Baby Boomers (80 million Americans born 1946 – 1964) “had some very profound influences, one of which was our Traditionalist parents who said, ‘We are willing to work our fingers to the bone so that you can do even better than we did.’”
Generation Xers (46 million Americans born 1965 – 1981) “saw every major American institution called into question during their lifetime – ‘You name the institution, and I can probably name the crime,’” one Gen Xer told a focus group.
Millenials (76 million Americans born after 1982) were raised to discuss and collaborate by their Boomer parents, who said, “We’re all going to sit down at this table together and decide how you’re going to be punished.” It’s a generation used to having an opinion and being consulted.
Four anecdotes. Four generations. Four ways of looking at the world.
Speaking to a crowd of several hundred people, author Lynne Lancaster (“What a Difference a Generation Makes!) dove into the very practical business reasons to be paying attention to the convergence of four distinct generations in the American workplace.
“I’m here to talk about my favorite subject,” she told the crowd of Leadership Metro Richmond graduates. “It’s all of these generations, who are showing up every day across the dinner table, across the conference table and – in our non-profits – across the giving table. Whether it’s the language we use or what we look like to each other or more deep-seated differences, when I interview these generations they all want the same things.”
The business case is clear, Lancaster said.
“We are looking at many Traditionalists and Boomers moving rapidly toward retirement,” she said. “More than 45% of the U.S. workforce will be eligible for retirement by 2010.”
The problem, she noted, is that the growth in the American workforce has slowed dramatically. It grew at a pace of 1.6% over the past 50 years. It will grow at a rate of .6% over the next 50 years.
But it’s the convergence of two gaps that worries Lancaster and other experts – the gap caused as Traditionalists and Boomers exit the workforce, and the skill gap. For the first time in American history, the next generation of skilled workers will neither be larger nor better educated than the workers they replace.
Understanding that, and understanding the trends that have shaped each of these generations, is essential to businesses looking to remain competitive, she said. A starting point is getting to know each generation a little better.
Traditionalists (75 million Americans born prior to 1946)
The Traditionalist generation are the children of the Great Depression, World War Two and the dawn of the Cold War. They were shaped and influenced by those events, as well as the birth of Social Security, the advent of radio and television in our culture, the likes of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Bob Hope and John Wayne. They can be characterized by their patriotism, loyalty and strong desire to leave a legacy. Additionally, they tend toward fiscal conservatism and have a strong faith in institutions.
“As we lose our Traditionalists,” Lancaster told the crowd, “we lose their legacy and their wisdom.”
Mentoring is one solution to that problem. “Tapping into an older worker is a great way for a younger worker to learn,” she said. “If you’re a younger worker, one of the smartest things you can do is seek out an older mentor – and really listen and learn.”
Baby Boomers (80 million Americans born 1946 – 1964)
The Baby Boomers were shaped – in different ways – by the events of the late 1950s and the tumultuous 1960s. The Vietnam War, Kent State, Watergate, the civil rights movement – and the lessons and assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy. They were influenced by a culture of fast cars, the era of “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” and the recessionary decade of the 1970s. The Baby Boomers tend to be competitive and questioners of authority, but eager to put their own stamp on things. They remain one of the most optimistic generations in American history.
“Boomers are a generation in transition,” Lancaster said. “Boomers today are experiencing more transitions than any other life stage.”
She pointed at the host of life changes most Boomers are just now beginning to experience – 17,000 turn 50 every day; they are becoming ‘empty nesters’ and welcoming their first grandchildren into the world; they are divorcing, losing their parents and experiencing their own first health scares.
It’s a generation used to doing it all that is discovering its own limitations, she said. Boomers went into the workforce to make a difference, and are “stunned by how hard it is,” she added. “The challenge for Boomers is that doing amazing things is getting a lot harder. There’s more to do with less money at work, while we’re sandwiches at home – still raising kids with elders we need to care for.”
“For many Boomers today, they are struggling with burnout, and they will be the last ones to tell you about it,” Lancaster said. “It is a time of turning inward. We’re going to see more Boomers turning inward and saying, ‘Hey, what am I doing? Is it worth it?’”
As a result, a lot of Boomers will suddenly realize that they aren’t living their dreams, or that they’re simply bored at work. It’s an opportunity for employers to help them refresh their careers or change tracks. “Boomers stay at work because they can make an impact,” Lancaster said, which means helping them make an impact can significantly slow or lower turnover.
“Your organization would much rather have a Boomer be engaged and excited, rather than have them burn out and check out,” she said.
Generation Xers (46 million Americans born 1965 – 1981)
Generation X is the smallest demographic, which actually creates some unique problems for Boomers and Millenials. This generation was shaped less by events – though the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Challenger disaster and the breakup of the Soviet Union loomed large – than they were by social trends. Those trends included the tripling of the divorce rate in the United States; the impact of Title IX; the entry of women into the workforce; the emergence of AIDS; and the birth of 24-hour television.
As a result, this generation is eclectic, resourceful, self-reliant, entrepreneurial, independent and highly adaptive. Oh, they’re also highly skeptical of institutions.
“One of the biggest traits we see with Generation X when we’re researching them is skepticism,” she said. “How do you deal with skepticism in the workplace?”
One Traditionalist manager she was working with told her, “Every time we’re in a meeting, a Gen Xer has to speak up and ask 10 questions about why we’re doing that. Why can’t they just toe the line?”
“We certainly can count on Gen Xers to speak up and tell us what they think,” she said. “The best thing we can do, maybe, is to say, ‘I have a skeptical person on my staff. What can I learn from them?’”
Why bother? Simple, Lancaster says.
“Generation X is going to be our next generation of leaders and we can’t overlook that,” she noted. “This is a generation that is sort of like sharks. They feel if they’re not moving forward, they’re going to die.”
“So,” she continued, “when it comes to Gen Xers, we can’t wait around to give them feedback, or to talk about their career path, or tell them to pay their dues first. They won’t wait around for that.”
But career paths for this generation are flexible, Lancaster said. She calls it “Rubik’s Cubicle.”
“There are a lot of different ways a career can move,” she said. “Sometimes it is vertical, sometimes it is lateral, and sometimes a career can move from one silo all the way over the another silo. If you’re paying attention, you can see where the models of career paths are changing, and if you’re stuck in a generational box” you’re going to be in trouble.
“One thing that’s been happening with Gen X is they are continuing to move up because there aren’t a lot of them,” she said. That’s about to change. “They are bumping up against what we call ‘the grey ceiling,’ bumping up against layers of skilled Boomers.”
But the Boomers are beginning to transition, and smart companies will figure out ways to keep their Gen X populations engaged until that transition results in new opportunities.
“They can only be ready to take on bigger jobs if they have opportunities to lead now,” she said.
Millenials (76 million Americans born after 1982)
They’re here. The fourth demographic group has just entered the workplace, and they’re a bit different than their older siblings.
While the most pervasive influence on the Millenials has been the explosion of technology in our society, they’ve also experienced the Oklahoma City bombing, the Columbine shootings, the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina. They saw a President impeached, and their country go to war. They embrace the Internet, social networking and they all have personal cell phones. This group is globally concerned, cyber-literate, media savvy and realistic. They are also highly collaborative and like to be involved.
“Millenials have been volunteering in record numbers,” Lancaster said, “and they believe the organizations they work for should make a difference, as well. They want to know that you make a difference, so talk about that, make sure it’s on your website.”
And once you get them onboard, you better know how to keep them.
“Millenials want to hit the ground running, and they want to do something meaningful right away,” she said. “And they love to work on teams. Millenials have been working on teams all the way through school. They are good at collaboration.”
“I’ve always had an open door policy,” one manager told Lancaster, “but these Millenials are actually coming in the door.”
That speaks volumes about how they’ve been included in decisions – at home and at school. “Millenials are so communicative, and they’re not used to a lot of layers and political structure. They’re much more informal.”
They're also a generation built on praise, and the
non-compete clause established by their Boomer parents. Lancaster
described a typical tee ball game as experienced by a Millenial --
swing until you hit, everyone runs all the bases, no one keeps score,
everyone plays.
Lancaster doesn't suggest that businesses roll
over for Millenials. "It may be that they need to learn some
independence," she said, suggesting that not every young project leader
deserves a trophy at the end of the work day. "Guess what? Where you
work there are winners and learners."
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