WE ARE NOT ALONE

I have encouraged my fellow baby boomers to actively plan for getting older but have done little to address the concerns of other generations that will be affected.  My excuse is that I do not feel qualified to write on the topic. I simply don’t know enough.  This week a couple of things came together to convince me that it is time I learned more.  As I learn I will share with you.

In this post I will attempt to differentiate between the generations and then begin to list some of the issues about which we should be concerned.

BABY BOOMERS (BORN 1946 – 1964)

We know who we are.  Guess what?  It is not all about us any more. Get used to it.

We aren’t planning on retiring in the traditional sense. We want to remain active and working; but, eventually, we want to replace our “jobs” with work related to a cause about which we are passionate.

We want to use our expertise.  We spent a lifetime acquiring it.  So, if we volunteer, please don’t ask us to dumb down.  We are going to live a long time.  There are going to be a huge number of old people out there at the same time.

GENERATION X (born mid-1960′s to early 1980′s)

It seems like much that is written about Generation X has a negative tinge to it.  Another name for this group is “Baby Bust” . Geesh! My oldest nephew and niece are in this group.  I think they are pretty cool. I love it that they think differently from me and are comfortable telling me why they think that way.

Generation X was also named the “Latch Key” generation.  They learned independence early and don’t want to be micro managed.  Many of them come from divorced parents.  Now they have their own children. They know why work-life balance matters.

They are just starting to climb the corporate ladders and are bumping up against boomers who are not making way for them. For some reason they find this irritating.

Generation Xers are likely to enhance their skill sets, and they are working harder than boomers to increase their retirement savings. This group has the highest rate of volunteerism. They prefer helping out in educational settings such as the local school system.   You go, Generation X!

MILLENNIALS (born early 1980′s to early 2000′s)

This generation is also called “Gen Y”, to differentiate them from Generation X.  Sometimes they are called “Echo Boomers” because they are the children of the baby boomers.

This generation is more irritated by the boomers than Generation X.  They are more pack oriented and are the most tech savvy generation in history.  They are more likely to seek new ventures.

Some important things in the workplace include:

• Connecting on human-to-human basis
• Understanding what motivates
• Providing real-time mentoring
• Creating career paths
• Communicating with engaging technology
• Virtual teams

Like Generation X, work-life balance is important to them. Will their “pack orientation” eventually turn into community building?

SILENT GENERATION (born 1925 – 1945)

Born during The Great Depression and WWII, this is a smaller demographic than the WWI generation before them and the Baby Boom Generation afterwards due to the lower birthrate of the 1930s and ’40s.  As a result, members of the Silent Generation were uniquely poised to take advantage of economic opportunities, thanks to the reduced competition.

Many of them went on to harness the scientific and technological advances of the Second World War, developing innovative inventions which laid the groundwork for even more technological progress in the late 20th century. The Silent Generation had a tendency to be better educated than the WWI generation because of not having their schooling interrupted by the Depression and WWII.

GI GENERATION (born 1914 – 1927)

This is the “Greatest Generation” also known of as Mom and Dad.   Enough said.

COMMON GROUND AND ISSUES

We all want stability, shorter commutes, social responsibility, community.

Generation X and Millennials  are loyal to people, not organizations.  Baby boomers need to really connect with them. Don’t send a memo. Work-life balance is not a buzzword to them.  It is the essence of what is important.

They are turned off by “greedy” baby boomers who place personal, company, and shareholder agendas before the good of humanity. Unlike boomers, who flout their boomerism, they don’t like being labeled anything.

There are about 118 million Generation Xers and Millennials compared to about 77 million baby boomers.  I see opportunities for creating solutions for the greater good with this mix of humanity. Generational interaction is actually quite good–better than it was when we were young.  Sometimes as many as four generations show up at family reunions.

We need to work very hard–together–to address our issues.  The following list just scratches the surface.

• Jobs and Unemployment
• Caregiving for Children and Elders
• Leadership and Passing the Baton
• Education
• Social Responsibility
• Housing
• Life Span Issues
• Financial Burdens
• Engaging Politically for the Greater Good

I sure would like some input on this.  Speak up if you can contribute to this dialogue.

Copyright TheNewElder 2012