WEBVTT 00:00:09.600 --> 00:00:13.057 Hey, M.B., I'm leaving for the day. I'll see you tomorrow at 9:30. 00:00:13.089 --> 00:00:14.314 Britney, hold on. 00:00:15.314 --> 00:00:18.420 Tomorrow is that 8:00 meeting I scheduled last week. 00:00:18.421 --> 00:00:20.057 You should have gotten the invite. 00:00:20.058 --> 00:00:21.914 It's really imperative that we're all there. 00:00:21.915 --> 00:00:25.082 Oh, I thought that was totally optional. 00:00:25.083 --> 00:00:30.114 It's not like we've ever done that before, and your meeting request said, "Please join us," 00:00:30.115 --> 00:00:31.682 like we had a choice. 00:00:31.683 --> 00:00:35.253 Yeah, "Please join us" meant everyone is required to be there. 00:00:35.254 --> 00:00:36.799 We have a busy quarter coming up, 00:00:36.801 --> 00:00:40.541 and we need to coordinate schedules so nothing slips through the cracks. 00:00:40.543 --> 00:00:42.200 Why can't you make it? 00:00:42.201 --> 00:00:45.653 You know I have my classes at the gym every other morning, 00:00:45.654 --> 00:00:49.200 and on Wednesdays, I have two. That's why I flex. 00:00:49.201 --> 00:00:52.912 You know my project schedule. What's the big deal with me not being there? 00:00:52.913 --> 00:00:55.171 Mark can be... 00:00:55.172 --> 00:00:57.558 Well, let's just say he's not very direct. 00:00:57.559 --> 00:01:00.401 If the meeting was mandatory, then just say that. 00:01:00.402 --> 00:01:01.883 This is so basic. 00:01:01.883 --> 00:01:05.342 Why do I actually need to tell her that work comes first? 00:01:05.343 --> 00:01:07.799 Isn't that common sense? 00:01:07.801 --> 00:01:14.224 I understand she has a flexible schedule, but when I call a meeting, everyone needs to be there. 00:01:14.225 --> 00:01:15.628 It's that simple. 00:01:26.800 --> 00:01:28.713 Our generational differences 00:01:28.715 --> 00:01:34.000 do influence our views on authority, position, equality, and hierarchy. 00:01:34.001 --> 00:01:38.010 They also impact the things we say and how we say them. 00:01:38.050 --> 00:01:41.010 Traditionalists and Boomers came up through organizations 00:01:41.020 --> 00:01:44.080 which were strongly influenced by military service. 00:01:44.090 --> 00:01:48.510 "Command and control" leadership not only made sense, it was the norm. 00:01:48.550 --> 00:01:53.713 Generations X and Y may expect organizations to be more collaborative, 00:01:53.715 --> 00:01:58.142 have less hierarchy and sometimes fewer or more relaxed rules. 00:01:58.610 --> 00:02:01.380 Now, these different experiences and expectations 00:02:01.410 --> 00:02:06.085 are why learning to communicate across generations is so important. 00:02:06.086 --> 00:02:09.971 The problem is, each generation comes with its own dictionary. 00:02:10.371 --> 00:02:12.914 MEET is like having a translator. 00:02:12.992 --> 00:02:18.998 It helps provide a path for us to create common definitions, terms, and expectations. 00:02:19.038 --> 00:02:22.899 We need to talk about this for a few minutes. Would you please sit? 00:02:24.857 --> 00:02:27.950 Not attending the meeting is disrespectful to the team. 00:02:27.980 --> 00:02:30.841 If I were your teammates, I would question why you weren't there. 00:02:30.866 --> 00:02:34.565 Mark, I'm confused. You approved my schedule. 00:02:34.590 --> 00:02:37.280 Any other day than Wednesday, and I'm there. 00:02:37.310 --> 00:02:40.065 Tomorrow was most convenient for the majority. 00:02:40.090 --> 00:02:43.696 I should have noted in my request that you would need to adjust your schedule. 00:02:43.721 --> 00:02:45.480 That was my mistake. 00:02:45.510 --> 00:02:49.440 But when I call a meeting, that takes priority. 00:02:49.487 --> 00:02:54.743 Okay, but like I said, I didn't get "mandatory meeting" from your message. 00:02:54.783 --> 00:02:58.200 I guess I am sort of a product of my generation. 00:02:58.201 --> 00:03:03.261 I just take it for granted that when a manager calls a meeting, everyone will be there. 00:03:03.286 --> 00:03:06.598 Obviously, what I'm communicating and what Britney is hearing – 00:03:06.645 --> 00:03:10.688 or at least how she's hearing it, are two different things. 00:03:10.713 --> 00:03:12.601 I'm sorry that wasn't clear. 00:03:12.626 --> 00:03:14.428 And I know your schedule is important to you, 00:03:14.429 --> 00:03:17.730 and I wouldn't ask you to shift it if I thought we could do this without you. 00:03:17.762 --> 00:03:23.425 I can understand that. I want to be there, and I'm glad my input matters. 00:03:23.457 --> 00:03:24.795 I'll tell you what. 00:03:24.834 --> 00:03:27.810 I'll be clearer in the future so there's no misunderstanding. 00:03:27.850 --> 00:03:32.010 And if it's a change to a flexible schedule – which I'll try to avoid 00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:34.240 I'll try to give you advance notice. 00:03:34.288 --> 00:03:35.290 Thanks. 00:03:35.315 --> 00:03:38.973 I probably should have said something when I saw that it was an issue. 00:03:38.998 --> 00:03:41.770 I'll call this afternoon and try to reschedule my stuff. 00:03:41.772 --> 00:03:43.540 I appreciate that. 00:03:43.565 --> 00:03:47.608 Flexing your time is not a problem. I'm glad it works for you. 00:03:47.633 --> 00:03:49.739 Thanks for working things out for tomorrow. 00:03:49.794 --> 00:03:51.114 Sure. 00:03:52.443 --> 00:03:55.400 I appreciated Mark saying that he would be more direct. 00:03:55.401 --> 00:03:58.110 I apparently wasn't that good at decoding him. 00:03:58.150 --> 00:04:01.050 And I need to not assume too much. 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:05.080 I just really believe in saying what I mean so that everybody knows where I'm coming from, 00:04:05.110 --> 00:04:07.514 and I guess that's the way I like to hear things too. 00:04:07.539 --> 00:04:10.380 It's not easy for me to change my management style, 00:04:10.410 --> 00:04:14.285 but I guess I need to make some adjustments, be more clear. 00:04:14.286 --> 00:04:18.418 I was trying to be polite, but it was coming off as vague. 00:04:18.828 --> 00:04:23.400 Britney is direct – way more forthright than I'm used to. 00:04:23.401 --> 00:04:26.228 If she's an example of what's coming our way, 00:04:26.229 --> 00:04:28.956 this organization is in for a lot of change.