Scott Mills, Ph.D.
The word is out. The generation that was once referred to with a wide blanket has now got a name of its own. The Boomers have been divided into Boomers (those born between 1945 and 53) and Generation Jones (1954-1965). While initially these folks were lumped based on a demographic spike in births, it turns out that there is more to it than that. In fact, this younger cohort doesn't seem to share the can do, change the world attitude of their older brothers and sisters. When surveyed by Pontell, some 80% of his survey group said they felt somewhere in between the Boomers and the Xers. So what does that mean for the Millennials that everyone is so obsessed with? Is it possible that the second wave of this generation might share more with the Jones than the Boomers?
While this might seem like a purely academic question, the reality is that the buying patterns, voting behaviors and general lifestyle choices of Generation Jones have been different than the older Boomers. This question has pretty big implications if your business likes to plan beyond the next year or two.
Gen Jones was raised in a time of great expectations when the world focused on them. They were told that they could do anything that they wanted to. (Okay, white men could do anything they wanted to but everyone else had some expansion of their options.) For the first wave of Boomers this proved to be true as they took their first jobs during a time of great economic prosperity. For Gen Jones, they started looking for jobs during the recession of the early 70s, the oil embargo and a dramatic increase in crime rates.
Starting to see a parallel? The Millennials, like the Boomers, have had the focus of the world almost since their birth spike in 1981. They have had unprecedented levels of self-esteem training and positive reinforcement from their parents. But what will happen when they try to find jobs in an economy that has gone haywire while being strapped with enormous student loans? Even if the economy rights itself soon, it is likely they will remember the desperation, mass lay offs and the corruption that has become evident on Wallstreet. This is pretty much where the "cynicism" of the Xers got solidified as we watched corporate downsizing and recession during Bush senior.
The Millennials are particularly vulnerable to the disillusionment and potential lack of engagement that could come with a recession. They have often been told they could do anything and when they don't easily accomplish their goals it can be difficult to take. And, according to the authors of Generations at Work, it is often our first work experience that shapes our views of work for the rest of our lives. Many studies, including the work that Dr. Cathy Rodgers and I have done, show a particular weakness in resilience among Millennials (which might right itself with age and experience). This means that if companies want to have strong workforces that are engaged and committed to their work they need to help all employees, and especially the Millenials, build strong resilience skills. And Millennials will need to take it upon themselves, with the rest of us, to keep finding ways to change the system so that it suits the majority much better.
Scott Mills, Ph.D. is an expert in generational diversity and organizational development. He offers workshops, presentations, consulting and coaching to nonprofit organizations and businesses. To find out more or read more articles check out www.workforchange.net
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