It’s a Gen “____” thing, you wouldn’t understand…

We have heard about the the older, newer, current and upcoming generations. They are called Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation Xers, Nexters or Generation Y. (This link is courtesy of NOAA – even the weather must respect diversity….) They have their own styles, work habits and preferences; it is suggestted we need to understand and accommodate these differences to successfully work with older, newer, current and upcoming generations.

My opinion is that people have similiar needs. It is how they express these needs that changes. The generations described above all came to be in the last 70 years. They all co-exist today. This is a trifle of time, in view of the evolutionary time spent becoming human which created our social and psychologocal needs.

This is what the “generational diversity” theory states:

“Fundamental value differences exist between those of different generations.
Understanding these values may help understand differences that may arise in the
learning environment.” (Organizational development scholar, Dr. Morris Massey)

Behavior and values have not changed, the opportunities have. I would have loved to be able to read a comic book or communicate with my friends while sitting in a college classroom. But I couldn’t. The opportunity and technology did not exist. Now that it does, I check web sites and email all the time. Did my values change? No, my behavior changed. I always wanted to talk more with work associates and friends. Now I can.

The things that Gen X, Gen Y or Nexters want are things we all want: independence with a desired level of security, social ties, status and a stable social environment. We talk about our personal lives on Facebook now because Facebook exists. The values we hold that lead to this always existed. Facebook is to Nexters what the barber shop was to Traditionalists. Same people, same behavior, same values. Different expression.

My spouse and her friend believe that email is a business communication. If they want to keep up on each others lives, they will call on the phone (!) or talk in person. While this is an example of a generational difference (Heck, even I disagree with this. Email has replaced letter-writing. And what do you suppose some people said about those new but impresonal inventions like telephones? If you want to talk to me, walk to town and met me in the square!) they still want to communicate. That value still exists.

Traditionalists, like my parents, already had a word and value for sitting in a meeting and checking your cell phone or blackberry at the same time: rude. They knew about it. They just did not have the opportunity to do it.

Postscript: Another opinion about generations is http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/09/18/generalizations-about-generations-are-good-for-you/.

I can agree with Ms Trunk this time. Knowing how you are the same, or different as everyone else in your "generation" is a valuable piece of self-knowledge.