GenZ - Language Is Driving Us Apart When It Comes to Work

 Like boomers, to whom John F. Kennedy passed the torch as the new generation, members of GenZ have their own language. Our lexicon had included terms like "doing your own thing" and "groovy." Dove also told us we were "all beautiful." 

Insider presents some of those buzzy GenZ words. When it comes to work what are most common are:

Shift shock. That is finding out the grass isn't always greener when quitting one job for another one. Muse found 72% had job-hopper's regret. The reality, of course, is that changing work situations entails exchanging one set of problems for another. We boomers were told bluntly: Choose your poison. We were socialized not to expect a utopia when it came to earning a living. 

Slow-up. Unlike us boomers they don't want to rush toward their goals, not macro ones, not daily ones. We were told we could get to the top, if only we followed this career expert or that career expert gameplan. It was quite the disappointment when many of us peaked at only reaching middle management. 

Antiwork. Actually that's a subreddit on Reddit. And many of GenZers  hang onto Reddit the way we still default to The Wall Street Journal for figuring out the business of business. 

Great Reshuffle. Changing jobs frequently is really the dynamic, not the Great Resignation. The drivers include craving for meaning, flexibility, and making a difference. We were hell-bent on getting ahead. 

Life Is Short (LIS). This mindset represents a pull-back from investing in long-term professional goals such as earning one's dues. Likely GenZ won't be well-suited to join Big Law. Or it could shake up Big Law. The path to partnership in Big Law could require seven to 10 years of blood, sweat, and tears.

Of course, even the different ways the multi generations currently in the workplace talk can generate alienation and inability to cooperate. What I am observing is an increase in the Silo Phenomenon. That is the clustering of members of each generation with their own. We boomers primarily sort out of professional challenges with fellow boomers. 

Connect with Editor-in-Chief Jane Genova at janegenova374@gmail.com.

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