Complainers, whiners, and other assorted entitled folks

They lurk in every business large and small. They're never satisfied and quite often they can't even take "yes" for an answer. A growing trend these days is to attribute it to their generation. Pricey consultants exclaim that "the Millennials require A, B, and C in order to feel motivated" whereas "Gen-X'ers need Y and Z." Maybe the specific rewards that younger workers seek are indeed different, but human nature and the principles of reinforcement haven't changed. My grandfather ran a successful business not because he understood the needs of his younger workforce, but because he understood people. He knew how to listen when people complained, and he knew how to treat people fairly and consistently. He knew when employees were being unrealistic and he wasn't afraid to tell them. He also understood the significance and meaning of complaints. For example if the magnitude of the complaint was out-of-proportion to the offense, he recognized that there might be a deeper issue that was bothering the employee. Rather than getting sidetracked by an employee's dissatisfaction, he focused on restoring genuine mutual respect. That strategy will work with every generation.