to catch up.” He also mentioned that this generation is characterized by 3 P’s: Pandemics, Protests, and Panic Attacks.

Generation Z people are populating the workplace. Elmore also refers to them as a very rattled generation. And this is how he presented it, and he does it clearly as he explains the different generations before them and makes a comparison.

Silent Generation: “We’ve been through tough times before.” (not rattled)

These are senior citizens, the Silent Generation, born between 1929 and 1945. They’re made up of people who survived the Great Depression and World War II. They feel they’ve seen it all and are now in their twilight years. COVID-19 does not profoundly rattle them unless they’ve been infected.

Baby Boomers: “My retirement is disappearing.” (rattled)

These are the retiring or recently retired generation, seasoned veterans, and now worry more about how they’ll live on what they have saved. Less than half have reported saving enough to maintain their standard of living.

Generation X: “Life is hard; steady as she goes.” (rattled a bit more)

Generation X (or the baby busters) are the smaller generation following the baby boomers whose generation launched with the birth-control pill. They have lived in the shadow of the boomers all their lives. And while the Baby Boomers have retired, this generation is in management and less worried about losing a job than a young professional. They know life is tough but still might feel vulnerable.

Millennials: “What will this do to my dreams?” (rattled even more)

These young professionals in their 20s and 30s were caught between two economic downturns, one decade apart: the Great Recession (2008– 2009) and the COVID-19 recession we’re now experiencing. Because they grew up when parents prized and praised them with trophies and accolades, this is a challenging time. The launch of their career has been far more complicated than any video game they played as a kid.

Generation Z: “I feel postponed and penalized.” (rattled a lot)

The youngest generation was already fraught with mental health issues and now has one more reason to feel angst and worry about the world. They grew up feeling BUSINESS MATTERS... From B2

overwhelmed by the thousands of social media posts they consume each day and now feel uncertain about their prospects for internships, jobs, financial independence, and homeownership. Oh, and not to mention their personal physical and emotional health.

If you have teens locked up in your homes doing online education, then they belong to this group. The older ones among them are in entry-level jobs, and they are the most vulnerable. Perhaps they are the baristas, the crew serving fast food chains, the servers in restaurants and coffee shops, and the salespeople in brick and mortar stores. Many of them have been let go. And it is difficult for them to find a job.

These are challenging times. Parents will have to cut them some slack as the Pandemic has made life difficult for them. They will miss out on significant moments in their lives. Leaders will have to understand the way the young think and behave. Leaders do need to update and upgrade their leadership skills to lead these young people effectively. It’s learning time for all of us. And we can learn a lot by reading Tim Elmore’s book entitled: “The Pandemic Population: eight Strategies To Help Generation Z Rediscover Hope After Corona Virus.” It’s worth learning; it’s worth knowing.

(Connect with Francis Kong at www.facebook.com/franciskong2. Or listen to “Business Matters” Monday to Friday at 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. over 98.7 DZFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch,’ the classical music station.)