Generation gap at work place

The Traditional generation

The Traditional generation is the oldest generation in the workplace, although most are now retired. Also known as the veterans, the
Silents, the Silent generation, the matures, the greatest generation, this generation includes individuals born before 1945.
embers of this generation were influenced b! the great depression and "orld "ar ## among other events and have been described as
being conservative and disciplined, as having a sense of obligation, and as observing fiscal restraint. The! have been described as
liking formalit! and a top down chain of command, as needing respect, and as preferring to make decisions based on what worked in
the past.
members of this generation as the private, silent generation, who believe in pa!ing their dues, for whom their word is their bond, who
prefer formalit!, have a great deal of respect for authorit!, like social order and who love their things and tend to hoard stuff. embers
of this generation have also been characteri$ed as lo!al workers, highl! dedicated, averse to risk and strongl! committed toward
teamwork and collaboration.
At work, the! are presumed to show consistenc! and uniformit!, seek out technological advancements, be past%oriented, displa!
command%and%control leadership reminiscent of militar! operations, and prefer hierarchical organi$ational structures.
The Baby Boom generation
&ab! &oomers are individuals born between 194' and 19'4. &oomers were raised to respect authorit! figures, but as the! witnessed
their foibles, learned not to (trust an!one over )*+
The! grew up in an era of (prosperit! and optimism and bolstered b! the sense that the! are a special generation capable of changing
the world, have e,uated work with self%worth, contribution and personal fulfillment+
&oomers have been characteri$ed as individuals who believe that hard work and sacrifice are the price to pa! for success. The! started
the workaholic trend, believe -d. in pa!ing their dues and step%b!%step promotion. The! also like teamwork, collaboration and group
decision%making, are competitive and believe in lo!alt! toward their emplo!ers.
&oomers are often confident task completers and ma! be insulted b! constant feedback, although the! want their achievement to be
recogni$ed. Some have described them as being more process% than result%oriented, although the! have also been characteri$ed as
being goal%oriented. an! are accepting of diversit!, optimistic, liberal, and conflict avoidant. The! value health and wellness as well
as personal growth and personal gratification, and seek /ob securit!.
Generation X
#ndividuals born between 19'0 and 1919. This generation was also called the bab! bust generation, because of its small si$e relative to
the generation that preceded it, the &ab! &oom generation.
embers of 2eneration 3 are the children of older boomers, who grew up in a period of financial, familial and societal insecurit!.
The! aspire more than previous generations to achieve a balance between work and life the! are more independent, autonomous and
self%reliant than previous generations having grown up as latchke! kids. The! are not overl! lo!al to their emplo!ers although the!
have strong feelings of lo!alt! towards their famil! and friends. The! value continuous learning and skill development. The! have
strong technical skills, are results focused, and are (ruled b! a sense of accomplishment and not the clock+. 3ers naturall! ,uestion
authorit! figures and are not intimidated b! them. one! does not necessaril! motivate members of this generation, but the absence of
mone! might lead them to lose motivation. The! like to receive feedback, are adaptable to change and prefer fle4ible schedules. The!
can tolerate work as long as it is fun. The! are entrepreneurial, pragmatic, and creative. Although the! are individualistic, the! ma!
also like teamwork, more so than boomers.
Generation Y
embers of 2eneration 5 ma! include individuals born between 190* and 6**6. The label associated with this generation is not !et
finali$ed. 7urrent labels include illenials, 8e4ters, 2eneration www, the 9igital generation, 2eneration :, :cho &oomers, 8%2ens
and the 8et 2eneration. embers of the generation have labeled themselves as the 8on%8uclear ;amil! generation, the 8othing%#s%
Sacred 2eneration, the "annabees, the ;eel%2ood 2eneration, 7!berkids, the 9o%or%9ie 2eneration, and the Searching%for%an%
#dentit! 2eneration.
This generation has been shaped b! parental e4cesses, computers, and dramatic technological advances. <ne of the most fre,uentl!
reported characteristics of this generation is their comfort with technolog!. #n general, 2eneration 5 shares man! of the characteristics
of 3ers. The! are purported to value team work and collective action, embrace diversit!, be optimistic, and be adaptable to change.
;urthermore, the! seek fle4ibilit!, are independent, desire a more balanced life, are multi%taskers, and are the most highl! educated
generation. The! also value training. The! have been characteri$ed as demanding, and as the most confident generation. =ike 3ers,
the! are also purported to be entrepreneurial, and as being less process focused.
Traditionalists Baby Boomers Generation X Millennials/Gen Y
19**%1945 194'%19'4 19'5%190* 1901%6***
=inear,
Traditional,
>alues 9riven,
?restige%driven,
@espond to authorit!,
?rivate,
Stable,
Sacrifice for the greater
good,
@isk%averse,
@igid,
7ommand A control
leadership st!le
Structured,
?ro individualist,
?rotest traditional authorit!,
Trust teams of peers for group
decision%making,
?ro%self%e4pression,
Anti%bureaucrac!.
?rocess oriented,
"orkaholics,
The (e 2eneration+,
:ntitled,
<ptimistic
#nformal,
Autonomous,
ake decisions and then verif!
with group,
;amil! first,
ulti%cultural,
2loball! aware,
7reative,
Technical,
Bighl! educated, Accustomed
to feedback,
@esults oriented,
Skeptical or pessimistic
;luid,
7ollaborative,
9islike making decisions without
group input, 9iverse,
Adaptable,
Self%absorbed,
;le4ible,
Social,
?eer%influenced,
7rowdsourced,
:nvironmentall! aware,
("ired+ 64C1,
8eed constant feedback,
9esire balance and growth
Molded by:
Traditionalists Baby Boomers Generation X Millennials/Gen Y
2reat 9epression,
?earl Barbor,
""##,
Dorean "ar, 195*s
prosperit!,
c7arth!ismC@ed
Scare,
@ise of 7orporations,
8uclear families,
adison avenue,
Space age,
Sputnik,
T>
:conomic &oom of the
195*s,
7old "ar A 7uban issile
7risis,
E;D, @;D and =D
Assassinations,
7ivil @ights, >ietnam,
Dent State,
"oodstock,
Se4ual revolution,
"atergate,
@adicals, Bippies and
5uppies
=atchke! kids,
9ownsi$ing,
Apartheid,
@ust &elt,
7hallenger :4plosion,
2lasnost,
@ecession,
2as crisis,
2lobalism,
9ivorce,
8A;TA,
A#9S,
?7s,
obile phones,
T>,
Tiananman S,uare,
dot.com bubble
#nternet,
Smart phones,
i?odC?ad,
9C11,
;acebook A Twitter,
@ealit! T>,
#ra, A Afghan wars,
;lash mobs,
2lobal warming,
American #dol, 9.A.@.:. and the 2reat Smokeout,
Burricanes Datrina A Sand!,
2a! marriage,
7olumbine and 8ewtown shootings
Generations also like to be recognized in different ways:
Traditionalists Baby Boomers Generation X Millennials/ Gen Y
?refer formal recognition
with pla,ues, certificates
and ceremon!. ?refer
team Fbased appreciation.
>alue commendations,
memorabilia and
s!mbolic records of
achievement.
9onGt need constant
feedback, but want their
achievements recogni$ed.
?refer public recognition and
the attention of peers. =ike
material rewards that will
conve! the prestige of their
accomplishment.
=ike to observe feedback to
others to learn what is
valued b! the compan!.
:n/o! material rewards as a
manifestation of successH
especiall! things the! can
share with their famil!.
8eed constant, real%time feedback and
reinforcement. ?refer instant, social and public
recognition in which the! can participate. ?refer
educational rewards like e4periences, travel, outings,
and opportunities for skill building.
Youre a! "eteran#
Traditionalist# $ilent
Generation
Baby Boomer#
Boomer
Generation X Millennial# Generation Y#
Gen %hy&
'cho Boomer
(f you were born!before 1945 between 194' and 19'4 between 19'4 and 190* since 190*
Youre shaped
by!
"orld "ar ##,
the 9epression,
traditional famil!
television,
the 7old "ar,
student activism,
!outh culture,
;=I crisis,
feminism,
space travel,
sta!%at%home moms
the energ! crisis,
technolog!Gs first wave,
fall of the &erlin "all,
music videos,
A#9S,
working mothers -latchke!
kids.,
rising divorce rates
e4plosion of technolog! and
media,
9%11,
7olumbine shootings,
multiculturalism,
variet! of famil! structures
You )alue! respect,
lo!alt!,
e4perience
standing out,
recognition,
competition,
independence,
hard work
fle4ibilit!,
honest!,
feedback,
work%life balance
strong leadership,
concern for communit!,
structure,
fair pla!,
diversit!
*n the +ob you
are!
a disciplined, hard
worker who
appreciates order and
a /ob well done
a driven, service%oriented
team pla!er who doesnGt
want to be micromanaged.
5ou live to work.
independent, self%reliant,
unimpressed b! authorit! and
focused on self%development.
5ou work to live.
self%confident, competent,
optimistic, out%spoken and
collaborative
Your career motto
is!
Seek /ob securit!. :ducation plus hard work
e,uals success.
#nvest in portable career
skills.
ulti%track or dieJ
,ooking at the gaps
-ours of work
:ach generation tends to have a different approach to hours of workK
#f !ouGre a >eteran, !ou turn up when the boss sa!s !ou should and work until the pro/ect is finished.
#f !ouGre a &oomer, !ou tend to work all the time. 5ou come in earl! and sta! late.
#f !ouGre a 2en 3er, !ou work hard to complete pro/ects but when !ouGre not needed, !ou want to be free to pursue !our life
outside of work.
#f !ouGre a illennial, !ou see !our /ob as something !ou do between weekends or between !our other /obs.
.ecognition and rewards
:ach generation tends to value different kinds of recognition and rewardsK
#f !ouGre a >eteran, !ou tend to prefer securit!, pensions, bonuses and recognition for a /ob well done.
#f !ouGre a &oomer, chances are !ou prefer promotion and increased income.
#f !ouGre a 2en 3er, !ou tend to prefer time off rather than a bonus.
#f !ouGre a illennial, !ouGre confident about !our own abilities, value visibilit! and close interaction with leaders in the
organi$ation. 5ouGd like to work on a top%level team doing a pro/ect !ou believe in.
(mpacts on /ifference
0ulture. ;uturist 9aniel &urrus references a (war in the workplace+ due to cultural differences between four generations
-matures, boomers, 2en3 and millennials.. &ecause each generation has a different approach to work, collaboration can be
difficult. And management is not addressing this, which is resulting in a lack of innovation and costs time, mone! and
credibilit!, =inne said.
Technology .*(. illennials, the first generation weaned on modern technolog!, are adept at it, while boomers and older
are slower to learn.
.ising costs. "ith more than 0* percent of the workforce pushing retirement back to 1*, compan! healthcare costs will rise
Has will the cost of not innovating.
Brain drain. "hen boomers and matures leave a business, the! take a lifetime of knowledge with them unless businesses
take steps to capture what the! know.
1erpetuation. #f an agenc! has no succession plan, the business could end up going with the retiring owners.
1roducti)ity. Lnless itGs managed correctl!, the drag on productivit! of a (workplace at war+ could cost L.S. businesses
billions of dollars .
0losing the gaps
Lse the following suggestions to help !ou get along with co%workers of different generationsK

Be self aware2
Think about how people from different generations ma! view !our behaviour and pa! attention to !our own beliefs and values.
;or e4ample, &oomers have had to work man! long, hard hours in order to stand out among the huge numbers of their generation
in the workforce. 2en 3ers and illennials ma! think that &oomers donGt care about life outside of work because the! are
focusing on the &oomersG behaviour rather than the forces that shaped it.
<n the other hand, 2en 3ers entered the workforce during a time when organi$ations were downsi$ing and restructuring. The!Gve
learned to rel! on themselves and to place a high value on their life outside of work. >eterans and &oomers who kept their /obs
during the restructuring handled the situation b! working harder. To them, 2en 3ers ma! appear too focused on the (life+ side of
the work%life balance.

3eep an open mind2
7hallenge what !ou assume. ;or e4ample, the >eteran who wears a business suit and seems uncomfortable with technolog! ma!
be highl! creative. The 2en 3er who leaves earl! and files reports from home ma! not be out part!ing all night but ma! be
sharing child care with a spouse.

4ocus on the goal2
#f ever!one on the team does their share, it ma! not matter whether >eterans work at their desks during office hours, whether
&oomers work after hours, whether 2en 3ers work at home on the weekend or whether illennials work on smart phones in
cafMs.

"alue di)ersity2
Accept each generationGs different e4periences and wa!s of seeing things. >eterans and &oomers have the kind of e4perience that
comes from !ears in the workforceHthe! reall! have seen it all. 2en 3ers and illennials can benefit from their e4perience.
2en 3ers have developed the skills to be independent and self%directed. illennials learned their teamwork skills in da!care. &oth
have grown up working and pla!ing with technolog!, from touch screen tablets to social networking. illennials and 2en 3ers
use all available technolog! effortlessl! to work at an! time, from an!where. "hat ma! sometimes look like arrogance is more
likel! competence and confidenceH>eterans and &oomers can benefit b! recogni$ing the difference.

$upport and learn from each other2
7o%workers from each generation have a lot to offer each other. ;or e4ample, 2en 3ers and illennials can share their technolog!
skills with &oomers and >eterans. The older generations can mentor the !ounger. :ach generation has something to contributeK
>eteransG lo!alt!
&oomersG dedication to a goal
2en 3%ersG work%life balance
illennialsG comfort with diversit!

/isco)er common interests2
Sports, hobbies, films, favourite T> shows, volunteeringHpeople from different generations ma! share more interests than the!
reali$e. "hat starts out as small talk in the coffee room can develop into an understanding of a different point of view or a chance
to e4plore a new skill.
>eterans, &oomers, 2en 3ers and illennials all bring a wide range of skills, outlooks and e4periences to the workplace. "hen
generations recogni$e and respect their differences, the! sta! open to the opportunit! to learn from each other.
on getting the most out of each generation2
To get the most out of Baby Boomers# managers should e4press appreciation for their dedication, hard work and
long hours.
;or Generation X emplo!ees, managers should be clear about desired results and the rewards that will be provided
for high performance.
anagers of Millennials should communicate the impact and contribution this cohort is making to the organi$ation
or team.
"a!s to saolve difference
52 $peak a language that e)eryone can hear F ake sure that when !ou communicate with emplo!ees, !ouGre sending a
message that will translate to each of these generations.
62 *ffer fle7ible redundancy F ?rovide options, with multiple methods of communication that appeal to not onl! different
generations but different personalities. ;or e4ample, if !ou are offering training, give emplo!ees the option of a group class or a
self%stud!. <r provide meeting agendas so that emplo!ees who wish to prepare on their own can do so.
82 Balance o)ersight % :arlier generations see too much hands%on management as micromanagement, and donGt like it. The!
prefer goals to manage to, while illennials, monitored closel! since childhood, are much more comfortable with
(helicoptering+. ake sure !ou understand how !ouGre being perceived with each group.
92 .espect differences F &e cautious about pigeonholing one generation as (stuff!+ and another as (selfish+ or (need!+.
7ommunication st!le and needs are simpl! constantl! evolving and not good or bad. :ncourage relationship building across !our
compan!Findependent of hierarch!, role or departmentFto encourage great communication that transcends generations.
:2 0ombine strengths ; :ncourage interaction among these groups, while respecting emplo!eesG personal boundaries. 2etting
the perspective of different generations on different areas of !our business will benefit all. "e have a lot to learn from one
another. 7ompanies that are made up of multiple generations can offer us more insight into our customers and ourselves.
<2 0ollaborate when building systems ; All too often, s!stems and processes are designed b! one generation, based onl! on the
values the! hold. "hat one group sees as an obvious solution to a problem ma! be seen as a disaster b! another, and can cause
serious fractures in the efficac! of the s!stem. ake sure that !ou have input and bu! in from all groups on new processes. -&ut
donGt do it in a big long group meetingH2en 3ers hate thatJ.
=2 4ind commonality2 This one comes directl! from the great article b! the folks at reliableplant.com. (Traditionals and 2en 5
emplo!ees tend to value securit! and stabilit!. Traditionals and boomers resist change. &ut both crave training and development.
2en 3 and 2en 5 emplo!ees place a high value on workplace fle4ibilit! and work%life balance. &oomers and linksters -toda!Gs
school age kids. are most comfortable with diversit! and alternative lifest!les. 2en 5 and linksters are technologicall! adept and
committed to sociall! responsible policies.+