We hear a lot about “Millennials,” “Gen-Xer’s,” “BabyBoomers” and how we do not understand each other. We three have undertaken here to bridge the generation miscommunication gap with some insights into what we see as very different approaches and goals depending upon which generation you identify with. We do not claim to speak for all members of our respective generations, but hope that these insights will help different generations better understand their colleagues who may seem to otherwise be from a different century—let alone a different generation.
What Motivates You?
Back in the 1950s, the “dream”—what you were working for and was reflected on every commercial and every television show—was the family (husband, 2.5 children and a dog) living in a lovely home with a white picket fence. Even today, many babyboomers are still motivated by “stuff”: the bigger home, the better car, the right club, the better title, i.e., keeping up with—or surpassing—the Joneses. We are not suggesting that this motivation is right or wrong. We do, however, believe that BabyBoomers who assume that their younger counterparts are similarly motivated are often mistaken.
