The Center for Generational Studies Did You Ever Wonder?

Generations: The Turn-key System for Managing Age Diversity

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Did You Ever Wonder?

Frequently Asked Questions
About Generational Differences

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Defining the Generations – How does the Center define the current generations in American society?

The Next Generation – What will the generation after the Millennials (Generation Y) be called. What do you know about their values and expectations?

Breaking Down the Generations – Do the older Boomers and younger Boomers really have the same values?

Work Ethic – Different generations seem to subscribe to different beliefs about what it means to work hard or contribute to the organization. How do you define those differences?

Work/Life Balance – What are the generations' differences in beliefs about work and the rest of their lives?

Career Development – Each generation has taken its own approach to career development. How do these approaches differ?

Managing People Who Are Older Than Yourself – Those in the so-called Generation X sometimes complain of the difficulty in managing those who are older than themselves. What advice would you give them?

Job Expectations – Many veteran supervisors express concern about the significantly different job expectations of younger generations. How do you explain these differences?

Communication Styles – Younger generations seem more detached in their communication styles. What impact is this having on the workplace? How should employers deal with these differences effectively?

Views on Training and Development – The generations seem to have different views of the roles, uses and acquisition of training and education. How do you explain those different views?

Adaptation To and Use of Electronic Technology – The younger a person is, the more they seem to embrace electronic technology. How do different generations view the role of these devices in their lives and in the workplace?

Views on Money – The generations seem to have wildly differing views on earning, spending and saving money. How do you reconcile these differences?

Rewards and Compensation – Different generations seem possess different beliefs about the rewards that a job should provide. How do you reconcile these differences?

Providing Coaching and Feedback to the Different Generations – It’s obvious that the four generations desire different types of feedback. How can a manager best provide this, especially when there are four generations in the workplace?

Generational Differences Internationally – How do the generations in other countries differ from those here in the US?

As we study the generations within American society, managers continue to express a number of common concerns about their differences. Here are the answers to a variety of questions we hear frequently:

Defining the Generations – How does the Center define the current generations in American society?

We identify the four current generations as follows:

Matures (born prior to 1946) The term was coined by marketing researchers, Yankelovich Partners, Inc.

Baby Boomers (born 1946 through 1964) The term was coined by Landon Jones, author of Great Expectations, a book chronicling the Boomer generation.

Generation X (born 1965 through 1980) The term was coined by author Douglas Coupland in his novel, Generation X.

Millennials (born 1981-1999) The term was coined by sociologists Neil Howe & William Strauss. Alternates include Generation Y, Generation Why?, Nexters, and Internet Generation.

These dates represent the US Census birth curve. There are some different interpretations among those who study these issues as to where each generation begins and ends demographically.

The Next Generation – What will the generation after the Millennials (Generation Y) be called. What do you know about their values and expectations?

The next generation has been labeled as Homelanders by some. We tend not to place too much emphasis on the label since the media will play the determining role in this. Their birthdates would begin with the millennium (Year 2000) but it is difficult to make any observations about them since they have not yet entered the consumer market and job market. It'll be at least another 7-8 years or so before we see distinct patterns we can observe and track. We do know that they will be the most racially and culturally diverse generation in US history simply because of the migration trends we are seeing both within and without the nation. For this reason, along with advances in global communication, they may be the most transient generation as well.

Breaking Down the Generations – Do the older Boomers and younger Boomers really have the same values?

Some observers do maintain that there is a distinct difference between those born in the late 40s and early 50s and those born in the late 50s and early 60s. Writer Jonathan Pontell went so far as to label the younger half Generation Jones. In the same vein, that argument might also be made for the Millennial generation since they too span 18 years in their birth curve according to the US Census. We have chosen to include the entire curve for both rather than breaking them into distinct groups for two main reasons: 1) The media has not chosen to do so and we would be fighting an up-hill battle to get them to embrace this. 2) While we do receive this question occasionally, it has not received enough focus for us, or apparently others, to research possible differences in the values and expectations between the two halves of the cohort.

Work Ethic – Different generations seem to subscribe to different beliefs about what it means to work hard or contribute to the organization. How do you define those differences?

These differences depend, to a large degree, on what each generation was taught as children. The Matures, for instance, grew up in the midst of war-time shortages and economic depression. They have always worked hard and paid their dues simply as a means for survival. Even in better times, they have continued these ways simply because this is the ethic with which they feel most comfortable.

Baby Boomers came of age in the midst of tremendous economic expansion, learning to use all the convenience-oriented products that came on the market during their youth. Because of the size of their generation, they were also the focus of everyone’s attention. Boomers have always put in long hours because of how closely they associate their occupation with their identity. Even as they edge into retirement, we predict that most of them will still live to work.

Having watched their parents, the Baby Boomers, put in these long hours, those in Generation X have developed a different perspective on work. They do not necessarily equate hard work and long hours. Instead, they look for ways to work smarter, resulting in fewer hours but greater output. This is the reason why Boomers and Matures sometimes accuse those in Generation X of “punching the clock.”

The Millennials have come of age in an era of technology and convenience. Many of them honestly wonder why machines don’t do many of the mundane tasks they are asked to perform in entry-level positions. They have been heavily influenced to believe that every job should match the same level of stimulation they receive from a video game. As this generation matures into the workforce, some of these perceptions will change. But this group will also alter society’s interpretation of work ethic as they go.

Work/Life Balance – What are the generations' differences in beliefs about work and the rest of their lives?

Matures have always put in long hours due to their training and beliefs about paying dues and maintaining job security. Over the years, many Baby Boomers have developed a similar sense of duty. To many Boomers, long hours also equate to self-worth and a sense of contribution. Unfortunately, this devotion to the job has resulted in an imbalance between work and family life. This has been felt most severely by their children, the Xers. As a result, Xers have developed a focus on a clear balance between work and family.

With the oldest of the Millennials being their mid-twenties, it is difficult to predict their attitudes toward work/life balance. But one might suspect that they will place the same emphasis on this issue as their older brethren, the Xers.

Career Development – Each generation has taken its own approach to career development. How do these approaches differ?

Career development, as it is interpreted today, was not part of the equation for many Matures. As young adults, they were conditioned to believe that one should be thankful to have the job. They learned to keep their noses to the grindstone and work hard to get ahead. The ultimate goal was to move up within the organization, even if it meant working grueling hours. The one thing no one wanted to do was leave the organization.

Career development, as a genre, emerged with the Baby Boomers. Richard Bolles’ landmark book, What Color is Your Parachute? heralded the beginning of Boomers’ proactive focus on job-related self-determination. While this awareness opened new doors for them, especially after the layoffs began in the 1980s, relatively few rushed for the exits. Instead, they have traditionally focused on taking the initiative to manage their careers within one organization or at least one industry.

As the members of Generation X began to enter the workplace in the 1980s, they took a proactive approach to career development from the get-go. Having witnessed the mergers, acquisitions and layoffs their parents suffered, they resolved early on to take charge of their own destiny. The key word for them is versatility. The more degrees or experiences they can acquire, the more they feel they are able to manage opportunity. While some accuse them of having no loyalty an organization, to them loyalty to one’s self is paramount.

Millennials will enter the full-time workforce in large numbers over the next decade. But there is little doubt that they will place the same emphasis on versatility as Generation X. They have come of age with a media that lionizes executives who have rocketed to the top and parents who place extraordinary emphasis on getting the best education and positioning for future success. At the same time, the size of their generation will increase competition for plum job assignments and opportunities.

Much of it comes down to a difference in perception about styles and priorities of management. Young managers should begin by spending time getting to know these older colleagues. While some may view this as unnecessary socialization, not doing so can be the critical disconnect between older workers and a younger supervisor. Even dedicating an hour of time toward each individual will demonstrate that the manager appreciates his or her experience and value.

But this is not where the effort should end. Continue by keeping these people in the loop. Ask them what they think. Solicit their insights on all manner of issues. Chances are, these workforce veterans possess some native knowledge about certain situations that could be very useful. Successful leaders know that seeking the ideas of subordinates enhances, not detracts, from their power and influence. If these individuals take a liking to the supervisor, they will share both the insights that might be obvious but also the nuances of navigating the politics.

Job Expectations – Many veteran supervisors express concern about the significantly different job expectations of younger generations. How do you explain these differences?

Many of these differences can be attributed to three factors: Media influence, societal expectations, and the natural impatience of youth. Generation X and especially the Millennials have come of age being fed a constant diet of stories about what work should be like – exciting, stimulating and fun. They’ve seen certain occupations dramatized in television shows. Many have come to believe that if their job is not as interesting as they see on TV, they must be in the wrong position.

Then there are societal expectations. Corporate leaders have been lionized in the media over the past 15 years. They have witnessed the creation of the celebrity CEOs. They begin to think to themselves, “Why not me?” Then they go to work and find themselves enduring the mundane and repetitive work that exists in the majority of occupations.

Finally, there is the natural impatience of youth. Many young people long to be in charge from the moment they step into the workplace. Sometime peer or parental pressures to succeed exacerbates this. But with the confluence of these three factors, it’s no wonder that young workers become restless at an earlier time than their older counterparts.

Is there a way to address these differences? Yes, but there are no quick fixes. The first step is to find ways to engage these young people in what they’re doing. How do they fit in? Why does the seemingly boring job they do make a difference? How can they begin to collect the experiences and learn the skills that will serve them later on? How can they find mentors and advisors who can provide the invaluable wisdom they will not receive from classroom learning? Addressing these issues and the concerns they express is a great way to build their engagement and productivity.

A great deal of the difference between these communication styles can be attributed to the evolution of electronic technology. As Generation X and especially the Millennials have come of age, they have been immersed in an environment that allows them to communicate in ways in which older generations did not have access. The upside of this is that it can allow for more efficient communication. The downside is that the non-verbal parts of communication have been removed. While older generations have taken note of this phenomenon, younger generations don’t see a real difference. This manifests itself in the workplace when someone in their fifties, for instance, prefers to call on the phone and his younger counterpart favors e-mail. It irritates both of them and impacts productivity.

Contributing to this challenge are those who choose to screen all their calls using voice mail, pagers and e-mail. While this is far from a generational phenomenon, it has taught those new to the workforce that this practice is acceptable.

A secondary factor is the evolution of community. Over the past 50 years, Americans have become increasingly individualistic and therefore want to feel less dependent on each other. There are a host of reasons for this including fear of strangers, the increased pace of life and the diversity of culture. The upshot is that people drive around behind the darkened windows of an SUV, avoid eye contact with those they don’t know and guard their privacy zealously. Young people, growing up in this environment, have naturally emulated these practices and become detached themselves.

As for dealing with these challenges, employers need to understand that this is not a passing phenomenon. Younger generations will continue to drive these changes as time goes on. One of the best ways to address this is to encourage the generations to dialog about how these differences might be better handled. Bring it up at meetings. Pose case studies about typical communication disconnects. Make sure it’s out in the open. But this is an evolutionary process that will require constant vigilance.

Views on Training and Development – The generations seem to have different views of the roles, uses and acquisition of training and education. How do you explain those different views?

Matures and Boomers share similar views in that the training provided should be contributing to the organization’s goals. After all, you are learning on company time. These two generations have always taken the long view, believing that training is a path to promotion and additional compensation.

Generation X however takes a more entrepreneurial attitude. They view training and development as a means for enhancing their versatility in the marketplace. They also see outside training as an investment in their future with any employer, not just the present firm. Some may protest that Xers have an obligation to remain with the organization where the training was provided. But Xers will retort that a job is a contract and the onus is on the organization to keep them engaged and growing. If not, all bets are off.

Most Millennials have only progressed as far as entry-level skill training at this point in time. Few have matured enough to have experienced the more advanced training they will over time. But we suspect that they will treat the acquisition of skills and training in much the same way as their older brethren, the Xers. As Xers assume more and more leadership responsibility, they will probably reinforce this understanding.

As electronic technology has evolved over the past 40 years, each successive generation has become more dependent on it in their daily lives. Matures grew up with telephone operators who placed their calls, for instance. The Baby Boomers grew up with dial telephones. Xers grew up with cordless phones and Millennials are growing with wireless communications.

The big difference in adaptation seems to be the level of immersion and dependence for each generation. The Matures and Boomers came of age in an era when most chores in everyday life were done manually. They, of course, strived to invent new technology that would provide both efficiency and convenience. Generation X and the Millennials both adapted to these technologies as children and improved them over time.

But technology is a mixed blessing. While we are now able to produce letters in half the time, we’re also finding that many young people have failed to learn proper grammar and composition. So while electronic technology has improved workplace efficiency for some tasks, it has negated efficiency for others. There’s nothing wrong with technology itself. We just have to understand the dependence it creates in young people and the impact of this dependence in the workplace.

Views on Money – The generations seem to have wildly differing views on earning, spending and saving money. How do you reconcile these differences?

Matures grew up learning that “a penny saved is a penny earned” and that you needed to “put something away for a rainy day. Even in their old age, they remain conservative spenders opting to do without rather than spending impulsively.

Many Baby Boomers have been the antithesis of this approach. Over the years many Boomers have racked enough consumer debt to seriously endanger their ability to retire in a timely fashion. Baby Boomers were the first credit card generation. Unfortunately, many have not learned the devastating power behind the time-value-of-money, leaving them with debts they will be forced to pay down in their later years. This, of course, has made many rethink their goals about working.

Generation X, having come of age in the chaos of the sixties and seventies coupled with watching their parents spend extravagantly have chosen the more conservative paths of saving and spending prudently. The Millennials, on the other hand, are displaying spending habits remarkably similar to the Baby Boomers. Having come of age in the era of clicks rather than cash. While many of them have learned to spend substantial amounts of money at an earlier age than previous generations, their attitudes about spending in general are viewed as troubling by many.

Rewards and Compensation – Different generations seem possess different beliefs about the rewards that a job should provide. How do you reconcile these differences?

This all comes down to what each age group seeks in return for their time and effort. Matures come from an era that taught them duty to country and community. They have applied these values to the workplace as well. Matures feel rewarded with a job well done. While they, like everyone else, want to be well compensated, they take pride in what they have accomplished. Boomers certainly take pride in their work, but they also derive their rewards from the recognition received for their contributions to the organization.

Because those in Generation X tend to look at a job as more of a contract, they apply more practicality to the rewards. They expect fair compensation and the opportunity to earn extra for doing extra. Secondly, they seek opportunities to build skills and credentials that will help position them for the future. Thirdly, they value time off, which will provide the balance they seek. Finally, they look for an enjoyable atmosphere where work is not taken too seriously.

As the leading edge of the Millennials have entered the workforce, employers have discovered that fun and stimulation seem to be the operative words for rewarding this generation. Employers embracing these desires have been able to maintain lower turnover rates and higher productivity. While Millennials know they have to work, they will do so more effectively if they are having fun and feel some control over their environment.

Matures perform tend to perform best with clear direction and reinforcement for doing a good job. Coaching, as we know it today, is somewhat of an anomaly to them. While they believe it can have value, they view it as more of a Baby Boomer invention than a critical part of the supervisory process.

Some Baby Boomers have embraced the concept of business coaching wholeheartedly, attending clinics and earning certifications. Others view it with skepticism, wondering if it is one more passing fad. How they might respond to a supervisor using these coaching techniques depends upon how they interpret the whole concept.

As one might expect, the members of Generation X are skeptical of coaching, firstly because it seems to be a Boomer invention and secondly because they typically enjoy a more hands-off supervisory style. They’re apt to think, ”If you want to apply coaching techniques, that’s fine. Just don’t get in my way while I’m getting the job done.”

The jury is still out on Millennials since most are still in jobs that require direct supervision. While some managers may attempt to apply coaching techniques, this may prove ineffective in the entry-level positions Millennials now fill. As they matriculate into the professional workforce, they may embrace these concepts because of their similar beliefs about teamwork to their parents, the Boomers.

Generational Differences Internationally – How do the generations in other countries differ from those here in the US?

Generational information in other countries is rather complicated since the birth curves do not match and the cultures differ in a variety of ways. All of this is due to wars, aging populations, paternalistic cultures and our inability to penetrate the subtle barriers that inhibit what people in other countries will say about themselves to a stranger. It can be very frustrating. Of course, many Americans sometimes share too much too. J Canada is the most like us. Europe differs because of its aging population. So does Japan. The Middle East, with the exception of Israel, is far younger. Some influences like technology and some consumer products translate well. Others such as work beliefs, commerce, respect for elders and certainly politics vary considerably.