How many times have you heard it? “That person is probably a little too old to really do well with the new technology.” Or maybe it comes from one of the 50-somethings or 60-somethings in your office, sounding something like “That’s easy for the young people to learn, but not me.” Or maybe it’s “We should modify our training program for that group – they’re mostly older, and it’s harder for them to catch on.”
Kronos Workforce Central applications touch everyone, every pay period. It’s the only corporate system that can make that claim, and so those of us who train on it have heard all the excuses.
This is not an article decrying the reality of ageism, that insidious value that says that the older you get, the less you know. This is an article for you (correction: ‘us’) older people, and I’m going to take you to task for allowing the stereotype to ever get its ugly foothold in our culture.
First, let me make the decidedly politically uncorrect (or is it ‘incorrect’ – us old folks sometimes have problems picking the right word, you know) observation that many stereotypes contain a kernel of truth. And no, I’m not going to give you any examples, lest I gore the particular stereotypical cow on which you ride. You can no doubt fill in that blank. Well, maybe I’ll do a couple. Men can’t commit, women can’t decide… there, is there anyone who’s not insulted yet?
And yes, we older folks often deserve the patronizing attitude that we get from our younger counterparts that we cannot learn the new technology, be it timekeeping, online bill pay, or pivot tables. It’s a convenient shield to hide behind, gets us lots of pity, and in the end, our laziness is rewarded by lowered expectations and slack being cut on our behalf.
My message in all this – GET OVER IT, OLD PEOPLE! And quickly, lest you mess it up for the rest of us. Here are three reasons why older folks should be leading the way in new technology adoption:
1. We have the work ethic
My first job was as a ranch worker, making $1.45/hour, mending fences and trapping gophers on a 4,000 acre ranch in Vista, CA. I was a Fuller Brush Man my first year of college, spent three years in the Army during the Viet Nam era, got married, worked my way through UCLA, and started a job as a COBOL programmer two days after graduation. No one outworks this generation. Very few of today’s kids have stories like that. Consequently…
2. We have the experience
We’ve been around the block a few times, and not always riding on the same horse-and-buggy. We know what works and what doesn’t. We can tell the difference between flavor-of-the-month stuff and something that will last. NOTHING should faze us. NOTHING! We’ve seen it all. And we should be leading the way in technology adoption, because…..
3. We invented this stuff
The iPhone is really cool. Who invented it? Steve Jobs. Know how old he is?
“Really???? That’s not much younger than me!” Damn right it’s not. Our generation comes up with this new technology. Our generation funds this stuff. And you’re trying to tell me we can’t learn to use it? Get with the program, or get yourself to the rest home. You’re giving the rest of us a bad name. So that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. And no, I won’t be taking any questions. I’ve got a marathon to train for. I’ve done 30 of them, and it’s getting harder and harder to get the body going in the morning. But the mind? Best as I can tell, it’s as sharp as ever.
Myron Oakes has been innovating in the HR/Payroll/Timekeeping/Benefits systems space for about 25 years, and he’s getting pretty good at it. If all you really want is a buzzword-compliant presentation, you may want to talk to someone else. If you want someone who knows their stuff and knows how to deliver excellence, he and the rest of the Improv team are here to help.
‘Show me a modest person, and I’ll show you someone who has nothing to brag about.’
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