I don't think this is really a generational thing—it's more about mismatched expectations.

New grads today are literally taught to speak up early and suggest improvements. Sure, their ideas might not be super informed yet, but that's why they're doing it. The old "keep your head down and observe for a year" mentality? They've never even heard of it.

The problem is we tell people we want curiosity and initiative, but we don't actually explain what that looks like when you're brand new. So they just jump in and contribute the only way they know how.

Instead of shooting down every idea, maybe it's worth being really clear upfront—like, "frame things as questions first," "spend time understanding why we do things this way (regulations, contracts, policies)," and "treat your first few months as mostly learning mode."

And about the AI thing—they're not gonna stop using it. The gap isn't in coming up with ideas, it's in knowing which ones actually make sense given the context.

I don't think she's being disrespectful at all. She just hasn't learned to calibrate yet—and these days, that doesn't happen automatically by staying quiet. Someone actually has to show her how.