Generational Differences: Part I

Here's a good thought regarding how best to understand generational differences. Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, in their book, When Generations Collide, suggest that the year breakdowns for the different generations actually reflect a 'common history' each cohort shares. They go on to say that "The events and conditions each of us experiences during our formative years determine who we are and how we see the world." (p.14)And that obviously effects our work choices and what motivates us at work.

Here are some examples Lancaster and Stillman give us of the common history each generation shares. Stick with me on this - it will all come back around to 'putting pleasure in the workplace'. And besides, this is interesting stuff. ;}

The Traditionalist (born 1900 - 1945): People - Joe DiMaggio, Dr. Spock, Franklin Roosevelt, Betty Crocker. Places - Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Hiroshima, Bay of Pigs. Events - WWI & II, The Roaring Twenties, The Great Depression, The New Deal. Things: radio broadcasts, roadsters & drive-ins, record players & 45's. This was a generation that put the needs of the individual second to the needs of the group. They worked together to accomplish goals. Large institutions got things done - like the military, the government, the church - and this generation put their faith in them. fifty percent of male traditionalist were in the military and so they're big believers in a top down approach to management because they saw and were part of that military approach which won two World Wars.

The Baby Boomers (born 1946 - 1964): People - Martin Luther King Jr., John & Bobby Kennedy, Rosa Parks, Barbra Streisand, Jimi Hendrix, Captain Kirk, The Beatles & the Stones. Places & Events - Vietnam, Kent State, Watergate, Woodstock, sit-ins, love-ins, the suburbs. Things: bell-bottoms, mood rings, junk food, junk bonds, LSD and the SEC. THE TELEVISON - by 1960, 50 million of them! And with the television, the events going on in the world came into the house. Boomers saw that institutions were becoming less and less trustworthy, and they also saw the power of the individual to effect change. This was a generation raised by stay-at-home moms. Traditionalist parents worked hard to provide the best for their kids and wanted them to have opportunities they didn't. As this generation entered universities in numbers never seen before (thanks to their Traditionalist parents), they started to question the status quo and they pushed for change - this was the era of reform - civil rights, women's rights, reproductive rights, all starting from the grass-roots level.

Next blog - Genearational Differences Part II, The Gen X'ers and the Millenials.