With so much buzz about the generational issues of today, I thought it might be interesting to see what our members are thinking. Over the past several weeks I have had several discussions, and here is what I have uncovered:
There are four generations in the workplace if you neatly categorize people into the following generations:
• 1920 – 1945 Traditionalists
• 1946 – 1964 Baby Boomers
• 1965 – 1980 Gen Xers
• 1981 – 2000+ Millenials
However, as usual when dealing with people, nothing is ever really simple. People born in the late 1930s and early 40s, the late 50s and early 60s, and the late 80s and early 90s, can easily relate to two sets of generations, and they are referred to as “cuspers.”
People who study generational diversity will tell you that values and behavior can be directly related to events that occurred during the span of specific generations. However, the truth is that these events not only affect the related generation but also indirectly affect the next generation by virtue of the influence a past generation has on the generation that follows it.
So, I would challenge people who say that the “younger” generation lacks the accountability and positive traits of its predecessor because the former generation has created the environment the next generation must survive and thrive in.
Traditionalists and early boomers have raised and influenced the later boomers and most of the current Xers. Late boomers and early Xers are directly influencing the behavior of the millenials.
The truth of the matter is that the generations are the products of their former generation. So I would ask you to rethink who is responsible for the differences in the generations? Remember, most values and behaviors are developed before the age of 6. Given this, wouldn’t you agree that the next generations are mirrors of what we want to be and how we wish to behave?
Think about it.
As with each generation, children are raised by parents who typically want them to have a better life and in many cases, parents hope to experience their unrealized dreams through their children. Largely, this is an unconscious behavior but nonetheless a strongly driven one. As a result, children, the next generation, are different from their parents. We are always surprised that our children turn out just the way we develop them.
It is time to take responsibility for the next generation.
Let’s look at this a bit closer. Traditionalists had very little change in their lives. They also had little control over any change. This was perfectly acceptable for the most part because there was very little change. Then came the World Wars, and their security was shattered.
As they raised their children, the boomers, they influenced them to think and behave in ways they could not.
Boomers became masters of the universe. Education, entrepreneurship and control over their destiny are their behavior identifiers, but aren’t they really the unfulfilled dreams of their parents? Xers saw their parents working long hours, let go from jobs they invested years in, changed the status quo for the enjoyment of change, rebelled against the establishment and took a capitalistic society to a new level.
As a result, Xer’s need for security is strong, and they secure their future through building their resumes and being constantly on the alert that the status quo may change at any moment. There is a need to satisfy their dreams more immediately, which is a result of their lack of faith in the future. Live for today are not just words from a song. The Xers are great assets to their companies as they are bright, well-educated, willing to work hard and like change and challenge.
Millenials, on the other hand, are a pretty secure group. Raised by boomers and Xers, they are team players, collaborative and excellent communicators. Technology has a strong place in their world, as they don’t know a world without it. They have been influenced to want to know that what they do will be important and make a difference in the world. This group is very loyal to relationships and values. They are no better nor worse than their preceeding generations … just different.
Now that we can better understand just whose generation it is, we need to better understand how to work together. There is no doubt that the generations have different value systems and motivators, but that isn’t a bad thing … just different.
We are going to explore generational diversity with representatives of each generation in early 2008. Please join us for this interactive discussion as we learn about the generations, their values and behaviors, their motivators and how to recruit and retain them. Check back on our web site in the next couple of weeks for registration information.
