The Greatest Generation, Baby-Boomers and the Gen X Reeh

Bridging the Generation Gap:

The Greatest Generation, BabyBaby----Boomers,Boomers, GenGen----XX and Millenials

Penny C. Reeh President & CEO Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce The Classic Generation Gap

• “Young people these days….they don’t get involved.” • “We can’t lead unless the older ones are willing to get out of the way.” There is no right. There is no wrong. There is simply different. Men resemble the times more than they do their fathers.

--Ancient Proverb The Silent Generation

• AKA – The Greatest Generation, The Forgotten Generation, Matures • Born between 1909 and 1948 • Currently age 64 and older • Prefers strong, central authority figures • Likes highly specialized roles • Act as team players • Believe in hard work and saving What shaped the Silents?

Roaring Twenties, Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II, Atomic Bomb, New Deal, Modern Appliances, Korean War, Infrastructure Development, Motion Pictures The Baby Boomers • They have always been known as the Boomers • Born 1949 - 1964 • Currently age 48-63 • 78 million born • It’s all about me mindset • They will change what they touch. • Likes shared leadership • Enjoys community-sized teams (“It takes a village.) What shaped the Boomers?

Civil Rights Movement, Bay of Pigs, Kennedy Assassination, Television, Cold War, Rock N’ Roll, Sexual Revolution Generation X • AKA – The MTV Generation • Born 1965 - 1976 • Currently age 36-47 • First technology-oriented generation • Comfortable with virtual teams • Like smaller teams with loose rules and no defined leadership What shaped the Gen Xers?

Latchkey Kids, Watergate, Fall of Berlin Wall, Persian Gulf War, AIDS, Women’s Liberation, Pager/Cell Phone, High Divorce Rates, Unstable Economy, Challenger Explosion Millenials • AKA – Generation Y, Nexters • Born 1977-1994 (age 18-35) • Socially and environmentally conscious • Shaped by strong economy and involved parents • Everyone is a winner mindset • On the go and know much more about their world than any other generation at the same age • May prefer the digital world over face-to-face world • Consume information differently and expect instant access • Want leadership roles quickly and viewed as impatient What shaped the Millenials?

Exploding technology, Internet, Domestic Terrorism, School Shootings, Break-Up of Soviet Republic, Power Rangers, Harry Potter, Political Scandal, OJ Murder Trial Generational Remembrances

SILENT BOOMER GEN X

Orange Juice The Juice Runs The Juice walks

FDR Nixon Reagan

Flat Tops HAIR Skinheads

No more butter No more war No more ozone layer

Sunday Drives Drive-thrus Drive-bys

Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa Mom and Dad Mom OR Dad

Dr. Spock Dr. Strangelove Dr. Kevorkian

Source : Rocking The Ages Technologies to Remember

SILENT BOOMER GEN X

Slide Rules Calculators Spreadsheets

Mimeographing Photocopying Desktop Publishing

Outer Space Inner Space Cyberspace

IBM Apple Netscape

Rotary Phones Touch-Tone Phones Cell Phones

Spirit of St. Louis Concorde Columbia

Party Lines Conference Calls Chat Rooms

Source : Rocking The Ages Approaching the Silents

• Emphasize civic duty (they expect to serve) • Use themes that promote community and not individuals • They “saved the world” and expect to sacrifice for community • Traditional values are important Retaining the Silents • Encourage them to share their expertise and “institutional memory” • Introduce new systems, methods and technologies with care, emphasize how change benefits the mission and not just efficiency (cake mix example) • Be sensitive to potential physical limitations but don’t baby them Recognizing the Silents

• Use techniques that reward longevity • Praise them in front of their families and peer groups • What they did for community is important to them – it’s not about them as individuals Approaching the Boomers

• Emphasize issues, not duty (it is about leaving a legacy, not self-sacrifice) • Appeal to their self-image of being “forever young” • Let them know you understand their importance Retaining the Boomers • Flexibility and choice are important to them • Include them in decision-making and leadership structure • Tie volunteerism to learning, new experiences and relationship building • Rely on their expertise and allow them to create new volunteer roles • Remember that episodic volunteerism is not unusual, but soon many will have more time Recognizing the Boomers

• Recognition is important – they have always been in control due and expect it • Praise their individual achievement and their respective hot issues • Honor their creativity Approaching the Gen-Xers

• Take a “cut to the chase” approach (they are skeptical, self- reliant, and pragmatic) • Emphasize results-oriented service with tangible goals • Sell local issues, not global ones • Show how they can make a difference in one life as opposed to saving the world Retaining the Gen-Xers • Let them to work alone or in virtual teams • Don’t expect them to attend meetings or engage in long decision-making discussions • Let them create and dissolve project driven teams • Encourage entrepreneurial, not bureaucratic processes • Remember time is often more valuable than money Recognizing the Gen-Xers

• Connect them to the personal element of their work – knowing they made a difference is more important than personal praise • Spending money on their recognition may be viewed as wasteful Approaching the Millenials

• Technology is king, less so on face-to-face • Look for ways to satisfy their need for immediate gratification • The want to see a path to leadership • The everyone is a winner mentality • More likely to work to live, than live to work Retaining the Millenials • Training and support resources are important to them • Receptive to coaching and mentoring (both to advance and set parameters) • Put them in charge of something • Give their ideas a voice • Utilize their creativity and energy Recognizing the Millenials

• Increased responsibility • Support their natural curiosity • Allow them flexibility as practical (access to social media at work, flex time, more social opportunities) • Reassure that you see, hear, understand and value them Putting the Pieces Together • In the workplace, we interact with and need people of all ages. • This knowledge is not meant to segregate, but rather to assimilate. • Managing people and serving customers is easier when you show them simply that you “get who they are.” • Remember, the generations that follow will vote on your taxes and healthcare! For More Information

Penny C. Reeh Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce 830.997.6523 [email protected]