Boomers & Millennials: Are we really that different? George Haines, PWLF Adjunct Instructor, Norwich University, MPA Program Member, Small Cities/Rural Communities Committee
“Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we’ve ever known.” – Ronald Reagan I’ll start off with my disclaimer. I am a Baby Boomer, so I write this from the perspective of a Boomer, but also from someone who is raising three Millennial children. Generational issues have been front and center in the workplace ever since Millennials started entering the workforce. It was then we realized that we had four distinct generations working together for the first time in history. Here’s a brief refresher: •
•
Traditionalists, born 1925-1945, are only 5% of the workforce; they are still the wealthiest group and still have influence. Baby Boomers, born 1946-1964, are 45% of today’s workforce and remain the largest generational group ever born in the U.S.
•
Generation X, born 1965-1984, is 40% of the workforce but is the smallest of the four generations.
•
Millennials, born 1985-2005, are only 10% of the workforce, but this is growing every day. In addition, they are almost as large as the Baby Boomers in total numbers.
Not to slight the Traditionalists and Gen X’ers, but a lot is being 14 APWA Reporter
August 2012
written and studied today about the relationship between Baby Boomers and Millennials and there is strength in numbers. The Millennial generation, 76 million strong, is also known as Generation Y, Generation whY?, Generation We, Generation Sell, Generation Next, the Net Generation, the Boomerang Generation, the Peter Pan Generation and the Echo Boomers. With so many names and identities, no wonder why we sometimes have a hard time figuring them out. I actually like the term Echo Boomers as it means they are a reflection of their parents, the Baby Boomers, still the largest group at 80 million strong. Based on my years of observation, I have developed a non-scientific list of seven things that highlight Millennials and Boomers, what we have in common, and what we still have to work on to ensure the next generation of leaders is ready to grab the torch and run. I Have Something to Say: Millennials have had a say in things since they were young kids. In the workplace, they aren’t afraid to offer their ideas and opinions and expect you to listen. As a Boomer, I think that is good, but the difference is that when I entered the workforce, I held my ideas and opinions until I was asked. The term “pay your dues” meant that until you have some experience under your belt, you are not in a position to offer anything that is credible. Why do we have this gap? I believe it has to
COMMUNITIES
do with how we learned to access information. Millennials are the first generation that can access information without having to go to a higher authority first. As a Boomer, I got information from my parents, my teachers, from the library, and then from a peer or a boss in the workplace. Millennials have always had the Internet and, on their own, they can access information anytime, anywhere, with no filter. In “the old days,” information was power. The supervisor could exercise control by holding onto information. While there is still some of that going on, Millennials are resourceful and can learn things in new ways. The solution for Boomers is simple—open your ears and listen. We might just learn something. Lead Me: In a 2008 Price Waterhouse Coopers survey, as their most important employee benefit, 33% of recent college grads chose training and development over salary and 98% felt that working with strong mentors is also important. Millennials are like heat-seeking missiles for knowledge and, for some reason, they connect on a professional level well with Boomers. Maybe it is the parental link, but they aren’t looking for parental advice. They want to learn from people with expertise and if you want them to learn from you, be receptive and treat them with mutual respect. Hans Finzel states that “Mentoring is a non-negotiable function of successful leadership.” If they don’t learn from you, they will seek out someone else and it may be
