Generations - Progressing with Wisdom and Hope
My first exposure to the idea of diversity in the workplace came courtesy of HSBC, in a class on generational diversity. At that time, in 2007, it was still rather uncommon to hear people talk about differences between Traditionalists, Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers, or the differences between Millennials and everyone else. So the idea that the formative experiences of a group of people all born within a certain date range might shape the way that they approach the world and their work was a revelation to me.
By the time I joined Joy Global in 2010, the word “Millennial” had entrenched itself as part of the zeitgeist. No longer a word used solely by HR professionals to discuss differences in talent acquisition, development approaches, and workplace diversity, Millennials were being actively discussed in senior leadership meetings, where Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers alike could be heard bemoaning the fact that Millennials were unwilling to devote themselves to the work of the company in the same way that their predecessors did. What’s more, Millennials were fast gaining a reputation among their more tenured coworkers for wanting to advance through the organization without putting in an expected amount of time and hard work.
In other conversations, I encountered skepticism about the very idea of generational diversity. This line of discussion basically said that the whole discussion about Millennials in the workforce was being blown out of proportion, and that we were simply seeing the same generational conflicts that had always been seen. One needed only to look at generational differences between Traditionalists and Baby Boomers, or Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers, to see the same conflicts playing themselves out. And the idea of changing our workplaces or policies to meet specific needs of a new generation was generally seen as an over-reaction.
One thing that seems clear is that discussions of generational diversity are inherently tricky. A single generation is made up of hundreds of millions of people, and the way that generations are identified varies by country and global region. The traits that get attributed to any generation are necessarily generic, and we always need to recognize that personal experiences related to other dimensions of diversity (e.g. gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, etc.) will impact one’s experience as part of his or her generation.
With that disclaimer out of the way, I’d like to offer a few of my own observations. My thinking on the topic has led me to think of generational diversity in three dimensions:
- There are true differences in the way that people of different generations show up at work, driven in part by the formative experiences of their early years. I believe that the impact of the Great Depression and WWII on Traditionalists can be well documented, and seen in behaviors later in life. Likewise, much has been documented about the impact of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on the attitudes of Millennials. These differences also include the technology and technological advances that mark each generation.
- There are differences in behavior, outlook, and approach that come about as a result of the stage of life that person is in, and the experience that he or she has gained. By this I mean that there are likely to be similarities in what single people fresh out of school care about, regardless of the generation they were born into. And there are likely to be a different set of concerns for empty nesters – again, regardless of the generation to which they belong. In my experience, these differences can show up in relation to a person’s attitude toward risk-taking (including business risk), their inclination to share experience and information, and their desire (or available time) to engage with coworkers on a personal level.
- Individuals seem to self-select the generation with which they identify, especially when on the cusp between two generations. People also determine the degree to which they associate themselves with their generation. My birth date falls squarely into Generation X, and my personal experience reflects a lot of the things that get attributed to my generation. I was a latch-key kid, who saw both parents working not for a sense of self-fulfillment, but because it was a financial necessity. And while it didn’t happen to our family, there was always this looming sense of fear that the company my father ended up working for throughout his career would let him go as part of the next round of lay-offs. Experts on generational diversity would tell you that this relatively common experience among many Gen-Xers makes us unwilling to trust that a company has out best interests at heart, and perhaps less loyal to a single company than our Traditionalist or Baby Boomer coworkers. That resonates with me. That said, I know Millennials who cringe at being labeled as such, in part because of some of the less flattering ways in which their group is described.
As with much of diversity, I think generational diversity is a bit more complex than it’s made out to be, and it’s necessary to embrace that complexity if we are to be inclusive and defuse others’ skepticism.
I see tremendous opportunity in engaging younger generations and older generations as separate groups, so that they can discuss their concerns about their workplace and their work with their peers. I also want to see those groups come together to learn from each other.
This week, Marvel comics released the first issue of Champions, a new title that follows a young, diverse group of superheroes who fit into demographers’ definitions of Generation Z. They don’t remember a time without smartphones or nearly-unlimited connectivity. In the U.S., they don’t remember a time without a black president. This group of young superheroes forms in the first issue out of their disappointment and disagreement with their older mentors, who have just fought one another in a second superhero civil war, and tarnished the public reputation of all superheroes. The issue begins with Ms. Marvel leaving the Avengers, after a fight between super-powered heroes and villains results in collateral damage to local citizens’ property. Ms. Marvel wants to focus on restoring damaged rail lines and food trucks, and the older Avengers tell her it’s not their job.
She brings together a new team that is committed to “enforcing justice without unjust force” and to winning “the hard way – the right way – not with hate, not with retribution, but with wisdom and hope.” She invites others to join them in their effort to fight for justice differently. It’s both idealistic and pragmatic. Her speech is livestreamed, and instantaneously results in #Champions becoming a trending topic.
The traits often attributed to Generation Z – pragmatism, hope, connectivity as a way of life – are all on display and woven into the story as both identity and differentiation.
Another take on Generation Z, discussed in The Gen Z Effect: Six Forces Shaping the Future of Business by Thomas Koulopoulos and Dan Keldsen, suggests that the generation that will soon be entering our workforce is one that will defy categorization. The authors posit that this is a generation that is more at home with diversity than any of those that have come before, and that because of their experience of connecting with others through technology, differences of location, culture and age become less important, and are not seen as barriers.
The authors suggest that technology could be moving us toward a post-generational world, where psychographics are more important than age. In this type of environment, we will need to sharpen our understanding of diversity of thought, and our ability to create an environment that fosters sharing of different perspectives and approaches.
It’s an interesting perspective. For my comic book characters, it may mean that Ms. Marvel is more likely to connect with the Traditionalist Steve Rogers (Captain America) than with Baby Boomer Tony Stark (Iron Man). In the workplace, it means that we need to understand and embrace intersectionality – the combination of diversity dimensions that each and every one of us carry with us every minute of our lives. None of us are defined solely by any one dimension of diversity. Our generations, our work styles and communication styles – all of these contribute to who we are.
For now, generations matter. There are differences worth talking about, and those differences matter when we work to engage employees of all ages and generational backgrounds. But it’s interesting to think about a world where we seek to understand one another more in terms of diversity of thought than differences in age. For myself, I suspect that generational differences will always be with us in one way or another. It seems a bit arrogant to think that, after millennia of generational differences, I’m writing this during the time when all of that will slip away.
Whatever happens, it will be fascinating to learn from Generation Z, and to share our experiences with them – progressing together, with wisdom and hope.
