Managing generational differences: school leaders who recognize the differing needs of baby boomers and Gen-Xers can create an organization where all employees are working from their strengths.

Do you know where you were when Kennedy was shot? If so, you are probably a baby boomer. If, on the other hand, you think Kennedy was a rockin' VJ for MTV, you probably belong to that amorphous group known fondly as "Generation X."

Currently, most administrators in California and, indeed, the rest of the country, belong to the baby boomer generation. But teachers new to the profession and future administrators have their feet planted solidly in the values of Generation X. The leadership challenge to be met is easing the gaps between these groups and promoting positive work environments for educators in order to create effective learning environments for students.

Why should we care? Don't all generations come along and clash with the generations in power? Absolutely. However, Generation X differs from baby boomers in such significant ways that, if not addressed, may have a negative effect on cooperative working relationships. Boomers will be part of the workplace until at least 2015, and a recent survey indicated that 66 percent plan to work in some capacity after they retire.

Boomers: "We're No. 1"

Those who were born in the post-war "boom" between 1943 and 1960 tended to grow up in an atmosphere that was optimistic and positive. During this era, America was No. 1, and everyone knew that by getting a college education and working hard you could achieve a prosperous lifestyle that surpassed that of your parents.

Baby boomers grew up with leaders who were strong and confident. New frontiers were everywhere, not just in space, and America seemed to possess an unlimited potential for growth and expansion. Boomers were thrust into the spotlight by their World War II veteran parents as the symbols and fruits of victory, and the hope for the future they had fought to preserve.

Expectations for this generation were so high that in 1967, Time magazine gave its "Man of the Year" award to the baby boom generation, proclaiming it as "the generation that would clean up our cities, end racial inequality, and find the cure for the common cold."

Gen X: Haves and have-nots

Generation X, however, has not always been held in such high esteem by the press. Fortune magazine proclaimed the generation that has grown up during the most profound changes in the economy since the Industrial Revolution as "Generation Wrecked." For the X-ers, born between 1960 and 1980, America's world position has been less clear and the gap between the haves and have-nots has grown.

Although Generation X is the most highly educated generation ever, with approximately 60 percent having some college education, it is also the first generation in America to be likely to have a standard of living below that of its parents. Many X-ers cannot even afford to live on their own; some 46 percent still live with their parents.

Divergent belief systems

A main factor in the conflict between baby boomers and Generation X is their divergent belief systems. Baby boomers, as the first generation to earn a report card grade for "works well with others," tend to be team-oriented and willing to collaborate. Many have single-mindedly pursued their goals, often at the cost of their relationships with family. Baby boomers often "live to work," and define their identity by their occupation and level of success.

Conversely, members of Generation X "work to live," and seek to balance their roles as employees, spouses and parents, rarely willing to work exceptionally long hours or volunteer. X-ers were latchkey children at a rate three times higher than that of boomers, and consequently became self-reliant and used to being alone.

They were also the first generation to mature in an "instant gratification" society of microwave, ATM and remote control users. Education is a tool for getting ahead, not an end in itself. Finally, Generation X wants to derive some fun from every activity in which they are involved.

Views of the workplace

In the workplace, these dissimilar belief systems can lead to misunderstanding and fingerpointing, simply because the two generations each view the concept of work differently. Service-oriented, driven, teamplayer boomers are seen by Generation X as being sell-righteous, workaholic, political animals. Boomers think of Generation X's adaptable, techno-literate independents as slackers who lack social skills and spend way too much time on the Internet and e-mail.

Boomers and X-ers differ in their expectations about their employers as well. Baby boomers tend to stay with one employer for a long time, perhaps even their entire career. Their "unwritten employment contract" specifics that if they are loyal, work hard and do as they are told, they will be rewarded with secure jobs, steady pay increases and financial security.

Baby boomers who are not managed effectively have the potential to have a profoundly negative impact on their organization. They will not suffer in silence, but they will not confront their issues directly, nor will they leave.

Generation X, having perhaps seen their parents or other family members cut loose from an organization to which they remained loyal, are loyal only to themselves and their personal goals. According to their "unwritten contract," X-ers will develop skills and apply them effectively, for which they expect their employer to listen to their needs, create an enabling environment and pay them fairly.

Members of this generation can be corporate nomads, using employers for skill-building purposes and changing employers without the slightest reservations. Mismanaged X-ers will hide out and aggressively search for a better opportunity, resulting in the loss of talent.

Reconciling the differences

How then is a personnel leader to reconcile the differences between the generations? Simply by playing to the values and beliefs of each group. When recruiting boomers, let them know that experience is valued, show them that they can be a star, and stress that they will learn a great deal and improve the value of the organization.

To effectively recruit Generation X, give them examples that show your organization is a fun place to work and has an atmosphere of mutual respect. X-ers need to know that you will evaluate their ideas based upon merit, not on years of experience. Stress the opportunity for training programs and movement within the organization.

Once the boomer or X-er is actually in their employ, successful personnel leaders continue to differentiate their treatment, providing boomers with lots of public recognition and opportunities for input, while giving X-ers the simultaneous tasks and projects and frequent, timely and specific feedback.

Assigning tasks

Since baby boomers are team players who are good at relationships, want to please and are good team players, they are perfect for tasks that require consensus-building and numerous meetings. Conversely, a Generation X employee, with his or her technical literacy and creativity, is the perfect employee to work alone on an important project or report.

Can this differentiation of treatment lead to some resentment and perhaps even conflict? Absolutely. Boomers may feel that Generation X is moving in on their turf too quickly, without having paid their dues. X-ers may think that boomers are entrenched in their positions, and resent their reluctance to let go of power.

Communication is the key to preventing these outcomes. The superintendent or principal who recognizes the differing needs of boomers and X-ers, and who communicates the reasons for differentiation, can ultimately create an organization where all employees are working from their strengths--a powerful concept, indeed.

Ensuring a quality workforce

Demographic changes in the workforce present a unique challenge for organizations, especially educational organizations. Personnel leaders, both at the district and site level, can make meaningful changes to traditional strategies and practices to ensure a high-performing workforce now and for the future.

References

Codrington, Graeme. (1998). Generation X: Who, What, Why and Where to? www.codrington.biz.

Fitz-Enz, Jac. (1990). Human Value Management: The Value-Adding Human Resource Management Strategy for the 1990s. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Ketter, Bill. (1999). Busting Myths About Generation X. Address to the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

Paulin, Gregory and Riordan, Brian. (February 1998). "Making It On Their Own: The Baby Boom Meets Generation X." Monthly Labor Review Online.

Rifkin, Adam. (1995). "100 Harshest Facts About Our Future." www.getnewvisions.com/reasons/harsh.html.

Simon, Stephanie. (July 9, 1996). "Generation X Enters the Jury Box." The Los Angeles Times.

Taylor, Shawn T. (Jan. 14, 2001). "Negotiating Differences in Age; Varying Generational Attitudes About Work Can Result in Office Clashes." The Los Angeles Times.

Tulgan, Bruce. (2000). Managing Generation X: How to Bring Out the Best in Young 71dent. Minnesota: Capstone Publishing Ltd.

Waclawski, Janine. (July 1999). "The Real World: Generation X or Generation Gap?" The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist (TIP).

Zemke, Ron, Claire Raines & Bob Filipczak. (2000). Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace. New York: AMACOM.

Andrew Ansoorian, a proud member of Generation X, is the director of personnel for the Covina-Valley Unified School District. Pamela Good, a "tweener," is the student activities advisor at Northview High School in Covina. Baby boomer Dave Samuelson is the acting assistant superintendent for personnel services in the Covina-Valley, Unified School District.