As an Xer, I’ve worked with and managed many Millennials. And there are times when knowing a little about each generation, has helped me to understand a colleague.
When generalising about any group, it’s first necessary to recognise that not everybody in any particular group acts like everyone else. There is often just as much variation within each group, as there is between groups.
However, because generations come of age and enter the workforce around the same time, members of each generation often share similar experiences. And these shared experiences often shape perceptions and work style.
So first off, who is in each generation?
Baby Boomer: born 1943 to 1960 (aged 55-72 today)
Gen-Xer: born 1961 to 1981 (aged 34 to 54 today)
Millennial: born 1982-2002 (aged 13 to 33 today)
To understand an Xer, the first thing to know is that Xers grew up in a largely hands-off culture. Every generation for the past century has grown up with less and less self-autonomy.
Boomers and Xers had pretty similar levels of freedom growing up. Kids could safely be out of sight of their parents for long periods of time. Many Xers were latchkey kids. In contrast, Millennials, due to the technological ease of staying in contact, and changing parenting norms, often weren't out of their parents’ sight until their teenage years.
Top Comments
Millennial here (although at 28 i'm on the higher end...). I would NEVER call a training program at a new job "boring", whether I knew who I was speaking to or not. And reading your assessment of Xers, I relate much more to that!! I think your attitude depends much more on your upbringing than your generation (for clarity, I was raised by baby boomers).
"Millennial" here 👋👋 I've noticed that my Gen Xer management tends to kiss up to authority and micro manage. People my age tend to be great team players, but the Xers are stubborn about collaboration. I personally think they're insecure because us "Millennials" have better ideas on how to get the job done efficiently and that usually involves a group effort. God forbid an older employee has to actually work, they've already paid their dues 😂😂