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Our focus this week is workplace diversity, which brings to mind the “four generations in the same workplace” topic. Business consultants are wringing their hands (brow-furrowing costs extra) as they wonder how such a wild divergence of humanity can co-exist in a single corporate world.

But haven’t we always had multiple generations in the workplace? When I was starting out, the workplace contained people who came of age in the Great Depression, people who matured just in time for a free trip to Europe to fight the Nazis, and Baby Boomers like me who showed up for the easiest, richest phase of America’s history and then rebelled against it.

Omaha Beach veteran Jones, meet your new assistant, Woodstock veteran Smith.

Those groups mostly managed to get along even though sensitivity hadn’t been discovered yet.

Now we’re told that the newest members of the business world require more flexibility in their schedules and balance in their lives. Oh, really? Maybe I should have mentioned this sooner, but I wasn’t too crazy about being forced to work nights, weekends and holidays.

We’re told that managers must be careful not to hurt the tender feelings of young employees and offer a steady stream of encouragement. I recall, early on, spelling out my frustrated ambitions to an older supervisor, who responded, “Holy cow, Jim, I didn’t even get out of the Army until I was 26.” I returned to my workstation.

We’re told that different generations communicate differently, and so the older generation must adapt. We’re trying. Some of us Boomers think that sending a constant stream of text messages is time that could be better spent staring out the window. And although we can see the potential of innovations like Twitter, we’re not exactly mesmerized by reports about afternoon snacks.

But we managed to move from the rotary dial to the push-button – even though the rotary dial really is much more satisfying, what with the motion and the sound – so we should be able to handle one or two more technological advances. As long as they don’t involve human teleportation; we are more subject to motion sickness, you know.

If we don’t do all of these things properly, we’re told, the Millennials will grab their laptops, head for the nearest coffeehouse and start their own companies.

Well, maybe. I forget why we rebellious, change-the-world Boomers fell into line the minute we landed jobs – I have the nagging feeling that we were supposed to overthrow the establishment from within, but I didn’t write it down, and now I’m not sure. Anyway, the newest workers might have the same experience eventually.

For one thing, they might realize that once the computer jobs are all taken and nobody wants to give up their spot, it’s back to nail guns and concrete floats.

If I were to generalize just for a second, I would say the Millennials I’ve worked with have been basically like the Boomers, but with excellent computer skills. Some are natural winners, most are willing learners and a handful are barely able to comprehend traffic lights. It’s your typical assortment of humans.

So whenever you hear the word “generation,” unless it follows “Star Trek: The Next,” assume that the speaker either wants you to attend a seminar or has a tendency to lump people into simple categories. Or both.

For another example, we’re also supposed to feel sympathy for the Sandwich Generation. That’s right: one generation out of the history of the world is complaining about dealing with children and aging parents at the same time.

There have always been children. There have always been grandparents. Somebody has to be in between, because that’s how biology works. I saw it in a book.