Essay about Baby Boomers

There are five different generations working together on any given work day in the world. These generations are the Traditionalists (veterans), the Baby

Seniors born entre January 1, 1933 and December 31, 1945 are described as Post-War Cohort and have a current Population of 55 million, but their population is declining. According to extension.missouri.edu, they are retirees in majority and formed the largest voting population. Seniors or veterans also called Silent Generation inherited the consequences of the Great Depression of 1929 and World War II. They feel gratified by the effort or work, they are struggling to work and usually stay for long in the same company. They are obedient and respectful to authority, they are cautious and have a sense of duty but modern technologies such as information, communication and social networks are not obvious to them and may even be refractory. They earned less than today, but in their time, the quality of work was an art. Seniors born entre January 1, 1933 and December 31, 1945 value security, comfort, and familiar, known activities and environments. Like the baby boomers, the silent generation is committed in marriage even though some divorced. This cohort is a target composed mainly of women and men widowers who live alone for half of them, especially women. This cohort had significant opportunities in education as a post-war economic boom struck America.

This mixture of generations creates many issues in the modern workforce, as many differences in culture, norms, behaviors, values and perceptions of the workplace exist across these generations. Also, for perhaps the first time in history, four distinct generations are working alongside each other in the business world. As noted by Sam in his email, the coexistence of different generations can have many influences on the workplace. One of the biggest influences is the different attitude and acceptance of technology, as the millennial generation was the first one to

“If you don’t think generation makes a difference, think of this example. When asked to recall how and where Kennedy died, the Veterans and Baby Boomers would say gunshots in Dallas, Texas; Generation X remembers a plane crash near Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.; and Milinials might say, “Kennedy who?” (FDUMagazine Online, p. 2) Each individual generation brings different values and skills to the table, but the pronounced differences can cause conflict within the workplace. Bill Brennan’s “Generational Differences” discusses the generational differences between the four main groups, or generations, of the United States; Veterans (born before 1945), Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) and Millennials, Gen Y, (born between 1980 and 1994). Through his depiction,

Over the next decade, it will be a challenge for employers to attract, keep, and develop a skilled work force for numerous different reasons ranging from the evolution of technology to fewer foreign students coming to America for work. Adding to the problem, companies are finding themselves managing four generations of workers. Based on their generation’s life experiences, each group has its own diverse characteristics, standards, and attitudes towards work. The four generations are as follows: Silents (1925-1946), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation Xers (1965-1980), Generation Ys or Millennials (born after 1980). It is up to management to relate and motivate employees of different age groups. The purpose of this paper is to inform readers

This is the first time in American history where four generations are in the workplace at the same time. While it is a good problem to have, this situation creates some issues because of generation gaps and stereotypes. As stated by Diana Rigg, “Maybe at this stage in my career, it’s from that younger generation that I have the most to learn.” If the older generations and the younger generations took this open approach, the workplace would be a more inclusive place because all employees would be open to learning from each other. By understanding the generational differences, employees can break through the stereotypes created by misunderstandings to become highly functioning organizations. In looking at the similarities and differences among the four generations working today, it has been discovered that these are the same items that bridge the gap to a better understanding. Diverse, cross-generational teams are both beneficial and necessary for organizations to create highly effective and creative teams. In addition, this type of inclusion has the ability to empower employees, and the company will reap the benefits in happier clients and increased profits.

One area of conflict that I personally have with the generation Xers is that they tend to work alone and don’t like collaborating with others. Growing up as a Millennial, I was given a lot of encouragement and have a tendency to voice my opinions. When trying to work on a project at work with a Generation Xer, I tend to get offended that they don’t want to collaborate and solve a problem together. However, when they do want to voice their opinion they have a tendency to question everything. I realized that in order for me to fix this area of conflict, I need to come to an understanding that not every Generation Xer acts like everyone else. In addition, not every generation will work well together, but understanding the strengths of each one will help me handle tasks at work more

In Supervision Managing For Results (2013), the author establishes that the Generation Y whom I consider to be youngest “are often highly self-confident, achievement-oriented, internet savvy, upbeat, impatient, and tenacious. They often love to learn, are socially conscious, can multitask, like to network and socialize with others, desire meaningful work coupled with feedback and recognition, and enjoy flexibility and autonomy at work” (p.384). Furthermore, the older generation (Baby Boomers), “value personal growth and self-gratification, a comfortable life, the use of logic, teamwork and involvement, and their own health and wellness” (Newstrom, 2013, p. 384). Also, having a strong work ethic, drive to succeed, willingness to give it their best and time to achieve a goal are characteristics of the baby boomer

Every work environment is teeming with people from various generations. Though, the majority of people wish for a healthy work environment this is not the easiest to come by. People from these different generations have different ways of looking at the world. They were raised differently and though theoretically want the same things they want to reach these goals in different ways. Rising to leadership, the understanding of technology, adapting in the workplace, and communication are the four criteria you need to know to understand how the people of Generation X and Millennials function together in the workplace.

In the article, It’s a Millennial Thing, by Steve Gavatorta, he describes the strain relationship of Millennials and older generations in the workplace. His clients, the Baby Boomers and Generation X’ers complains about Generation Y in the workplace. Millennials entering the workplace is a major topic across industries today. More Millennials in the managerial positions surpassing the older generations have been proven difficult in both roles of the Millennials and other generations. The key is to bridge the gaps between these strain relationships. To Break down the barriers between Generation Y and older generation in the workplace they can follow these guidelines: avoid generalizations, create a common language, establish and build trust,

In my experience, I have worked with every generational group except the Nexters. It may be true that older workers such as the Silent Generation, and Baby Boomers have all the qualities like being more professional, more productive with strong work ethics, reliability, and loyalty, they did not mention the descriptions that stand out most to me from my experience, and those are greed and

The third generation represented is often referred to as “Generation X.” Members of this group are born between 1965 and 1979. Kyles (2005) defines them as individualistic, disloyal, techno literate, and one of the most challenging groups to manage. This can be attributed to the fact that this group grew up in the rebellious years of the sixties and seventies. Marshall (2004) states, “The employer has to provide an opportunity to work and grow, or they are going to leave” (p. 18). This says a lot about the influence of culture on this generation.

The oldest generation in the workforce is the Greatest Generation or also known as Traditionalist (born prior to 1946) (“Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees-FDU”). They came of age during the great depression, the start of the cold war to be “seen and not heard” (MU Extension). Believing in a work ethic of loyalty, tenure, and quietly working hard gets rewarded. While some are still employed full, and it seems will never retire, many have handed off the reins to Baby Boomers.

Gen X was found to be more team oriented than the Boomers in studies conducted by Karp and Sirias (Arnold, 1998). Having fun on the job is meaningful to this group; which has created a leadership style that sets them apart from the older generations.

Those changes, both good and bad, should be what younger generations should prepare for when entering the job scene. Since about 89% of Boomers graduated from high school and only 29% have a bachelor’s degree or more, those future Boomer bosses would want employees who have more experience outside of school (Madjaroff, 2014). Boomers also valuable communication skills, so younger generations should work on gaining more people skills. By having younger generations, such as Generation Xer’s, learn more about the values and culture of the Boomer generation, the future work environment in America and all over the world will be more efficient and effective overall.