GENERATIONAL DYNAMICS
LT. Michael Jackson
Alabama Criminal Justice Training Center
Selma Alabama
Michael.Jackson@doc.alabama.gov
The Generations
Veterans: Born Before 1943
Baby Boomers: 1943-1964
Generation X: 1965-1980
Millennials: 1981-2000
The Numbers
Percentage of the Generations at Work
50
40
30
20
10
0
Millennials Gex Xers
Baby
Boomers
Veterans
By The Years
Generatio
n
Vets
2000
(%)
13.14
2005
(%)
8.85
2010
(%)
5.21
Boomers
29.85
29.20
26.45
Xers
22.52
21.91
21.32
Millennials
1.47
7.05
15.38
Boomers – The Age Bubble
50% of Federal workforce was eligible to retire in 2006
50% of RNs will retire in next 15 years
30% (on average) of state workforces could retire in 2006
25.7% of law enforcement will leave between 1998-2008
80% Boomers plan to work after retirement, even if parttime
• Want to experiment with new fields and/or socially
relevant jobs
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What Does this Mean?
• Shrinking workforce
• Lack of appeal of public sector jobs
• Increasing # of new jobs in all sectors
• Workforce aging
• More competition
• Need to keep employees
• New workers = different workplace
Veterans . . .
…And Money
• Save, save, save
• Buy a first home
• Pay in cash
• Join the Christmas Club
• Use lay-away
…On Authority
• Embraces it
• Likes law and order
• Functions best in structure
..Their Work Ethic
• Work and sacrifice
• Pride and dedication
• Job for life
• Believe in “face time”
…About Self
• Family-oriented; remained
married for the sake of kids
• Support the personal touch
• Conservative
• Prepare for unknown
Veterans
• Defining Moments
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TV
Korean War
I Like Ike!
End of the Depression
WWII
Home ownership
Truman fires MacArthur
• Popular Culture
Hoola Hoops
Ozzie and Harriet
Your Show of Shows
Poodle skirts
Personal cars
Communists in
Hollywood
• Drive In Movies
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Veterans . . .
…Core Values and Beliefs:
• Direct
• Take charge – command &
control
• Delegate and look for
results
• Decision-makers
• Wary of technology
• Comfortable in
bureaucracy
• Work hard and expect
others to do the same
• They designed the
workplace
Baby Boomers…
…And Money
• Reacted to frugal parents
• Spend now, pay later
• Have plastic and don’t leave
home without it
…On Authority
• Question it
• “Don’t trust anyone over 30”
..Their Work Ethic
• Live to work
• You are what you do
• Work ethic = worth ethic
…About Self
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•
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Generation of soul searchers
Self gratification important
Not good at commitment
Generation of self-help, Yoga,
Meditation
Baby Boomers
• Popular Culture
• Defining Moments
• Assassinations of JFK, MLK,
RFK
• Vietnam War
• Civil rights movement 1968
Democratic National
Convention
• Kent State
• Forced integration at the
University of Alabama
• Women in the workplace
• Minorities in the workplace
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•
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The Beatles
Motown
Captain Kangaroo
Laugh In
Catch 22
Baby Boomers…
…Core Values
and Beliefs
• Keep proving themselves
• Live to work; workaholics and
expect others to be
• Work ethic = worth ethic
• Consensus and harmony
• Teamwork
• Level playing field
Generation X…
…And Independence
…About Work
• Were latchkey kids, the
children of workaholic Baby
Boomers
• Had to become self-reliant,
independent
• It’s a job, not a career
• Believe in balance between
family and work
• Work to Live
…On Family
• Grew up with parents that
believed in”quality time” but
found the concept meaningless
• Many came from homes of
divorced parents and two
working parents
…About Authority
• Unimpressed by it
• Not against it, just indifferent
• Saw too many “role models” fall
off the pedestal
• Challenge the status quo
Generation X
• Defining Moments
The Challenger Explosion
Watergate
Gulf War I
War on Drugs
President Reagan is shot
Anwar Sadat is assassinated
The U.S. boycotts the
Olympics in Russia
• Hostages held in Iran
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• Popular Culture
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Sesame Street
Muppets
Michael Jackson
Star Wars Trilogy
E.T.
Slackers
Bevis
Butthead
Generation X…
… Core Values and Beliefs
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Balance work/personal life
Paycheck is a means to an end
Career? This is a job
Informality at work, humor, humanity
Get bored easily
Asks “why” a lot
Value competency
Straightforward, avoids office politics
Won’t “pay dues”
Gen Xers At Work
• Held 10.2 jobs between ages 18 – 38
• See jobs as temporary
• 77% will leave for “increased intellectual stimulation”
• No career ladder – spider web
• Job is a stepping stone
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Use “quitting” as an option between jobs
Its about my self-esteem
Entitled and ambitious
High expectations
Don’t take criticism well
Takes “employability seriously”
Hands-on
Gen Xers At Work, Continued
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Must learn new skills
Wants mentoring
Focus on relationships not achievements
Short attention spans
Pessimistic about the future
Not afraid to be try it on their own
Adaptable
Entrepreneurial
Pragmatic
The Self Across the Generations
Twenge, JeanW.(2006) Generationme: Whytoday’syoungAmericansaremoreconfident,assertive,entitled,andmoremiserablethaneverbefore,NewYork,Free Press,page51.
Baby Boomers
Generation Me
• Self-fulfillment
• Fun
• Journey, potentials, searching
• Already there
• Change the world
• Protests and group sessions
• Follow your dreams
• Watching TV; surfing the web
• Practicality
• Abstraction
• Things
• Spirituality
• Feeling good about yourself
• Philosophy of life
Millennials…
…On Life
…And Family
• Had over-involved parents
• Were the “babies on board”
• Pampered, nurtured
 Confident and hopeful, sociable
 A new demographic: Baby Gap,
Pottery Barn-Kids
 Busy kids, highly scheduled
(soccer, T-ball, karate)
…Their Values
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Closest to those of Veterans
Accountability
Patriotic
Embrace diversity and
community service
…With Technology
 The digital generation
 Plugged in, logged on, wirelessly
connected
 Cyber pen-pals all over the
world
Millennials
• Popular Culture
• Defining Moments
• Oklahoma City Bombing
• Shootings at Columbine
High School
• 9/11
• The Clinton/Lewinsky
Scandal
• Afghanistan
• Iraq
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Barney
Harry Potter
Rap
Britany Spears
Reality television
Millennials…
…Core Values and
Beliefs
Multi-taskers
Bored with repetitive tasks
Achievement oriented
Value inclusion and multiculturalism
• Open minded, not set in
their ways
• Energy, excitement
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Millennials at Work
• Work well with
“friends”
• Collaborative
• Make a difference
• Impatient
• Flexible
• Want mentors
• Expect respect
• Want a challenge
Millennials at Work, Continued
• Inclusive
• Center of attention
• Success now!
• Serve the community
• Look out for parents!
• Multi-taskers
• Menial tasks – NO Way
• Interpersonal skills with difficult
people
• Goal oriented
• Positive
Education
Veterans
Gen X’ers
• 10% college graduates
• 6.8% post graduate degrees
• 21.3% college degrees
• 7.3% post graduate degrees
Baby Boomers
• 17.5% college degrees
• 10.7% post graduate degrees
Millennials (so far . . .)
• 28% college degrees
• Less than 1% post graduate
degrees
Generations at Work
Clash Points
Agency Loyalty
Chain of command/hierarchy
Work ethic
Workplace Diversity
Feedback and Mentoring
Agency Loyalty
• Veterans are in the job for the
long haul.
• The sacrifices their employers
make are equal to their own.
• They put their loyalty to their
company above themselves.
• Boomers believe loyalty to the
company is critical.
• Loyalty to the job often comes to
the detriment of their personal
lives.
• Gen X’ers will stay only so
long as they are learning
something.
• They are about selfpreservation. If you don’t
hold several jobs early in your
career, you’re not competitive.
• Loyalty to self comes first.
• Millennials are most like Gen X
on this issue.
• Believe they must constantly
improve and expand skills to
advance career.
• See themselves as short-term
workers offering services for a
limited period.
Chain of Command
• Veterans are not only
comfortable with hierarchy,
chain of command, they prefer
it.
• They respect authority and
clear lines between bosses and
subordinates.
• Baby Boomers have a
love/hate relationship with
hierarchy.
• On the one hand, they believe
in “paying your dues.”
• On the other hand, they believe
in “questioning authority.”
• Generation X is
indifferent to chain of
command.
• Hierarchy is a
meaningless concept to
them.
• Millennials, like Generation X,
are unimpressed by rank, age or
tenure.
• They don’t respect bosses who
think they know everything.
• Show a Millennial knowledge
and expertise, and they will
show you respect.
Work Ethic
• Veterans are dedicated and
dependable.
• They tend to “not rock the boat.”
• Baby Boomers are driven,
workaholics.
• It is not unusual for them to
work 50 – 60 hours a week.
• Generation X are task
oriented.
• They want balance in their
life.
• They believe in “eight and the
gate.”
• Millennials are determined.
• They will work diligently if they
can have a say in how the work
is done and if opportunities
exist for innovation and
creativity.
View of Feedback
Traditionalists [Veterans]...........“No news is good news.”
Baby Boomers........“Feedback once a year, with lots of
documentation!”
Generation Xers....“Sorry to interrupt, but how am I doing?”
Millennials......”Feedback whenever I want it at the push of a
button.”
Lynn C. Lancaster and David Stillman,
When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash.
How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work (New York: Harper Business, 2002): 255
Diversity
• Veterans grew up in a largely
segregated and sexist society.
• Diversity was a new concept in
their workplace.
• Baby Boomers were
influenced by the civil rights
and women’s movement. As
consensus builders, they seek
equality and fairness.
• The generation that had first
women and African
Americans on the job.
• Gen X’ers grew up with great
awareness and tolerance.
• Women in traditionally male
jobs raises few eyebrows with
this generation.
• Millennials appear the most
“color blind” of the four
generations.
• Grew up with friends who had
two mommies, were adopted,
and came from all ethnic
groups.
Through Different Eyes
• Boomers see Veterans as:
• GenXers see Veterans as:
• Veterans see BBers as:
• GenXers see BBers as:
• Veterans see GenXers as:
• Boomers see GenXers as:
• Millennials are seen as:
Through Different Eyes
• Boomers see Veterans as narrow, dictatorial, inhibited, rigid and
technologically challenged
• GenXers see Veterans as set in their ways, and should be ignored since
they are going to retire soon
• Veterans see BBers as too open to discussion of private matters and
very self-absorbed
• GenXers see BBers as dictatorial, obsessive, self-righteous,
technologically challenged, too serious and work alcoholics
• Veterans see GenXers as undereducated, disrespectful of their work
experience, unable to follow orders and not understanding the value of
hard work
• Boomers see GenXers as self-serving, cynical, technologically overdependent, rude, lacking in social skills, impatient, and want to do
everything their own way
• Millennials are seen as unconcerned
Putting the AGE in manAGE
But…
…How Does One Manager Coach Four
Different Generational Teams?
Why Employees Stay
• Exciting work and challenge
• Career growth, learning, & development
• Working with great people
• Fair pay
• Supportive management/good boss
• Being recognized, valued and respected
• Benefits
• Meaningful work – making a difference
• Pride in the organization, its mission
• Great work environment and culture
Generations and Money
• Veterans most frugal ($35 daily)
• BB second largest spenders ($64 daily)
• Gen X spend ($71 daily)
• Me spend ($50 daily)
• Me and BB will exceed 18% of households who
earn more than 75,000 annually
Generations and Money
Less than 1% of veterans will earn more than
75,000
30% of BB will earn 75,000 dollars or more
Less than 20% of Gen X will exceed 75,000
Even now about 50% of Generation Me will
earn 75,000 and that number is expected to
grow; temporarily remains stagnant because of
the economic crisis
Generations and Money
Generational Earning Expectations over the course of
their working life
Veterans- Between 420,00 and 540,00
BB- Between 1,000,000 and 1,600,000
Gen-X – 1,200,000 and 1,350,000
Me- 2, 250,000 and 4,525,000 plus
Caveats
• Don’t stereotype
• Persons of each generation have unique traits
and characteristics
• Cultural and regional differences
• Use this information as you think about your
organization
• These are not absolutes