Anonymous wrote:We have summer associates at my law firm and I remind them when they talk to partners face to face, don't have their phone in their hands, and when they go out to lunch with attorneys don't put their phone on the table. One was like "yes of course" and he's 29, and the other was like "Oh damn, really? Why? But can I text while I'm in my office? Like, alone?" and she's 25. It'll be interesting to see who we extend offers to.

I always put my phone on the table bc I have kids and if the school needed to call me I need to know about it. Imagine most parents whether in legal profession or not feel similarly. You sound v rigid

Once again you are the boss just ban cell phones.

We have virtual desk tops in office and a phone at your desk. There is no business reason to have a laptop, iPad or cell phone inside the workplace.

We are hybrid if you want to watch YouTube, ti toc, text your bff do it on your WFH days not while in the office.

Lonely, chat in coffee room, go to lunch someone, have a one on one meeting with a staff member. That is why we go to office two days a week

This is the responsibility of mentors in the workplace. Give honest feedback and be a mentor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love the energy of Gen Z. Don't know why as people get older they complain about younger generations because honestly, pump that shit into my veins! Progress is beautiful. Love Gen Z questioning social norms, shaking shit up, all of it!

This. I’m Gen X, but it is draining my life away to keep listening politely while Boomer higher ups drone on about everything from how they started in the mailroom and no one wants to work anymore to the best way to do the job they haven’t had in at least 25 years.

I think it’s cultural to an organization. It’s usually not when it’s 10 people at a boardroom, but like 20+ people in a conference room. Like, a status meeting where someone from group A is reporting to a senior level person and you’re in Group B waiting for your 2 minutes. As long as you were aware when someone interacted or needed something no one cared about cellphones. I was surprised because my old organization didn’t like it. Then I switched again and the place I’m at now also doesn’t care.

Ironically, I hate when people bring their laptop but I don’t complain because I know that is being a hypocrite.

We don’t allow personal cell phones at work. Problem solved

If the entire generation lacks social skills, then there will just be a new set of social skills in place. Quit worrying about them and worry about navigating the new set of social skills you obviously don’t know.

They were talking to each other, they just didn’t want to talk to you.

Anonymous wrote:College professor here. How tf am I supposed to teach social skills. I'm trying to teach them real skills. If their parents/elementary school failed then I guess it's too late. You don't just randomly learn social skills at age 20 - actually, the fact that you would even imagine that suggests to me that OP has no social skills either.

My friend who is a professor starts every class with a basic (short, not a whole class or anything) reminders about some email etiquette, classroom etiquette, etc. Is it going to fix their mannerisms entirely? No. But maybe it helps some 18year olds figure out that when they're emailing someone in a professional context (especially when asking for a favor) being polite, and following some social conventions goes a long way. (And she's not a strict, old-fashioned person at all!)

I find the idea that people can't learn social skills at age 20 to be baffling. I'm 47 and if I was visiting a new country I'd look up some basic information about norms and customs of that country. That's basically what an office job is to a young person.

Anonymous wrote:Love the energy of Gen Z. Don't know why as people get older they complain about younger generations because honestly, pump that shit into my veins! Progress is beautiful. Love Gen Z questioning social norms, shaking shit up, all of it!

This. I’m Gen X, but it is draining my life away to keep listening politely while Boomer higher ups drone on about everything from how they started in the mailroom and no one wants to work anymore to the best way to do the job they haven’t had in at least 25 years.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love the energy of Gen Z. Don't know why as people get older they complain about younger generations because honestly, pump that shit into my veins! Progress is beautiful. Love Gen Z questioning social norms, shaking shit up, all of it!

Gen Z is enforcing social norms far more than the older generations. So T confuse youth for progress. Also - I’m 43 and when I start a new job the first thing I do is look around to see if people use their phones in meetings when they aren’t talking. It’s totally appropriate where I work to keep your phone on the table or to use it if it’s part of the meeting in which you’re not directly involved. I don’t think the younger person’s question was weird at all.

NP. I think it's rude for any generation to do it, unless it's before the meeting or it's a huge meeting where nothing very important is being said. If you're at a conference table with ten people and somebody is trying to talk, just doodle if you get bored. Unless the person talking is a jerk and you want to be rude. In that case have at it!

Anonymous wrote:Love the energy of Gen Z. Don't know why as people get older they complain about younger generations because honestly, pump that shit into my veins! Progress is beautiful. Love Gen Z questioning social norms, shaking shit up, all of it!

Gen Z is enforcing social norms far more than the older generations. So T confuse youth for progress. Also - I’m 43 and when I start a new job the first thing I do is look around to see if people use their phones in meetings when they aren’t talking. It’s totally appropriate where I work to keep your phone on the table or to use it if it’s part of the meeting in which you’re not directly involved. I don’t think the younger person’s question was weird at all.

Anonymous wrote:College professor here. How tf am I supposed to teach social skills. I'm trying to teach them real skills. If their parents/elementary school failed then I guess it's too late. You don't just randomly learn social skills at age 20 - actually, the fact that you would even imagine that suggests to me that OP has no social skills either.

That's not true. I wasn't taught a lot of things as a child and I had to learn a lot of social skills (particularly hogging the conversation) on my own. It sucked but I did it. I am not sure what motivated me though. I think it was a mixture of mentors and social consequences from both superiors and peers. If my peers hadn't given me funny looks I'm not sure I would have though.

I don't interact with any Gen Zs besides DC, but my husband is big law partner and says that a lot of Gen Zs don't realize that you are supposed to talk to partners--people who will decide whether or not to help your career based on your interactions with them--differently than your peers. He says that when they socialize they talk about things like feeling insecure about how well they are doing in their jobs. No inappropriate phone use at dinner, but still lacking in social skills. For me, the phone is an easy one as a parent to teach. We have family dinner most nights of the week and nobody is allowed to have their phone at the table. But we haven't practiced the idea that you speak to your boss differently than your friends. I really can't believe that somebody just wouldn't naturally pick up on that like I did but I guess we have to teach that too!

I am early 30s and realized I am old now because I came home complaining to my DH about how annoying a Gen Z kid was at work.

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you teach them?

+1

It’s your job as employers/coworkers/mentors

Anonymous wrote:We just hired 2 new college grads, and they are lacking social skills. They need to teach social skills at the university… We go out for lunch and all they do is spend time on their phones

I mean as a 23 year old sitting around with a bunch of middle aged dads at Fridays… it is hell for them.