Tapping into the Wisdom of the Ages: When Generations Collide

Part 4: Generational Views of Work Ethic and Balance

"They have no work ethic!" I hear it all the time. This is a huge area of conflict for organizations. We have become a global and virtual society and the “work world” is being redefined. Some of us live to work while others work to live. This has everything to do with "life balance".

Veterans (1900-1945) "An honest day's work for an honest day's pay.”  The oldest and wisest generation, the Veterans believe that work is something they must do. It is required of them. Given their reference points – war, the Great Depression, and the Industrial Age – this generation has known that work is about loyalty. Their work attitude is one of heads down, onward and upward. Veterans are grateful to have a job and work hard since they feel it's their duty.

For Veterans to achieve life balance, we may have to support them in shifting the balance. They've been working most of their lives and haven't learned about the snooze button on their alarm clocks. Their loyalty and devotion to employers has been so strong they may not be ready for "balance" once they have it. They could worry about their self-worth since they have become accustomed to feeling needed on the job. It can be dangerous for people who have worked and worked, to suddenly stop for balance.

Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Boomers, who coined the term "workaholic,” believe they are defined by their work. Their reference points include the "drugs, sex and rock and roll" era, the Civil Rights movement, political assassinations (Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X), the Vietnam War, and the persisting effects that the Great Depression had on their parents and grandparents. They have learned that the only way to advance the corporate ladder is to put in face time with the boss, arriving early for work and leaving late. They were raised with a sense that anything is possible if you work hard enough. Boomers experience work as self-fulfilling; it makes them feel important.

Boomers were rewarded for their workaholic ethic with promotions and raises. They are now considered the sandwich generation, taking care of their parents, grown children and grandchildren! They could use some help with balancing everyone else and finding meaning themselves!

Generation X (1965-1980) Generation X experienced reference points during their formative years that called many longstanding traditions into question: the divorce rate tripled; latch key kid programs evolved; church and state separated; religious, political and corporate scandals occurred; corporations experienced massive layoffs.  As this generation watched what happened to their parents, they grew up wanting something very different. Xers learned to be skeptical of people in authority and that loyalty is not rewarded. They believe they will need to be self-reliant and take care of themselves. Their work ethic is shaped to integrate balancing work with their personal life. They want balance now, not when they're 65!

Millennials (1981-1999) The Millennials are our most "programmed" generation ever, with their parent(s) shuttling them to sports events, scouting, art and music activities, and the mall. Millennials developed macro communication ability by capitalizing on rapid technological advancement. At the same time, Columbine, Waco, rap music, and grunge clothing were also shaping their reference points. This generation has learned that work is just another one of their activities that will have to fit into their lives. For them, it is not about "work/life balance", it is about "life balance." This generation believes that to have what they want, they have to work to fund it, but work will be on their terms and will have to fit into their lifestyle.

Work Ethic and Balance: The Generations Collide

When it comes to work ethic, generations often collide. Perceptions emerge that some workers have no work ethic or they’re just a bunch of slackers. It’s a challenging ability to "bridge the gaps" that occur across generations as workers react differently to attitudes of work ethic and the pursuit of life balance. True awareness and openness to the significant impact each generation's reference points had on shaping their lives is critical to understanding the "collide" of values, attitudes and behavior towards work.

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Read Part 3