For many years I have worked in the profession of workplace learning - in the real estate, financial services and insurance industries. I am often asked, “What’s the deal with these younger workers?”  Some of us of a certain age (and I put myself in this category!) are confused and downright annoyed at how those younger than us don’t “act right” at work.  Today’s article deals with what is commonly called Generation X; people who were born between 1960 and 1980 and are now between 28 and 48 years old.

Remember these terms from the years when X’ers were growing up?  Watergate, latchkey kids, single parents, MTV, computers, AIDS, and Wall Street. Characteristics of this generation include comfort with diversity, informality, self-reliance, pragmatism, cynicism, balance and fun.

What are the positive assets that the X’er brings to your workplace?  First, they tend to be open to new ideas.  Perhaps this comes from growing up with diversity - racial, social and economic diversity.  They are resourceful, outspoken, and of course great with technology (until they cross paths with a 17 year old!).  Most of all, this is the first generation that mastered the art of multi-tasking.

If you are older than the X’ers, you might think that they lack loyalty and change jobs much too frequently.  You might also see them as being skeptical and tending to question all the rules of the workplace. They absolutely hate management’s next “flavor of the month”.

The bottom line is that the X’er is a self-reliant risk taker who is constantly seeking balance between his or her work and home lives.

What if you are the manager or mentor of an X’er?  Here are some ideas on how to motivate them:

• Give them individual contributor projects to complete
• Provide recognition for a job well done
• Let them control priorities
• Grant day-to-day autonomy
• Provide frequent, accurate, specific, and timely feedback
• Make it fun! Add games and fun activities to any training activities
• Design training sessions with plenty of time for Q&A
• Provide constant and valuable coaching to increase retention rates

I highly recommend the book Generations at Work by Ron Zemke, who writes:

There is a problem in the workplace-a problem derived not from downsizing, rightsizing, change, technology, foreign competition, pointy-haired bosses, bad breath, cubicle envy, or greed…

Another helpful resource is the article Managing Generation X by Claire Raines, one of the nation’s leading experts on generations in the workplace.

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