2 ms·

I should probably write it up somewhere but the concept of the team going out and having a drink/socialising was quite alien to them.

by awjr 13y ago

sergiotapia 13y ago
I'd love to work on a team like that to be honest, all of the places I've worked at we haven't so much as even gone to the movies because of the age differences. One married w/kids, other 20-something, other Vim warrior from the 70's, etc.
- marknow 13y ago
  I can relate! Sure wish more teams would do things together - *despite the age differences. I'm 20 yrs older than some of my coworkers, but we still have similar interests. And a good beer is a good beer, no matter how old you are! ;-)
- prawks 13y ago
  Age differences shouldn't be held so high. I eat lunch at work with people 3x my age, and we have plenty in common. We often learn things from each other, and they're very valuable friendships. I wouldn't hesitate to invite them to do something which we share an interest in.
  - kaybe 13y ago
    I find it is easy to get along with a wide range of people of the same age, probably because of similar circumstances and concerns (get education, find a place to life, get a family etc), even if the chemistry is not that great. With people of different ages it's far harder to work around that, and easier to notice when the chemistry is great. It's fantastic when it works out like that, but difficult or boring if it does not.
- freyr 13y ago
  When I worked for a defense contractor (with many older employees), I really enjoyed the occasional social outing. People at different stages in their life often have different perspectives, and have access to that perspective is a gift. But I don't understood the trend of working with people for 10 hours, and then hitting the bar/bowling alley/movie theater/beer fridge to hang out more. As an occasional event, it's great. But as a regular event, it feels like the company is just insinuating itself further into your non-work life, breaking down the boundary until you have no non-work life. No thanks.
asuffield 13y ago
Alcohol-centric social interaction is another form of exclusion. There are few things I find quite so unpleasant as sitting in a noisy bar with people who are getting progressively inebriated.
- thejteam 13y ago
  Not to mention that for religious or personal reasons some people don't touch alcohol. One project I was involved in had two mormons and two muslims. Hate to exclude them from the outings, especially since the PM was one of the mormons. On the non-religious side, I grew up in a household where I never saw alcohol because my mother and father each had alcoholic parents and they never wanted to have anything to do with it. I never knew anything about alcohol and never even stepped foot into a bar until I was 25.
- chollida1 13y ago
  > Alcohol-centric social interaction is another form of exclusion. I get that, it also happens to be a very popular form of socializing with many people. To be fair to your point, you can replace alcohol-centric, with bowling, concerts, sporting events, lunch and every single other form of socializing and you can say its a form of exclusion as I can guarantee that no matter what form of socializing you pick I can find someone who it makes uncomfortable. Honestly sometimes I think the pendulum has swung too far back the other way to inclusion that we are actually exuding people by trying to be all thing to all people and not offending people.
  - alttab 13y ago
    Inclusion suggests exclusion. You can't have one without the other. Thus, social interactions always do both.
  - chadwickthebold 13y ago
    I think the point is to recognize that some people, like the person you are replying to, my have an issue with drinking as a social activity. Not that you shouldn't have that as an option, but you should be aware if someone in the group is made uncomfortable by that. Speaking to your point though, I have a friend who - no joke - hates bowling. Like, he gets violently angry when we suggested going bowling and said he'd rather sit in the car by himself if we went. Some people...

I should probably write it up somewhere but the concept of the team going out and having a drink/socialising was quite alien to them.

by awjr 13y ago

I should probably write it up somewhere but the concept of the team going out and having a drink/socialising was quite alien to them.

sergiotapia 13y ago

I'd love to work on a team like that to be honest, all of the places I've worked at we haven't so much as even gone to the movies because of the age differences. One married w/kids, other 20-something, other Vim warrior from the 70's, etc.

marknow 13y ago
I can relate! Sure wish more teams would do things together - *despite the age differences. I'm 20 yrs older than some of my coworkers, but we still have similar interests. And a good beer is a good beer, no matter how old you are! ;-)
prawks 13y ago
Age differences shouldn't be held so high. I eat lunch at work with people 3x my age, and we have plenty in common. We often learn things from each other, and they're very valuable friendships. I wouldn't hesitate to invite them to do something which we share an interest in.
- kaybe 13y ago
  I find it is easy to get along with a wide range of people of the same age, probably because of similar circumstances and concerns (get education, find a place to life, get a family etc), even if the chemistry is not that great. With people of different ages it's far harder to work around that, and easier to notice when the chemistry is great. It's fantastic when it works out like that, but difficult or boring if it does not.
freyr 13y ago
When I worked for a defense contractor (with many older employees), I really enjoyed the occasional social outing. People at different stages in their life often have different perspectives, and have access to that perspective is a gift. But I don't understood the trend of working with people for 10 hours, and then hitting the bar/bowling alley/movie theater/beer fridge to hang out more. As an occasional event, it's great. But as a regular event, it feels like the company is just insinuating itself further into your non-work life, breaking down the boundary until you have no non-work life. No thanks.

asuffield 13y ago

Alcohol-centric social interaction is another form of exclusion. There are few things I find quite so unpleasant as sitting in a noisy bar with people who are getting progressively inebriated.

thejteam 13y ago
Not to mention that for religious or personal reasons some people don't touch alcohol. One project I was involved in had two mormons and two muslims. Hate to exclude them from the outings, especially since the PM was one of the mormons. On the non-religious side, I grew up in a household where I never saw alcohol because my mother and father each had alcoholic parents and they never wanted to have anything to do with it. I never knew anything about alcohol and never even stepped foot into a bar until I was 25.
chollida1 13y ago
> Alcohol-centric social interaction is another form of exclusion. I get that, it also happens to be a very popular form of socializing with many people. To be fair to your point, you can replace alcohol-centric, with bowling, concerts, sporting events, lunch and every single other form of socializing and you can say its a form of exclusion as I can guarantee that no matter what form of socializing you pick I can find someone who it makes uncomfortable. Honestly sometimes I think the pendulum has swung too far back the other way to inclusion that we are actually exuding people by trying to be all thing to all people and not offending people.
- alttab 13y ago
  Inclusion suggests exclusion. You can't have one without the other. Thus, social interactions always do both.
- chadwickthebold 13y ago
  I think the point is to recognize that some people, like the person you are replying to, my have an issue with drinking as a social activity. Not that you shouldn't have that as an option, but you should be aware if someone in the group is made uncomfortable by that. Speaking to your point though, I have a friend who - no joke - hates bowling. Like, he gets violently angry when we suggested going bowling and said he'd rather sit in the car by himself if we went. Some people...