Baby Boomer Edition, revisited

Thanks everyone, for your very thoughtful and thought-provoking comments on my previous entry about generational differences in the workplace. In fact, you all got me to thinking so much (My God, people...what have you done?!) that I wanted to write a little bit more about this.

First of all, I don't want anyone to think that I was generalizing and saying that anyone who belongs to any of these generations is always a certain way. I've worked with many different people of all ages, and I realize that there are always exceptions to any rule.

Mark wonders what Gen X and Millennials (referred to in the article I read as Millenials...there should be an extra n) have left to strive for, after the Greatest Generation pretty much did it all. I have to disagree with you there, Mark, because while I do believe our Greatests paved the way for what was to come, and helped to make our country a prosperous, vital, strong nation (and remember, my parents are Greatests!), there is always more to be done, more to be discovered. I believe we are currently facing a crisis of epic proportions, one that encompasses energy, the economy, terrorism, the environment, healthcare reform...did I forget anything? The crisis has changed from that of my parents' generation, but we have our own set of challenges to face and overcome. Can it be done? I believe so. Will it be done? That remains to be seen. That's one of the reasons I'm such a strong advocate of science education--we still need the best and brightest working on solutions to our current problems.

Charley had a great point about whether the blame for Gen X and Millennial attitudes lies squarely upon the shoulders of those who raised them: the Baby Boomers. That may very well be, because the loose attitude of Boomers surely contributed to any feelings of entitlement in subsequent generations. The Boomers were also a big part of the rampant greed of recent decades, which is ironic considering the peace, love, and understanding movement of the sixties. (And really, what's so funny 'bout peace, love, and understanding?) The article I read referred to the T-ball generations, and I think that's a perfect way to put it: everyone's a winner, no one's a loser, and nobody keeps score. What kind of game is that?

Does anyone remember the episode of "How I Met Your Mother," in which Marshall coaches a little kids' basketball team? His wife informs him that they don't keep score, it's just a matter of playing, and everyone feeling good about themselves. Marshall almost implodes, because that concept is just so alien to him. I'm the same way, and so is Ken. When we play games, there is no such thing as letting the other one win. We were that way with the kids when they came to visit, too. Part of becoming an adult is learning that there are rules, and if you want to win, you have to play to win. My folks were the same way with me...my Mom would always beat me at Chinese Checkers. Come to think of it, she still does.

I think I've gotten off-topic. Charley also wondered if the younger generations aren't onto something about a better balance between work and home life. I actually agree with that, and as I wrote to him this morning, I was definitely feeling that the last few years of my work life. When I was working in Indianapolis, I was involved in several committees, really into it, wanting to have a hand in things (without really wanting to be a supervisor). I remember my Dad telling me, "Just remember, honey...there's more to life than work." When I was single and living in an apartment, work definitely filled a gap. When I got married again and we moved into a house with property, I had a priority shift, and realized that I didn't want to spend long hours at work, and I wanted to walk out of there at the end of the day and leave it behind me. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, and I want to enjoy time with family rather than saying, "No, I can't make it, I have to work that weekend." Maybe the younger generations have already figured that out, and are to be commended for teaching the rest of us that there is more to life than work. (My Dad said it first, though, so there.) But they need to keep in mind that the job still needs to get done, and that there are many things they can learn from those who have a bit more experience.

Is there a way to balance work and home life? Can we rethink our way of working and become more flexible in how we handle staffing? High speed Internet certainly allows for more work being done at home, and for many professions, that can be very helpful (not so much with healthcare). Technology has improved our efficiency; how can we use that to our advantage to get the work done and still find time to play and actually enjoy our lives? How do we achieve that balance?

Nutwood Baby Boomer Edition

I recently started subscribing to a site called Politics Daily, and I'm really enjoying it. It's many of the writers that posted on AOL's Political Machine, plus a few new faces, and I like the quick analyses and perspectives. Earlier today, I read my favorite piece of the day, and I think it will be one of my all-time favorites.

Gary Sinise For President?

Dylan and Ethan Ris

Posted: 05/12/09

Over at the Daily Beast, columnist Nicolle Wallace figures that the GOP needs a Reaganesque figure to lead the party out of the wilderness. That means finding someone with Reagan's most important attribute: mid-level moviedom fame.

So after parsing the four Republicans in Hollywood, Wallace settled on Gary Sinise as the GOP nominee for president in 2012.

... Gary Sinise might be our savior. According to news reports, he's part of an underground group of conservatives in Hollywood-an act of bravery in itself. His stated belief in American exceptionalism might end up being a powerful contrast to Obama's "American apologist" mantra. The natural strengths that an actor brings to politics would come in handy to anyone going up against Obama in 2012. We will need an effective communicator who can stand toe to toe with Obama's eloquence.

We agree to support Sinise's candidacy, but only if Tom Hanks commits to following him around on the campaign trail shouting "President Dan! You got new legs!" at regular intervals.

I'm glad I wasn't taking a drink when I read that, because I would have done a spit take!

*****

It was nice and sunny today, so I sat out on the deck for a while. Ken was off today, so we got to spend some quality time with Mr. and Mrs. Lounge Chair! After I read Time's 100 most influential people issue, I finished a Ladies' Home Journal. This wasn't the same magazine that had the silly slumber party for adults blurb, and there was actually a very interesting article about generational conflicts in the workplace. I've talked about that with former coworkers, Ken and I have talked about it, and I believe he wrote an entry about it at some point. (I don't know where to start looking for it, or I'd link to it.)

It addressed three main groups: Baby Boomers, who make up 40% of today's workforce; Generation X, who comprise 36%; and the youngest group, the Millenials, who are 16% of the workforce, but growing. (The Matures are the other 8%, and that number is falling.) Ken and I are on the tail end of the Baby Boom (born in 1962), as are many of my former coworkers, and we've both experienced some of the conflicts mentioned in the article. I think the thing that got to me the most was the sense of entitlement that many young workers seem to have now--a feeling that they should get everything they ask for, that they don't want to work weekends or holidays, and that they should never have to work overtime.

Disclaimer: I'm coming at this from a healthcare perspective, so your results may vary. I was also privileged to work with many fine younger people who didn't feel that way, but I've also worked with some who did.

This was especially hard for some of us who had been in healthcare for a long time. We felt that we had "paid our dues" by working multiple shifts, plenty of weekends, lots of holidays, long hours, etc. After over 20 years of working, I was still working every other weekend when I stopped working. You can imagine how maddening it was to hear some younger people come in and say, "I'm not working every other weekend" or "I can't work those hours."

The article goes on to talk about the things that the various generations can learn from each other, and there are some good lessons there. Us Baby Boomers can be a little on the rigid side, and have a feeling of "Hey, I had to do this, so you do, too." I think we need to get beyond that, because technology and attitudes are changing, and younger people don't necessarily want to be defined by their jobs. They have many outside interests and value their leisure time. Perhaps workplaces need to be a little more flexible when it comes to accommodating hours, flex time, etc. This doesn't always work in healthcare, because so much of it is hands-on, and round-the-clock.

I also think that Gen X-ers and Millenials need to recognize that there are some things that they can't just walk in and do. Sometimes experience is necessary, and can take years to develop. Respect the knowledge of those who have been doing the job for years; there is much they can teach you, and they usually have a pretty strong work ethic worth emulating. I would also suggest that they reconsider multiple piercings in the workplace, especially in a healthcare setting--the less hardware and fewer holes you have, the less your chance of infection, or passing an infection on to others. Clothing itself can be a problem, as older workers sometimes don't approve of more casual attire. When I worked in Indianapolis in the 90's, my favorite attire was leggings and a long T-shirt. A group of older workers put together a new dress code, and decided that leggings shouldn't be worn. That was silly, and leggings and long shirts or tunics are very common now.

It's definitely an interesting dynamic. We would all do well to recognize our differences, but try to understand each others' strengths. As goes the workplace, so goes life, eh?