One of the best ways for us to succeed in today’s workforce is to understand the different generations so that we can get the best out of every team. Each generation has its own general characteristics, however, we always need to keep in mind that these are generalizations and just a starting point for us to connect. The other thing to remember is that as time marches on each generation rolls through the workforce and we need to be ready to adapt to our ever changing workforce.

Traditionalists (born 1922-1943) This is a very important and hard working generation that we need to thank for allowing us to learn so many things from, however, this is also a generation that is in the minority of the workforce due to time marching on. I believe the key words that really define this generation are honor, respect, and loyalty as they live these words in their work. They not only show immense respect for people but also a true respect for the rules and will hold everyone accountable in the work place to stick to the rules. There is also a sense of dedication and sacrifice to achieve your dreams along with fulfilling your duty over pleasure, which is probably a true key to their success.

Baby Boomers (1943-1960) While this generation brought with it some of the fine qualities of the traditionalists it has also captured the workforce with its own set of characteristics that we see in many leaders of the workforce today. First and foremost, this group tends to be very optimistic thinking and truly believes that anything is possible if you work hard enough. This generation also began the movement of team orientation and the ability for all of us to win together if we work together. They seem to really want to get involved in many different situations in the workforce in order for them to both learn as well as find success. Lastly, they really began a huge movement around the idea of both personal growth as well as personal gratification in the workforce. If they are going to be working this hard they might as well enjoy what they are doing and grow their skills to make them better, which I think we would all agree with.

Generation Xs (1960-1980) I believe the Gen Xer’s really started off by taking the enjoyment at work to even higher levels focusing on fun and informality in the workforce as we start to see things such as casual Friday’s come into work. This generation also was at the forefront of the techno literacy with computer games starting to hit the market place, however, nothing like you find in the Millenial’s. This generation is also at the forefront of starting to understand and manage around diversity as the winds of change really start to blow on building successful teams through people’s differences. I have also seen how this generation got to be called the me generation as well since it is seen as a very self reliant generation and very pragmatic in the way they go about their career.

Millenials (1980-2000) As the Gen Xer’s were at the forefront of things it is nothing as to what this generation has seen in the ways of change in the workforce. Clearly the computer, internet, cell phone, texting and other technologies have changed how all of us are doing business today and this generation seems to be phenomenal at being able to do all of them at the same time. I also see this generation as being very optimistic and confident in their ability to succeed in everything they do. They seem to be very achievement oriented like no other generation and really want to turn each success into another opportunity for them to succeed again. I have also found a strong pull towards fulfillment of doing civic duties or volunteer work as a way to both help them succeed and leave a legacy about themselves in the world. Lastly, they have taken the idea of diversity to another level in really showing a true respect for all of the advantages of diversity can bring to any team, which is a great trait to possess.

How to melt this all together to succeed The first thing to keep in mind is that again these are just starting points or generalizations of every generation and we need to continue to connect with each person individually in order to truly build a winning team. I have also seen the fact that generations generally have many commonalities when you go up or down one generation, however, when you start to get two generations apart there seems to be bigger differences and a lack of understanding. The key to really maximizing the different generations into successful teams is our ability to communicate with each other as well as appreciate each person for their individual talents. On average, there tend to be less Traditionalists in the workforce, more Baby Boomers in the senior leadership, more Gen Xers in middle/senior management, and the Millenials are the workforce we are hiring today, therefore we need to continue to maximize talents and stretch our top producers if we are to win in tomorrow’s environment.

About the author: Keith Krzywiecki is a registered Pharmacist from Wayne State University and has worked the past 17+ years in the Pharmaceutical Industry as a successful rep and District Sales Manager. Keith is a certified Dream Coach and the Founder/CEO of Rx To Dream. Rx To Dream focuses on guiding aspiring buinsess professionals to reignite their talents through Achieving their dreams and Dream Interviewing. Keith is also a dynamic and energetic Inspirational speaker focusing on “Achieving your Dreams in 4 easy steps” and “Maximizing Your Success in the Dream Interviewing Process” Reach Keith at 810-844-0816.

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