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Geezer. Punk. Whatever. 

Alex DraginisAccent Learning and Consulting, LLC

“The young people of today think of nothing but themselves.

They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint.

They talk as if they alone knew everything and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them.

As for girls, they are forward, immodest and unwomanly in speech, behavior and dress.”

Our Plan

• Generations defined and described

• Common hiccups and disconnects

• Ways to bridge the divide

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Cleave = To Unite or To Divide

Let’s Talk Stereotypes: The Selfie Generation

Picture taken at Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Game 9/30/15 MLB.com

Stereotypes

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Arizona Diamondback Selfie Story

Picture taken at Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Game 9/30/15 MLB.com

Generational Impact 

Photo: Catmando / Shutterstock

2010 2015

Source: Harvard Business Review, 2013

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Generations Defined

What makes a generation? 

• Cohort: a group that shares the same experiences

• Generation: cohort defined by birth years

Defining events: memorable events impacting someone during his or her formative years

(before age 18)

Who are the generations?

WWII Baby Boom Gen X Millennial

1925-1945

age

71 +

1946-1964

age

52-70

1965-1981

age

35-51

1982-2000

age

16-34

Pictures from Google Images

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Events Define Characteristics

Frugality

Photo: Everett Historical / Shutterstock

Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. 

~Boyd Packer

Quiz Answers

1. Self‐Starters = Gen X

2. Responsibility shared = Millennials

3. Likes consensus = Baby Boomers

4. Likes lots of info = Boomers

5. Asks Why = Gen X

6. Teams and peer input = Millennials 

7. Skeptical = Gen X

8. Competitive = Baby Boomer

9. Family first = Gen X

10. Scheduled childhood, want feedback = Millennial 

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80 million  in workforce

Competitive, status‐driven

Change  removes competitive edge or status

Boomers

Characteristic and challenge

Came home to no adults

Independent and self‐reliant

Expect independence, provide little feedback

Gen Xers

Characteristic and challenge

Parents who say don’t settle

Believe perfect job 

exists

Fast‐track job changes; High expectations

Millennials

Characteristic and challenge

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• Career path and length

• Communication preferences

• Office protocol• Attire• Technology• Change 

Corp Ladder vs. Corp Lattice

Graphic from Dupress.com

Length on the Job

0 2 4 6 8

Baby Boomers

Gen Xer

Millennial

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Communica

tion Preferen

ces

Baby Boomer = relationship

Gen Xer = efficiency

Millennial = innovation

Attire

Technology

Baby Boomer – digital immigrants

Gen Xer – second generation 

Millennial – digital natives

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William Bridges’ Change Model

Change – What We Fear

Picture from Google docs. Contributed by: www.meetup.com

WWII: Losing loyalty, right thing to do

Boomers: Loss of expertise, competitive advantage

Xers: Flexibility, independence

Boomers

Make them part of your processes, get their consensus 

and participation to win them over

Recognize their accomplishments, thank them

Use their knowledge of what’s happened in the history 

of the project to learn from failures and successes

Boomers lose: Status, Competitive Edge

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Gen Xers

Be genuine

Expect them to be skeptical and not impressed

Offer them tasks they can do independently, allowing 

them to report back to the team

Plan to prove yourself through credibility, not 

credentials

Show them the immediate results and pay‐off

Xers lose: Independence, Flexibility

MillennialsMillennials lose: Friendships and Relationships 

Don’t allow them to fail miserably as they introduce 

change – give ongoing feedback

Help them understand division structure, policies 

and parameters required for change, including 

practical advice about people and politics

Encourage them to bring ideas forward through the 

right channels

Help them understand and prioritize change ideas

Bridging the Gap

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Bridging the Gap Through Knowledge

Ask

• What stereotype do I need to look at differently?

• Where are natural synergies between generation and need?

• How can I involve other generations in this discussion? 

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Who’s After Millennials…

(2001 and after)

Nicknames

• Re‐Gen

• NextGen

• Gen Z

• Pluralist Gen (Plurals)

The Official Name?

• Homeland Generation

• More likely to stay home in the wake of domestic and international turmoil –Neil Howe generational researcher

What We Know About Homelanders

• Raised by Xer parents = more realistic

• Enter workforce 2020

• 19% of overall population

• Diverse

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What We Know About Homelanders

• Indifferent to technology 

– Tech is not new and novel – just part of life

– Bring your own devices

– Everything is quantifiable and response time immediate

What We Know About Homelanders

• Fiscal conservatives: less need for ownership 

• Gratification deferred

• Environmentally concerned

Cleave = To Unite or To Divide