Understanding the different generations is also important for the workplace. It can determine your recruitment strategies (social media versus traditional marketing), engagement levels and enjoyment, management strategies, employee retention and leadership development. There are, after all, five living generations, each with different formative years and different generational values that guide their decisions.

GenXs (aged 30 to 46) may have been the first to grow up with “time-poor” parents, and are independent, self-focused but also peer-focused. GenX had a strong female generation (think Secret deodorant TV ads of the 1980s) while males sought identity and masculinity, according to Underwood. Boomers (aged 47 to 65) are forever young; they have a “go for it” mentality and are willing to take control. Some were part of the consciousness movement that took place between 1961 and 1975, while some missed that movement altogether (the Second-Wave Boomers, born between 1955 and 1964). Then there is the “Silent” generation (aged 66 to 84), bornduring the Great Depression and World War II, according to Underwood.

What does all this mean for the workplace? How you as a manager or employee connect with and understand the different generations is crucial for business. In the end, it comes down to understanding connecting with each generation to create an inspired, healthy workplace, along with outstanding results.

For more on this topic, see our 2008 Your Workplace article about embracing the different generations at work, and how to work harmoniously under the same roof for 40 hours a week and 50 weeks a year at Generations-10-1_Jan-Feb-2008.

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