experience.
i'm not sure people really want experienced people when they put out a job/position advert?
i'm no longer the sharpest knife in the drawer, I was back in the day, but not now & that's perfectly normal and natural.
but I am much more experienced and also older.
when you are older you tend to end up working under someone younger and it's not uncommon for a younger person to interpret an older persons suggestions and advice as being negative or not with current trends.
history does repeat itself and it's repeated history that an older person may have already dealt with and learnt from, that may appear as current and cutting edge to a younger person.
younger people do get annoyed by what may appear as a lack of interest in change by older people, that's normal. older people do get annoyed by younger overseers requesting change that experience would tell them is not worthwhile.
what brought this spiel on?
just been asked by a younger manager to do something that includes work that will have no point. it won't be referred to in the future and won't be used in the present. but because it's all bells, whistles and flashing lights it is wanted.
if i were to mention that, from my experience, i can see that it will be of no use, i have little doubt i will be considered negative & not interested in change. so i will go ahead and do the work, i won't offer my experience, i will just say yes.
this is not a shot against younger people. i did exactly the same when i was younger, it's human nature. i look back at how i treated some older workers when i was younger and cringe. that's because i didn't understand at that age.
and who is young? if you're 40, 20 is young. if you're 60, 20 is still a child.
so to those in positions of management / overseeing, don't jump on the 'negative' bandwagon too quickly. consider who is saying what and where they've come from, where have they worked before and for how long.
we all need to remember to be respectful and patient with others.
