Tuesday 24 September 2013
Baby Boomers, Meet the Millennials
Tech Dependence:
The millennial generation was raised with so much technology, it would almost seem like they're in training to become the Borg from Star Trek. For this generation, having a cell phone by middle school is seen as a requirement for survival. By contrast, the baby boomers often didn't have cell phones until they were in their 50s — and they can remember when a cellular phone was an expensive luxury that was attached to a car.
To put things in perspective, baby boomers often learned computer science without having access to a computer. The average millennial was learning computer skills by the time they were learning subtraction. While one would think that smart enterprise mobility management would be second nature to millennials but a struggle for boomers, often the elder generation's resourcefulness comes through in ways one wouldn't expect. The two generations bring different but often equal skill to the use of technology.
Who's Worse With Money?
Millennials tend to operate on an earn to spend basis, with every dollar being earmarked by the time it reaches their hands or blown on something fun right now. The aggressive nature of this kind of earning culture has a powerful effect on the workplace, as this leads to a lot of ambition in most cases. The boomers, on the other hand, are often still working because they need to save up, but this can make boomers a little too conservative at times. The two generations can give each other a lot of perspective on being reasonable while still enjoying the fruits of their labors — stopping to smell the roses without wasting the day napping among them.
Clashing Egos:
The baby boomers used to be called the Me Generation because they have a lot of self-esteem and pride. They were raised in an era when national pride was at an all time high, and it shows in their superior self-confidence. Millennials also have an abundance of pride, again brought about because they were raised during peaceful and relatively good times for the economy. In both of these cases, the result is people who like to be right. Fortunately, the millennials are generally good at accepting what is pragmatically the best-reasoned idea and taking it in stride, while the boomers have tempered their egos over time. Both generations can bring fresh perspectives and share them with mutual respect.
Who's Better in Social Situations?
Millennials are usually regarded as being socially awkward because they have been raised on texting and email. Boomers remember when the most high tech piece of office equipment was the telephone, and they are renowned for being great at in-person meetings. Since the boomers had to learn about the more high tech ways to communicate at an older age, they tend to be regarded as less comfortable with the communication style that tech demands.
Interestingly enough, the millennials have leveraged their tech knowledge to be mutually great at both small talk and getting into deeper kinds of conversations. While the boomers may have had a later start in life with technology, they have gotten very good at abbreviating interactions while still keeping them relevant. The generations can teach one another a lot about how different kinds of interactions require different styles of communication.
Which Generation Works Harder?
Baby boomers learned how to work hard from the school of hard knocks, and they have brought that work ethic into the workplace for a long time. This is a generation that has put in a lot of hours and can bring the hard work. However, this style of work isn't always suited to some environments, and the boomers can learn a thing or two about making a little bit of highly creative time work better just pumping out hours. Particularly when there is a lot of creativity required, less can be more.
Millennials have come from an environment in which time management is a crucial skill. These were kids who worked, went to school full time and did sports, and that was just high school. For this group of workers, making an hour work at the right time of day or night is just as important as putting in the hours. This generation can learn from the boomers, who recognize that sometimes you just need to slug out the time and work hard.
Getting More Done in a Day:
The boomers are used to getting a lot done in a day. Having passed through a lot of hard economic times and often having raised children during these recessions, this generation is no stranger to fitting a lot of activity into a 24 hour period. However, the millennials are also well versed in making a lot happen in a day. The difference is that millennials are used to doing multiple things at once, whereas the boomers are used to cramming a long string of tasks into their days.
Adapting to Change:
It is a common misconception that baby boomers do not react well to changes, and so are set in their ways. But considering how much change they have had to adapt to over a lifetime, this might be the most flexible generation to ever live. The millennials have only known one way of life, so for them adjusting to this year's new tech toy is a lot like how boomers used to adapt to a new model of car every year — simple. The generations will have a lot of notes to compare about how to adapt to real changes.
The boomers and the millennials can learn a lot from each other. For one thing, they can learn that the stereotypes are usually false.
Sources:
http://wwspi.com/publications/blog/workplace-trend-baby-boomers-technology
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/08/senior-technology_n_3404653.html
http://i.dell.com/sites/content/business/smb/sb360/en/Documents/wp-mobile-productivity.pdf
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