No 44 December 2004 Those Generations!As indicated in NEWORKer No 43, referring to generations is generalising and as such brings with it the dangers of over generalising. Having been challenged by this whole theory of generationalism, the reading is fascinating and raises more questions than it really answers. But it does explain why people react the way they do to each other and to other generations.
Attitude to workGIs - ‘I am grateful to have a job.’ To understand how generational differences arise, therefore, it is helpful to look at the history of the 20th century (in brief and generalised overview) to get some idea of the forces that have shaped generational personalities. You need to think back to world in which you grew up as a young child. This world has influenced your thinking and attitudes more than you know. Note that this cycle is most clearly evident in middle class societies, but is certainly not restricted to such. Note also that different countries have experienced these different generations at different times What the workplace was like when each generation entered it?GIs (born 1900s to 1920s) This generation began working around the time that the Great Depression started which meant there was very little work at all. Many of them started in the family business or scratched for work where they could. Many a GI today will talk about working on government funded projects, created specifically to provide employment, such as building dams, roads or harbour breakwaters. No wonder then that work, when you got it, was regarded as a privilege and a gift, and you stuck with it, not only because you were too nervous to make a change, but also out of deep gratitude to your employer. That loyalty was expressed in terms such as,‘ thank you Mr Employer for giving me a job. I owe you.’ That attitude has lasted, more or less, to this day, so no wonder the GIs tell their grandchildren to be loyal, work hard and are outraged if they just walk away from a job. Silents ( born 1920s to 1940s) It was economic boom time when the Silent generation began working in the 50s and 60s but they packaged the same careful attitude to work that their parents had, along with their sandwiches, as they left for work. The classic Company Man toiled from 9 to 5 in a job that was structured and hierarchal. Work was ‘hard.’ Company Man sums up this generation. He arrived home at exactly the same time each day to a polite welcome from his stay-at-home wife, and three to four children. His meal was cooked and waiting. Suburbs bloomed and office parks were invented nearby them to save commuting into town. In the US, certain cities and areas became known for particular types of work – Detroit was home to the car industry, Seattle to the airline industry (now the world’s high tech capital) and New York to the world of finance. Similarly but to a lesser extent cities in New Zealand developed their collective of industry. Suburbs were built to house workers near these hubs. Boomers ( born 1940s to 1960s) When the rebellious, questioning and spoilt Boomers arrived at work, it coincided with a steady economic boom that took the world by storm. It was largely fuelled by technology but every industry was expanding and there was a general boom in work. Jobs were, on the whole, exciting and easy to come by, and most governments and corporations gave easy and generous bursaries to anyone who did tertiary studies. When Boomers graduated from school, technikons and universities they had little problem finding employment. Major changes were beginning to take place in the workplace, creating a different environment from that in which their fathers had worked. The three main drivers in the economy were quality, customer service and globalisation. Multinational companies were becoming more common and rapid growth was considered normal and to be expected. Gen Xers ( born 1960s to 1980s) They arrived in the workplace just as the economic boom was tailing off and things were beginning to fall apart. Some of them caught part of the Internet wave and many a twenty year old Xer leapt on to it, made quick millions and just as quickly, lost them. The wise ones who got out early, found themselves millionaires by the age of thirty and retired or trained for a different career. But, on the whole, the Xers feel that the promises made by the visionary Boomers about a brave new working world, have fallen apart. Economies and organisations have shrunk leaving them struggling to find work. They feel caught in the middle of a transition. Most industries know that change is required at most levels – structural, product and staff changes – and most even know what change is required. Yet, change is taking too long to be implemented for the naturally impatient Xers. Gen Yers/Millennials ( born 1980s to 2000s) This new generation will enter the workplace just as the world comes out of the downturn in the global economy and starts a new wave of development and innovation fuelled by technology, nanotechnology and biotechnology and the Emotion Economy. The difficulties of the transition that is presently irritating the Xers, will largely be a thing of the past. The world of work will look very different from what it is now. The predictions of leading futurists, such as Charles Handy, Alvin Toffler and Tom Peters will probably have been realised, with careers looking more like a portfolio of jobs and constant change being the order of the day. Flexible working hours and telecommuting will be the norm, not the exception, and we’ll be thinking about applying Ricardo Semler’s Seven-Day Weekend principles. TeamworkIn business we talk about the need for teamwork in business. But for some generations this whole concept of teamwork is an anathema - it just ain't going to work. Remember that we have a whole generation that has grown up in, through and under the Rogernomics principles where in business, family, education and recreation, they were taught, bullied and generally led to "look after No 1". Look after yourself. Look after your own destiny. This is not conducive to a team approach. So how do the generations look at and view teamwork? The Old Team Approach ( GIs, Silents and Boomers)
The New Team Approach ( Xers and Millennials)
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