Back Page: Generation identification

When you think of any certain generation, what are the perceptions that usually come to mind? Denise Ryan started her “Bridging the generation gap” session at the 2012 OFA Short Course with this exercise and asked attendees to write down what comes to mind when they think of four distinct generations: WW II, Boomer, Gen X and Gen Y.

Regardless of your perception, here’s how Ryan, who leads FireStar Speaking and is a professional motivational business speaker, described each of those generations so you can better understand why a person may be wired the way they are.

World War II
The World War II generation consists of those born between 1922 and 1946, and the keyword to describe this generation is loyal. They’re patriotic, and they value a dollar because 50 percent of the men in this generation were veterans and they started without any money. They also have a lot of faith in institutions, whether it be church, government or the military. They value conformity, law and order and respect for authority. For this generation, education was a dream.

Boomer
The boomer generation consists of those born between 1946 and 1964, and the keyword for this group is optimistic. They enjoy work, and some will never stop working. Two percent attended childcare outside the home, so they were the center of family life. They were united by avoiding military service, and they were defined by television and the civil rights and women’s rights movements. They tend to be focused on themselves first, and education was a birthright opposed to a dream. They’ve always been “cool” and they want to hang on to their youth. This generation tends to buy now and pay later, and they’re more team oriented.

Generation X
Generation X consists of those born from 1965 to 1980, and the keyword for them is skepticism. With the advent of 24-hour news, every icon was ripped apart. Their parents divorced, and they were latchkey kids, so there wasn’t as much sense of family, so they formed family with friends. They’re media savvy and most comfortable communicating via email. They tend to be more conservative with money, and they want flexibility. This is also one of the most misunderstood generations.

Generation Y
And then Generation Y consists of those born from 1981 to 2000, and their keyword is realistic. This generation was defined by Columbine and the Sept. 11 attacks. This generation is also the lowest parent to child ratio in history — these kids were desperately wanted, so they had helicopter parents who also believe in rewarding participation versus achievement. This generation also got more money from allowance instead of work and tends to have less empathy because they’re removed from people because of technology. They’re highly tech savvy and have spent a great deal of money to get an education.

For more: FireStar Speaking, (919) 788-0291 or www.firestarspeaking.com