Generations bring strengths to work
“Who is Burt Reynolds?” asked a millennial coworker recently upon reading the news that the actor had passed away.
“Ouch,” I replied. “There was a time in the 1970s and 1980s, when he was one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.”
She seemed unimpressed.
The moment was awkward for both of us, and we could only chuckle about it.
A few minutes later, I received a complimentary email from 81-year-old Paul Roller, former chairman of Miller Brands, a Milwaukee beer distributor. After he retired, the company became part of Beer Capitol Distributing and then Frank Beverage Group of Middleton.
Roller was thrilled to see that in a recent column I had quoted former President Teddy Roosevelt, who opined that the real hero is not the critic, but the person who is “actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…”
“I have a framed version of that speech I got in 1961 from my first real job,” Roller told me. “The famous speech hung in my office ever since. It was an inspiration to me.”
Such is the life in the 21st century workforce. For the first time in human history, we have six generations simultaneously thriving on the planet.
That creates some unprecedented and sometimes mystifying moments in the workplace.
As a reminder, here are the generations, as documented by the University of Southern California’s Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, which recently wrote a blog on “Managing the Multigenerational Workforce”:
G.I. or “greatest” generation, born between 1901 and 1926
“This generation grew up in the aftermath of World War I, children of those who fought it, and went on to fight their own battles in World War II. Assertive and energetic individuals, they have a strong sense of teamwork, community-mindedness, and loyalty to the causes they join,” the USC blog stated.
The silent generation, born between 1927 and 1945
“Born just before or just after the upheaval of World War II, the Silent Generation in the U.S. lived in an era
defined by both conformity and general prosperity. They followed in the footsteps of the GI Generation in defining themselves by lifelong loyalty to their workplaces. Discipline, self-sacrifice, and caution are all common traits feeding into their feelings of teamwork,” USC stated.
Baby boom generation, born between 1946 and 1964
“As they grew, the baby boomers evinced two broad, largely incompatible values sets that have come to be understood as the ‘hippies’ versus the ‘yuppies.’ The first TV generation, boomers think big but have a tendency to be self-centered. Their drive and optimism served them well in the peak of their careers but may have led to poor planning of some long-term decisions,” USC wrote.
Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980
“This entrepreneurial and individualistic group grew up as two-income households became more common. Their independence and individualism made a major mark on the emerging world of the Internet and information technology. They like to learn, explore and grow, and have brought these values to work; when work clashes with those values, they tend to go their own way,” USC stated.
Millennials, born between 1981 and 2000
“The Millennials represent a departure from individualism and return to conformity in part thanks to nurturing, highly involved parents who maintain authority long into their lives. They feel great pressure to succeed, managing their time via meticulous scheduling. They are drawn to teams and appreciate a relaxed, respectful work environment where their contributions are recognized,” USC stated.
Generation Z, born after 2001 “The oldest members of this generation are in high school today; a clear picture of their identity as employees has yet to form. Generation Z is on track to be a large generation and will spearhead a demographic shift as Hispanics are represented in the U.S. population in greater numbers. They begin using cell phones and other digital technology very young, leaving traditional toys behind,” USC stated.
Recognizing differences
Understandably, the different generations are driven by different motivations and have different priorities. They have different work ethics. They have different expectations for work-andlife balance.
They are devoted to different brands.
Case in point: the controversy over Nike signing former quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who chose to kneel during the national anthem, for a lucrative sponsorship.
While plenty of older Americans protested and even burned their shoes, millions of younger Americans doubled down in support of Kaepernick. Sales of Nike shoes — and its stock shares — soared.
The generations also have different historical reference points. Ponder for a moment: The youngest millennials were babies or toddlers when the twin towers fell on 9/11. Generation Z wasn’t even born yet!
The generations also have different pop culture reference points. As children, boomers watched the Mickey Mouse Club. Gen Xers watched Sesame Street. Millennials watched Barney and The Rugrats. I have no idea what Generation Z is watching.
Shirley Burks, coordinator of partnerships and new initiatives at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Continuing Education, offers the following tips for multiple generations coexisting and even thriving in the workplace:
Personalize your style. Be creative; find out about others’ preferences.
Build on strengths. Recognize the unique talents that others bring to the table.
Initiate conversations about generational differences. Be more open.
Ask about people’s needs and preferences instead of assuming.
Offer options for getting tasks done.
Respect the differences among generations.
Encourage intergenerational collaborations. Communicate.
Be flexible.
That last one seems critical to me. My suggestion is we should accept our differences and try to find common ground where we can. Even better, let’s respect and try to learn from each other.
Now, about Burt Reynolds …
Steve Jagler is the business editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. C-Level stands for high-ranking executives, typically those with “chief” in their titles. Send C-Level column ideas to him at steve.jagler@journalsentinel.com.