Subscribe
Ryan Healy is a recent college graduate. He is a founder of 
Email Ryan
Read more from Ryan
New here? Employee Evolution is a blog written by Ryan Healy. Ryan is a Co-Founder of Brazen Careerist, the webs #1 social network for young professionals. Ryan speaks with organizations on best practices for recruiting and retaining Generation Y and how to effectively use social media to reach your target market. To contact Ryan, please visit our contact page.
In the 1960s Baby Boomers famously popularized the phrase, “don’t trust anyone over 30.” In general, the Boomers were anti-establishment, and did not want to conform to society’s norms. Trusting anyone over 30 was seen as conforming.
I was recently asked, “If the boomers motto was don’t trust anyone over 30, then what is Generation Y’s motto?”
Without much thought I blurted out, “Get as many people over 30 in your corner as you can. Learn from them. And do it better.”
Gen Y may not be driving around with bumper stickers or wearing pins with this slogan, but if you take a quick tour of the blogosphere you’ll find thousands of Gen Yers discussing things like how to negotiate a salary, how to be productive, how to find a mentor, and how to make work better in general.
We give each other advice and we learn from our peers, but everyone in their twenties is well aware that with age and experience comes wisdom. And if you want that wisdom now, you better embrace the “old folks.”
I genuinely trust people over 30. I trust that they’ve already been through the things that I’m going through. I trust that they’ve hated entry level jobs, they’ve backpacked across Europe, they’ve started companies, and they’ve dealt with the confusion of dating in your twenties. They’ve learned from their failures and successes. I trust that they have all that experience to share and I’m open to learning from them.
This does not mean they did everything the right way. Everyone makes mistakes. But it’s a lot easier to make mistakes if you refuse to listen to anyone who’s been in your shoes. My plan is to listen to everyone and to trust everyone over 30, until they show why they shouldn’t be trusted.
Over the past year I’ve learned valuable life and career lessons from mentors and experienced co-workers, friends and acquaintances. In the past few weeks I’ve learned things like:
1. Patience is a virtue
2. A good manager never stops managing
3. Be yourself 24 hours a day
4. It’s OK if everyone doesn’t like you
5. Business to Business sales can all boil down to 2 things – solving a problem or creating an opportunity
I couldn’t have learned any of these things if my motto was don’t trust anyone over 30. Experience is invaluable. It’s something you just can’t get overnight. But you can learn from those who have it.
Don’t close the door before it’s open. Talk to older people with open ears. After you spend a few minutes talking, you’ll quickly know who to trust and who not to trust. If you start with the thought that you can trust everyone over 30, you can learn some pretty cool stuff in your 20’s.
Great advice.
I always try to get as much advice about something as I possibly can, if needed.
This seems to allow me to receive the most points of view and understand the situation more.
I also keep in mind that in the end the decision is mine to be made and you cannot blame someone for taking their advice.
Through the advice of many you can formulate your own action-decisions that you perceive to be best.
True. Those 5 things are signs of a mature perspective. Sadly though, there are a number of people over 30, even over 50, who still haven’t learned those 5 things…
Ryan, as a Boomer and a career coach, I appreciate your comments. (And Yes–I hitch hiked around Europe in the 70’s.) I wanted to add that we 50-somethings can equally benefit by seeking input from Gen X/Y. My kids are 24 and 26 and they have helped me navigate technologies and embrace new perspectives that have enabled me to expand my network and my business. Cross generation mutual respect is beneficial to all of us!
This is the best thing you have written todate.
Age + Evaluated Experience = Wisdom. You can learn allot from those who have paved the way before you.
Ryan,
At 46, I don’t really feel like an “old folk”, but when I look around at the younger generation coming into the work force, I look at my own career mortality and understand that I will be stepping back some day and handing the reigns over to a younger person.
Your five points were well stated. I used to struggle with number 4. As I matured into a Manager role, I tried to get everyone to like me. There were some people - both good and bad leaders - who just didn’t like me for whatever reason. Maybe it was because I was good at negotiations and diplomacy skills. Maybe it was because I possessed a lot of common sense that produced sensible solutions without over-analyzing things to death. Maybe it was because I looked like Al Gore - I don’t know. Whatever the case, I finally understood that there will be people that don’t like you period! I learned that it wasn’t anything I did - it was mostly on them.
I also learned that people can disagree with you, but can do so in such a way as to not dehumanize you, which so many do because of self-preservation and a low self esteem. Doing so is very unproductive and is most likely the major cause for good people leaving companies (i.e., most leave because of their boss, and not because of the company). The end result - there are still a large number of leaders out in the work force who don’t know how to treat people.
One last item to put on your list and this goes back beyond the Baby Boomer generation- PRAISE IN PUBLIC AND CRITICIZE IN PRIVATE! Too many times we see leaders doing the opposite because their emotions overcome their common sense. There is a right way and a wrong way to praise and criticize and good leaders need to learn and utilize this tool appropriately.
Thanks for the comments! There is no point in trying to figure things out on your own when you can get help with it. I ask for all the help I can get and apply what seems appropriate. Obviously, not everyone over 30 or even over 50 knows what they are talking about, so its up to us to determine who to trust and who not to trust.
Alan - I put “old folk” in quotes because I don’t really believe people over 30 are that old. Maybe when you hit 60…
On the other hand, if you look like Al Gore, maybe people do consider you an “old folk”
-Ryan
this is best blog about this article. and very informative post. this will be usefull to me.
Interesting article.
I’m in advertising and have been working professionally now for 4 years. I graduated college 1.5 years ago. I’ve noticed a much stronger connection between boomers and Gen Y’ers, than with Gen X’ers. For some reason, it is REALLY hard for me to connect with anyone in their 30s to 40s, and it’s hard to take advice from them, because I don’t want to end up like them.
I see their faces and phony daily conversations, and get sick to my stomach. It’s not EVERYONE, but it’s a lot. Most of the Gen Xers I talk to have never really partaken in anything remotely exciting in their lives. It’s as if it’s a generation that never really did anything. It’s the generation of of people who were teens during the 80s.
So, as much as I like the concept of the article of learning from older generations, I think it’s very important as well to learn what NOT to do, especially if you don’t want the same lame life stories of our older generation counterparts.
Hi–I’m searching for the name of the person who first said, “Never trust a person over 30.” It has recently been attributed to Bob Dylan. I’m great at Trivia and I know it wasn’t Bob Dylan but I can’t recall who first said this. I do know for sure, however, that it was NOT a general phrase originated by Baby Boomers. They may have taken it on after it was first said and quoted, but it wasn’t theirs originally, it was said by an individual and I’m trying to find out whom.
Just a note to let you know…..