The older generation thought nothing of getting up at five every morning -
and the younger generation doesn't think much of it either.
~John J. Welsh

Most of us don’t spend too much time thinking about the impact of demographic trends on our workplace— but we should! As the enormous, 80-million strong Baby Boomer sector of the population moves toward retirement starting this year, the U.S. labor market is shifting mightily. Compound this shift with the relatively tiny size – 46 million -- of Generation X, and it doesn’t take a math wizard to recognize a problem of tidal proportions: there’s a BIG gap and not enough people to fill it! But the generational challenges don’t stop with this enormous numerical disparity! The discrepancy in size is compounded by the vastly different values that Boomers, Gen Xers and Millenials bring to the work place.

I learned all of this from a fascinating presentation given by a woman named Annika Hylmo of Interchangegroup who specializes in diversity and demographic shifts. Here’s what she shared about the generations, about what formed them, about the values they hold and about how smart businesses can align themselves more intelligently to serve these very disparate populations of employees.

GI Generation – born 1901- 1924
Population: 10 million

Major Influences: Automobile and then airplane, Superman, general rise in education levels, first ‘teenagers’.
Characteristics: Entrepreneurial- this generation founded many of this country’s great corporations, uniformity and agreement, cooperation and civic duty.
Values: Formality, authority, achievement, heroes
In the Workplace: The youngest of this generation is 83 so there are very few in the workplace.

Traditionalists- born 1925 - 1943
Population: 55 million

Major Influences: Great Depression, WWII and the Korean War, the Golden Age of Radio, the advent of movies.
Characteristics: loyalty, patriotism, financially conservative
Values: Authority, hard work, delayed rewards
In the Workplace: traditionalists make excellent coaches and mentors. They carry deep institutional knowledge and have a long perspective. Don’t be shy to ask them to mentor a much younger person—even though values may be quite different. Both generations can learn tremendously from each other.

Baby Boomers – born 1944 – 1962
Population: 80 million

Major Influences: Vietnam War, McCarthy hearings, Kennedy and King Assassinations, moon landing, Women’s Rights movement, Civil Rights movement, Rock and Roll, Credit Cards.
Characteristics: competitive, challenge authority, skepticism about government, comfortable spending their money.
Values: Professional identity, health and wellness, material wealth, optimism
In the Workplace: Companies can’t afford to have all their Boomers retire since the next generation is too small to fill their shoes. So flexibility is the name of the game here. Offer Boomers flexible schedules, telecommuting options, part time options- even at senior levels. Pair them actively with Gen Xers and your high potential Millenials to ensure a smooth transition.

Generation X – born 1963 – 1981
Population: 46 million

Major Influences: Persian Gulf War, Challenger explosion, AIDS, Corporate downsizing, Video Games, MTV and computers.
Characteristics: independent, skeptical, financially conservative.
Values: life balance, mobility, autonomy, informality, technology.
In the Workplace: This misunderstood generation came of age between two recessions- jobs were scarce as they stepped into the workforce and their earning power couldn’t buy them the ‘American Dream.’ Gen Xers don’t see why they should pour themselves into a job when the payoff is elusive or insufficient. To keep this generation engaged and productive, provide and support a workplace where schedules are flexible, where childcare is available, where the native independent and intra-preneurial of this generation can be leveraged. Give these employees latitude to experiment ad take risk. Eliminate unnecessary management layers and work to create a working environment that invites leadership from all levels and diminishes the importance of hierarchy.

Millenials – born 1982- 2000
Population: 75 million

Major Influences: Desert Storm, Schoolyard violence, Information Technology, MySpace & Facebook.
Characteristics: Optimistic, confident, multi-taskers, civic-minded
Values: Constant feedback, Teamwork, Diversity
In the Workplace: Help Millenials stay focused with clearly defined objectives and deliverables, this generation moves fast- they will be happier on projects that complete in the near term than those that have a finish multi-months out, be transparent about what you need and why, share information, teach the professional behavior that your organization expects – this generation needs to learn how to write a business letter, how to behave in a customer-facing meeting. Team consensus-minded Millenials with Xers and Boomers who can model effective leadership. This is the generation that will fill your leadership gap—so spend time and resources on professional development programs—executive coaching, management training, advanced degrees.

Organizations that recognize the need for flexibility and new ways of developing and retaining talent will thrive as we bump and tumble through the leadership gap that Boomers will leave, and Xers can’t fill. The values of the younger generation will demand that companies shift organizational behaviors and cultures. Companies that ignore the new generational demands of the workplace do so at their own peril. The way things were is not the way they will be, and the sooner we get our organizational arms around that, the better off America’s corporations will be.

The best leaders of all, the people know not they exist.
They turn to each other and say ‘We did it ourselves.’
~ Zen Saying

Dina Silver, MCC, is the Principal of Pegasus Coaching Group.

I specialize in leadership coaching working with senior executives and their teams to create great leaders and high impact groups. I have enjoyed success working with technically proficient people who need guidance in developing the interpersonal skills that are essential to effective and compelling leadership.

My background in the entertainment industry as a feature film and interactive game producer effectively assists me in helping leaders develop powerful executive presence so that ideas and challenging initiatives are met with keen interest and excitement. In order to lead, people must be excited to follow!

I have enjoyed trusted advisor status with high performance individuals, teams and organizations, coaching in high tech, entertainment, banking, and marketing.

I hold a B.A. in United States History from Princeton University. I am a Master Certified Coach (MCC) and hold my credentialing through the International Coach Federation. In addition, I am certified in a range of assessment tools including DISC and PIAV, and am an active member of Professional Coaches and Mentors Association (PCMA) and the International Coach Federation (ICF). I am married, have two teenage kids, two fat black cats and live in Santa Monica, CA.

If you are interested in learning more about how my work may be of value to you and your organization, please get in touch. I am happy to offer interested prospects a complimentary and confidential half hour coaching session so you can take me and coaching for a test drive.