The Generations in the Workplace: Do you agree?

[thelakelander]

http://www.commsaxis.com/workplace-generations-infographic/

[Adam White]

I "don't agree" because I don't agree with the extension of Gen X to include people born as late as 1980. Before everyone jumps on me, I appreciate that this may now have become the accepted range. I don't know. But it kept slipping further and further over time. I was born in 1972 and when the phrase was first gaining traction, I was considered to fall towards the end of the group (I seem to recall it stretching to about 1978). I certainly wouldn't consider a person born in 1980 to have the same or similar frames of reference.

I was 18 in 1990 - this means that I didn't have the internet until after university (more or less). I had already been a teenager and was almost in my 20s by the time Nirvana broke through and so-called "alternative music" exploded.

Aside from that old man rant, I have nothing to say about the actual content of the graphic as I've not seen the data that it's based on.

[Adam White]

To be accurate, the period is up to but not including 1980.  So about 1964 through the end of 1979.

The generation x* or Thirteenth Generation timeline was established during those years by Neil Howe and Bill Strauss (13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?) who developed the theory of generational history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss–Howe_generational_theory

Every one of their books is an amazing read and I highly recommend them.

*technically Douglas Coupland coined the term 'Generation X' in his book by the same title.

I think the term predates Coupland - having listened to the band of that name in the 80s.

I think it's all a bunch of tosh, anyway!

[Adam White]

To be accurate, the period is up to but not including 1980.  So about 1964 through the end of 1979.

The generation x* or Thirteenth Generation timeline was established during those years by Neil Howe and Bill Strauss (13th Gen: Abort, Retry, Ignore, Fail?) who developed the theory of generational history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss–Howe_generational_theory

Every one of their books is an amazing read and I highly recommend them.

*technically Douglas Coupland coined the term 'Generation X' in his book by the same title.

I think the term predates Coupland - having listened to the band of that name in the 80s.

I think it's all a bunch of tosh, anyway!

True, but Generation X was Billy Idols band, and it was named after a book about mod culture in the 1960s, not the babies being born in 1963

I don't know if you've ever listened to their songs, but you might remember their Valley of the Dolls album (also named after a book of the same title by Jacqueline Suzanne)  Douglas Coupland (who I got to hang out with a bit in the 90s)  was the first to use it for its present context.

Ive found the ideas pretty accurate on the whole.

In fact, the Fourth Turning (by Howe and Strauss) accurately predicted the 911 crisis and the global economic meltdown in 1997

Yeah, I listened to the band a bit in the 80s (hence my earlier post about who coined the name).

[Tacachale]

I agree that those are the stereotypes of people born in those age ranges. However I doubt there's been a generation that's gone by that didn't think of young people as "lazy, unproductive and self-obsessed". And I think my grandparents would have had a laugh hearing that flower-picking, rock-listening baby boomers were "productive, hardworking, team players and mentors".

[Adam White]

I agree that those are the stereotypes of people born in those age ranges. However I doubt there's been a generation that's gone by that didn't think of young people as "lazy, unproductive and self-obsessed".

That's a very interesting point. I thought it was odd to see that term used for millennials when it was similar to criticism leveled at Gen Xers back in the 90s.

[Steve]

I think this is interesting. I was born in 1982 (so an "older" millennial), and I think it fits me fairly well. I do think my ability to build relationships is better than most millennials but I do think it in the realm of accuracy.

[Jason]

I guess I'm technically a classified as a millennial, however, I don't feel that I relate to them based on my understanding of millennials.  I was born in '81 and have considered myself a Generation "Y"er, as it has been defined in the past.

My age group started with the basics of the technology we enjoy today, however, were not defined by it.  We were the first to use the stuff that is mainstream today but, for the most part, we still see the technology as a tool to be used when needed versus constantly staying plugged in like today's millennials.

My age group is hard working, collaborative, effectively trained, and embrace and create the changes that millennials flock to but we also have a grip on the days before the internet and social media changed our way of life. 

My age group is probably the last age group to have been primarily raised by the traditional nuclear family, in large numbers.  Although the divorce rate for our parents was on the climb and many of us had two working parents leaving us to fend for ourselves, we still managed to make positive choices and decisions that made us self-starting and self-supporting members of American society.

My age group is just now blossoming into the leaders of the new world, armed with self built wealth, technology, and a massive flock of lemmings known as "millennials" to do our bidding....  if we can convince them to work.... 

[JaxAvondale]

I was born in 1978. I was very fortunate to go off to college at 17. That was essential in me being able to expose myself to a lot of tech/new process improvements that I wasn't in a public school curriculum. I'll make the case that late Gen Xers are the lost generation as it pertains to the workforce. Generally, they aren't tech savvy enough to run or create new companies nor are they old/experience enough to take over senior management jobs from late baby boomers in established industries.

[Tacachale]

I agree that those are the stereotypes of people born in those age ranges. However I doubt there's been a generation that's gone by that didn't think of young people as "lazy, unproductive and self-obsessed".

That's a very interesting point. I thought it was odd to see that term used for millennials when it was similar to criticism leveled at Gen Xers back in the 90s.

Those times have been corrupted: our fathers'
lives were less good
than their fathers' before them.

And our degenerate generation
was what they bred, as our own children
will be, I am all but certain,
of even less worth than we are.

Horace, Odes III.6, 23 BC

[jaxjags]

Very interesting. I'm a baby boomer, my daughter is a GEN X and my son a millennial. We actually fit this well. The surprising one is daughter/son. Although only 8 years apart, they are different, especially with regards to technology. I think technology/internet/mobile devices has made a big impact.

[ben america]

Nice shout out to The 4th Turning.

[finehoe]

I guess I'm technically a classified as a millennial, however, I don't feel that I relate to them based on my understanding of millennials.  I was born in '81 and have considered myself a Generation "Y"er, as it has been defined in the past.

Gen Y and Millennials are one and the same:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials

[Gunnar]

I guess I'm technically a classified as a millennial, however, I don't feel that I relate to them based on my understanding of millennials.  I was born in '81 and have considered myself a Generation "Y"er, as it has been defined in the past.

My age group started with the basics of the technology we enjoy today, however, were not defined by it.  We were the first to use the stuff that is mainstream today but, for the most part, we still see the technology as a tool to be used when needed versus constantly staying plugged in like today's millennials.

Interestingly, a lot of the technology we enjoy today is actually older than one thinks. The first home computers appeared in the late 70s, video game consoles even earlier, Smart phones also pre-date the Iphone by quite a few years.

I feel that one advantage of having grown up along with technology, you get a better understanding of how things work underneath the GUI level.

Looking at the young kids, the use of technology is definitely more widespread (also due to it being more affordable), but I think  that what is referred to as "technology savvy" most often only means using technology rather than understanding it.

Looking at my 18 year old nice and her friends they are all very comfortable using their Smartphones and all the social media apps (or video creation tools). But when things stop working, they are just as lost as my Mum. 

[RWNeal]

Many of the Boomers I've worked with or supervised in the past decade were just marking time until they could retire. I wouldn't call them hard working at all. They just did enough to keep their jobs and kept their heads down so they wouldn't attract notice. That might just be because they realized that they weren't going to go any higher in their careers.

Of course, this doesn't apply to all Boomers, just a select group.