Erickson, T. J. (2008). Make a multigenerational workforce work for you: Tips for generation Y. Plugged in: The generation Y guide to thriving at work (Ch. 10). Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press.
Erickson (2008) suggests the generation y work force needs to put themselves in the shoes of each former generation to truly understand their point of view. We have all become who we are through our past experience and she claims that if we strive to truly understand and relate to each generation, it will help us better communicate and cooperate in the work field. I like the idea of putting myself in their shoes and experiences because it helps me to know HOW to relate and understand each generation, rather than just try to understand and not know what to do with that understanding.
The author goes on to explain the traditionalist era. She reminds us that this is the time when WWII was resolved, Russian astronauts went to space, and families started to own homes. She questions, “How would you feel if you were a teenager at this time?” (Erickson, 2008)” My response: I would assume the world was quickly changing and that good times were ahead. I am assuming I'd respect and trust family and friends-close though. I would expect to get married out of high school, have children, and stay home full time. The success would be measured differently because at the time, new advances (like the television) would have been wonderful and I'm sure I would have considered it successful. Traditionalists are respectful of authority and understand stability. They see no need for change when things have been okay as they are. I especially enjoyed Table 10.1 (Erickson, 2008, p. 7-8). This table gave scenarios that might occur in the workforce along with the traditionalist point of view and the generation y point of view. Interesting enough, I found the points of view to be spot on. Just by reading them made me understand a little more the loyalty the traditionalist generation feels to their work and their company; they also find great value in monetary means. Generation y has a much broader view of life. Why? What have our experiences been that make us more interested in working to live and living to play? I do not disagree with the outcomes of the scenarios; all of the responses were right up my alley!
Boomers really went through a different time in the world. There were a great deal of changes in society and government. They felt as if the world wasn’t so “great” like the traditionalists. Many, including my parents, could not wait to get out on their own. Their relationships with their parents and family were not as strong as many hoped. This is interesting because close family relations basically skip a generation. Why would they raise children to be so close to them if they wanted so desperately to be apart from their parents? It is similar to the idea of "we will raise our children completely different than our parents or we will raise or children exactly like our parents." Erickson (2008) suggests the big difference between boomers and gen y is that Boomers tend to be highly competitive and driven. I like to think of myself as driven and competitive. However, I don't think I am competitive in the same way as many boomers. Maybe the difference is how the competitiveness drives us? Erickson (2008) brings up the idea that many boomers tend to persuade their children to be competitive. They do this by expressing their eagerness for you to succeed by their standards and not your own. I definitely feel this pressure from my dad. I never really feel like I've done enough to please him regarding my professional success. When I was teaching, and content with teaching, I felt the pressure to get my graduate degree. Now that I'm obtaining my graduate degree, I feel pressure to get a job right away or move on to get my Ph.D. The only reason I feel this is because my dad continually asks me what my future plans are and what I plan to do with my education in a way that sometimes I feel insecure or unsuccessful. I don't believe he can fathom the idea that maybe I just want to stay home with my children and NOT work for a few years. That option almost seems unacceptable to him. I can’t help but wonder if it is because his mom stayed home for a good part of his younger years and wasted a good amount of time in the day.
Generation x became a generation of latch-key kids. Many women went back into the work place and not necessarily due to war, but for their own personal self-worth. The divorce rate went from 20% to 50% during their teen years. Gen Xer’s are strong with technology, but worry about the next generation who have a greater knowledge of technology and are in competition for jobs that the Boomer’s are exiting for retirement. Erickson says, “The key, as with any relationship, is to recognize that both people bring something to the party” (2008, p. 67). She also reminds us that it helps when both people remember that they can learn from one another. It is hard to think this way when boomers are so competitive. From my personal experience, they tend to not like change and therefore have no interest in learning from a younger generation.
Erickson, 2008, reminds us that the bottom line is to think of other generation’s formative years and determine why they think the way they do. This will help you to understand them and make decisions that will best suit the group for success.
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