The Dynamics of Generational Differences

by Steve Hanamura 

A senior executive was dismayed when a recent college graduate hire came into her office sporting several prominent tattoos and a pierced tongue.   

A manager was taken aback when a young colleague asked for three hours off during the middle of the day to watch a World Cup soccer match with the promise that he’d work from home that night. 

These and a host of other problems and miscommunications crop up regularly in today’s workplace.  In fact, there are four distinct generations in the workplace, and those four generations have different values and have different approaches to working together and problem solving. 

As a group, Veterans (1922-1944) are traditionalists; they shook off the great depression, fought a world war, and have a strong work ethic. They didn’t have many options for employment, so they did what they had to do to provide for their families. They want to be valued by others for their experience and memory of history.  

Baby Boomers (1945–1964) value results and being a part of a team. Many of them are responsible for creating the vision, values, and policies of the companies where they work. They want a positive work climate and are innovative about creating changes in the market place.  

Many in Generation X (1965-1980) grew up in families affected by divorce. As a result, they learned how to adapt to change and become self sufficient. They are often known as the “latch key kids.”  This group likes immediate feedback about their performance and does not like meetings or “corporate speak.”   

Generation Y or Millennials (1980-2000) are high energy, love branding, and are great at multi-tasking.  Being a part of a team environment is important to them, and they welcome being mentored.  They challenge us to look at the importance of work-life balance, because they saw the impact long work hours, downsizing, mergers, and corporate scandals had on their parents.   

Because of the differences between these four generations there are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings. For instance, Veterans and Boomers don’t think Generations X and Y have a strong work ethic and lack loyalty.  Conversely, Generations X and Y feel that the Boomers and Veterans talk down to them, don’t value the contributions they bring to the job, and treat them like a son or daughter. 

Perhaps the first step in breaking down these barriers, so generations can work together more effectively, is to examine the different values that drive the groups. 

Respect:

For Boomers and Veterans, respect is associated with position and with respect comes obedience and the belief that you don’t question authority.  Generations X and Y believe that respect must be earned - authority needs to be understood and participative, and they want to be a part of the action. 

Loyalty versus Flexibility:

Boomers and Veterans struggle with why the younger groups do not appear to be loyal to the organization or to their work. Generations X and Y prefer to think of themselves as flexible. 

Alexis Herman, Secretary of the Department of Labor during the Clinton administration, said that in today’s workforce, by the time someone is 32 years old they will have had a minimum of nine different jobs.  

Success versus Significance:

The Veterans and Boomers were taught to grow up and become successful. That meant getting a good job and raising a family. Generations X and Y value significance.  

Bruce Tulgan, one of the premier people in the field of generational differences, says that these generations, especially Gen Y, feel they are already people of value when they show up for work. Education and feeling good about themselves through self-esteem classes have readied them for work. Therefore, they expect to be treated as workers who are ready to be in the top offices.   

Boundaries and Expectations:

To the Veterans and Boomers boundaries are fairly clear.  For Generations X and Y it is not so much about boundaries, but about expectations. They expect to have what they want right now instead of working their way up the ladder.  

Historical Contributions:

In addition to the different values between the four generations, another factor to consider is significant events in history. During the World War II era, the people of the United States pulled together as “one nation” in respect for authority and government.  

However, a sense of division began to arise in the 1960s with the Vietnam War and continued into the 1990s with the bombing of the World Trade Center, the “.com” industry’s failures, and the Oklahoma City bombing. Furthermore, the three major events or trends that have impacted the early 21st century are massive corporate scandals, 9/11, and the war in Iraq. Historically then, it has become much more difficult to build a respectful atmosphere on the job. 

Five methods to help the consultant bring these four unique generations together include:

• Create a positive climate
• Conversing with others respectfully - respect comes in different forms so it will be important to understand what respect looks like to the other person
• Listening with empathy - we don’t always know what past experiences may be driving why people do what they do
• Recognize and appreciate different perspectives
• Working together for the common good of the organization

 
 

As published in September 2007 Consulting News, part of the ASTD e-newsletter series