Talking 'Bout My Generation

摘要

For the first time ever, the workplace has 4 generations working side by side. Each of the groups has their own characteristics and attributes. Some of these have been shaped by world events such as World War II and the Korean War for the Traditionalist; Vietnam and Wood stock for the Baby Boomers, the collapse of Communism for the Generation X and 9/11 for the Millennials. In addition, the advance of technology at lightning speed had dramatically changed the workplace. Computer based training wasn't even considered as a viable option 15 years ago. Now it is one of the key means of communicating information to employees. If members of the Traditionalist or Boomers generation need clarification on an issue, they will call or stop by someone's office. The Gen X and Gen Y group view this as old fashioned and not productive. They are more apt to instant message or text someone and if they are still confused, they may post a comment to a social networking site such as Facebook or My Space and ask the whole world to provide insight. Working with different personalities in the workplace has always been a challenge. We are now faced with working with individuals whose lives and attitudes have been shaped by global events and technology way beyond anything that has occurred in the past. We hope that this paper provides some insight and suggestions for working effectively with the 4 generations now in the workplace.