Today’s workplace has four generations popularly labelled Silents, Baby Boomers, Generations X and Y. At the same time most organisations are experiencing difficulty in attracting and retaining talent.
Douglas Coupland is a Canadian novelist. His first book, the 1991 novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, became an international bestseller and popularised the terms "McJob" and "Generation X".
William Strauss and Neil Howe in their book The Fourth Turning published by Broadway Books in 1997, examined each consecutive generation over a 500 year Anglo American history.
They discovered that there are indeed four distinct generational archetypes that cycle continuously, and claim that they are true for all Anglo/European originating societies, and always in this order:
The Artist – born in a Crisis; enters young adulthood in a High, midlife in an Awakening, and elderhood in an Unravelling – as are 59 million Silents (circa 1920’s – 40’s) and perhaps those being born now!
The Prophet – born in a High; young adulthood in an Awakening; midlife in an Unravelling; elderhood in a Crisis – as are 76 million Babyboomers (circa 1940’s – 60’s)
The Nomad - born in an Awakening; young adulthood in an Unravelling; midlife in a Crisis; elderhood in a High – as are 55 million Generation X (circa 1960’s – 80’s)
The Hero - born in an Unravelling; young adulthood in a Crisis; midlife in a High; elderhood in an Awakening – as are 77 million Generation Y (circa 1980’s – 00’s)
Some scholars attribute slightly different birth years and labels but they are not as significant as the archetypes and their cycles are, as most scholars of generational theory share similar ideas about the archetypes, regardless of their labels and year grouping.
In dealing with the different generations we could consider the following:
- If generational archetypes do follow in order, and have common recurring characteristics, and this has been so, over about 500 years, why now do we have an issue with them?
- What is the greatest organisational influence in determining how we deal with any issue at any time?
- What attitudes, behaviours and conditions would work for all generations?
What Would Work for All Generations?
I assert that the following attitudes and behaviours would work for all generations:
- Unconditional respect
- Understanding of individual needs and desires - requires the ability to engage 1- on -1
- Modelling of values driven personal behaviour
- Clarity and authenticity of meaning in communications
- Workplace and personal development of members
- Use technology effectively to ease effort
- Let go of assumptions about what works for others, observe and ask instead.
- Respectfully express what really matters
- Acceptance of diversity
- Ask, listen, encourage – not tell and enforce.
What do you think?
What will you do with this information?
