What Do You Wish Other Generations Knew About You?

Earlier this week, I was Baltimore at the Grants Collection at Pratt Library teaching a workshop on intergenerational leadership in the nonprofit sector. In the workshop, we talked about generational differences, similarities, and how nonprofits can build a culture where all generations can lead in organizations. Part of the struggle in working across generations, however, is that different generations often have a hard time understanding each other. Some of the stereotypes we have about people based on how old (or young) they are can keep us from seeing and respecting their ability to practice leadership. One of the things I did in the workshop was share some of the characteristics of each generation and the events that have shaped their lives. I shared just a brief snapshot of each of the four generations:

Silent Generation

Born 1925 to 1945
Parents served in WWI, grew up without TV
Conformists, cautious, concerned with loyalty
Senator John McCain is a member of Silent Generation
Respect hard work, sacrifice & discipline, top-down approach

Baby Boomers

Born 1946 to 1964
Post-WWII
80 million strong
Sense of immortality
Sex, drugs, rock & roll
60’s counterculture, later turned conservative
Nixon, civil/women’s rights
Optimism, loyalty

Generation X

“Slacker Generation”
Born 1965 to 1979
50 million strong
Desert Storm, Clinton
MTV, video games, grunge rock
Individualistic, skeptical, informal

Generation Y

“Digital Natives, Millennials”
Born 1980 to 2000
80 million strong
School shootings, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Iraq
High student debt, hi-tech
Confident, social, celebrate diversity, communal

Then I asked participants to share what they wish the other generations knew about them. Once you get beyond the generalizations, what’s the real story about your generation? Some of the answers were quite insightful. (Note that we did not have any members of the Silent Generation in our group.)

Baby Boomers

“We had to learn differently than other generations. We learned everything on the job.”

Generation X

“We’re not slackers. Some people don’t realize that Gen X is now at the point where we’re taking care of our own kids as well as our parents. That’s a lot of responsibility.”

Generation Y

“We’re not all selfish. We have a great desire to get involved with social change and give back to the community.”

What do you wish other generations knew about you? (Please be sure to state which generation you belong to along with your comment!)

LeeAnn

Generation Y: There is substantial pressure on our generation to succeed and be competitive, so many of us have started in the field long before finishing our formal education. Because of this, we already have a considerable amount of experience, and we may be looking for additional leadership opportunities or challenges in our career earlier than other generations have. For example, despite the fact that I am 22 years old, I have 9 years of experience working in the sector. I feel ready to take on a bigger role in my organization even though I am young.
http://www.2164.net Allison Sole

Thanks for your post, Rosetta. For those interested in a discussion of intergenerational leadership within the field of philanthropy, check out Trading Power, a new report published by the Council on Foundations, 21/64, Resource Generation and Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy. Trading Power is based on 18 interviews with philanthropic leaders who explore what the next generation has to offer in exchange for what seasoned leaders can provide. It is available for download at http://www.cofinteract.org/tradingpower/.
Michael

Generation X: We really do care about things. Many of us use the very air we breathe to fan the fire of our passion. We grew up during the age of computers, but we aren’t all experts, and we don’t all default to using them; we realize that letters and phone calls can be more productive than an email. We understand the value of a face-to-face meeting, and an actual presence. Please don’t think we’re “just kids,” or not cool enough because we’re older than you. We’re young but driven, and we’re some pretty cool cats. Informality may be a norm for us, mostly because we’ve seen how well it can work in a lot of situations. Please respect us for what we’ve done, because we can do it for you, too.
http://sheenatabraham.wordpress.com Sheena T Abraham

The categories listed above can be useful for sure, but they also predispose us to judging others. If I’m in one category, I might assume someone not in my category must be very different from me. Or if I see two teens, I might assume they must be very similar in their work ethic or beliefs. I ran into a business leader the other day who says he would rather re-hire a retiree than take on more 25-year-olds.

We have to acknowledge that often culture isn’t taken into account with these generational categories. My parents (not born in the US) have lived in the states for more than 30 years and are the same age as boomers, but don’t necessarily have the same characteristics. Anyone born in the Gen X/Gen Y years who is an immigrant or the child of immigrants, doesn’t necessarily exhibit the same characteristics listed above, as they are informed by different family history and life situations.
http://www.newfuturescircle.com/ Pam McAllister

Glad to see people talking across generational lines. And I share Sheena’s hesitation about categorizing people and simplifying in this way.

We’re all shaped by the culture in which we’re raised, and it’s useful to understand each other’s historical context … but there’s at least as much diversity within each generation as there is between generations. When do useful cultural generalizations turn into stereotypes? Hmm.

(Btw, not all us Baby Boomers turned conservative … and most of us are feeling anything but immortal these days!)
http://www.rosettathurman.com rosettathurman

That has definitely been my experience as a Gen Yer – the pressure from my family and peers. As the first one in my family to graduate from college, then being surrounded by other twentysomething overachievers, I feel like I “grew into” leadership faster than my mom or her mom did. That’s amazing that you have 9 years in the sector at 22! I wonder how do your older colleagues react when you tell them that?
http://www.rosettathurman.com rosettathurman

Thanks for sharing the Gen X perspective, Michael!
http://www.rosettathurman.com rosettathurman

Thanks so much for bringing this up. That’s a major issue I have with the generational characterizations. They don’t take into account race, class or culture. Pew just put out some research on Latino Millennials, but I’d love to see someone do research for generations by race and class. It would present a much better picture of the nuances, I think.
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