Generational Stereotypes – Knowledge is Power

BY KRISTINA NEMETZ

Millennial has become the catch-all term for entitlement in workplaces across the country. I am the first to admit I have misused the term when working with younger staff or interns. It is funny that people use the word while the millennial generation (born between 1982-1997) are married with kids and often in mid to upper-level management at this point in their careers. Born in 1982, this includes me. Imagine that – rolling my eyes and blaming the “millennials” when I am a millennial, according to most research. 

Generation stereotyping is sometimes helpful when navigating workplace culture or team development. Still, it is not beneficial when the labels are incorrect or when the positives of each generation are not part of the discussion. Whether you are fighting against the stereotypes of your age or trying to stop ageism in your organization, taking time to understand each generation is an excellent step toward creating a collaborative and inclusive workplace.

Most research discusses five generations, but I firmly believe there are at least seven in our workplaces. With the youngest generation (Generation Alpha) now in school, eight exist in our agencies, from preschools to senior programs. Understanding generations is essential to Parks & Recreation organizations and will continue to be vital as we seek excellence and build highly effective teams. 

Does your age determine your personality type? Of course not, but there is truth to how the political and social landscape of the time you were born contributed to your ideals and how you may or may not act at work or in group settings. Understanding the various generations and their impacts on organizational culture is essential and has many benefits. First, it allows for multiple perspectives, increasing understanding and sharing experiences. It increases your organization’s ability to problem solve by combining team members’ strengths and empowering them to solve problems to achieve higher operational success. It provides learning and mentoring opportunities across all age groups. Fourth, it helps with succession planning related to knowledge transfer and retention, allowing you to “build a bench” for your organization while reducing ageism. It provides for unique relationships and social connections between employees of all ages. Finally, it promotes workplace well-being reducing loneliness and social isolation and boosts mental well-being and self-confidence. 

My favorite session to teach at conferences nationwide is Overcoming Generation Stereotypes to Create Highly Effective Teams. The topic is always relevant; the more we understand each other, the better we are as professionals and people. The time in which one grows up does have an impact. Think about the consequences COVID-19 has had on the various age groups and how it will continue to impact the younger generations as they age into the working class. Below I share a few cliff notes on each generation from my presentation. Have an open mind; you may not like what your generational stereotypes say about you. 

Traditionalist | Birth Years 1922-1946

• Considered the “silent generation” lived through WW2 and the Great Depression.
• The OG Hard Workers –experienced callous times. They know sacrifice and what physical, hard work means. 
• Pros = Show up to work and do what they are supposed to do
• Cons = Set it their ways, tend not to be “tech savvy.”
• Where are they in our organizations? Pro shops, golf course starters or rangers, senior centers, volunteers, front desks (ages 76 and older)

Baby Boomer | Birth Years 1947-1964

• They lived through the Cold War, Vietnam War, and Water Gate.
• We can thank them for the term “workaholic.”
• Pros = Productive, hardworking, team players
• Cons = Not interested in learning new things
• Where are they in our organizations? Upper management, close to retirement, volunteers, senior centers, post-retirement jobs (ages 58-75)

Gen X | Birth Years 1965-1976

• Seeing the end of the Cold War and the Berlin Wall fall, the first computer entered the office when they were already in the workplace.
• They are the first generation to ask for a work/life balance.
• Pros = Possess managerial skills and are good problem solvers. 70% of organizations claim these are their best workers.
• Cons = Cynical, poor team members, no longer cost-effective
• Where are they in our organizations? Mid to Upper-level management (ages 45-57)

Xennial (Micro-Generation) | Birth Years 1977-1984+

• They experienced an analog childhood and a digital adulthood. 
• Saw the beginning of Facebook, the Recession of 2007, and the technology boom.
• Pros = Coachable, open to different viewpoints
• Cons = Cynical, poor team members, too confident
• Where are they in our organizations? All Levels of Management (ages 38-45)

+Most research does not include the Xennial generation; they list 1982 and later as Millennials and 1977-1981 as Gen X.

Millennial/ GEN Y | Birth Years 1985-1997

• Childhood included the Invasion of Iraq, 9/11, the introduction of reality TV, and the rise of social media.
• Gen Y has never known a life without technology. 
• Pros = Enthusiastic, tech-savvy, entrepreneurial, independent workers, social responsibility
• Cons = Carry stereotypes of entitled, lazy, unproductive, and self-obsessed
• Where are they in our organizations? Recent graduates, entry-level to mid-level management (ages 25-37)

GEN Z | Birth Years 1998-2010

• Childhood included economic downturn, energy crisis, global focus, wiki-leaks, COVID-19
• Most tech competent can use up to 5 screens at one time.
• Pros = Able to pick up on change quickly, can produce their media, “always-on,” ability to multi-task like never before
• Cons = No loyalty, more cynical 
• Where are they in our organizations? Camp counselors, interns, and entry-level college students (ages 13-24)

GEN ALPHA | Birth Years After 2010

• COVID-19, the great political divide
• Born knowing how to swipe a screen, the educational benchmarks changed for this generation (TV was a babysitter, YouTube was education)
• Pros = Resilient, go with the flow
• Cons = Impatient, if you want it – can have it in 24 hours (Amazon culture), screen-relationships 
• Where are they in our organizations? Current early childhood and youth program participants – 4 years and they will be lifeguards (ages 0-12)

In my session, we discuss workplace communication specifically and how the various generations prefer to make decisions or participate in training. For example, Baby Boomers (ages 58-75) prefer face-to-face or telephone communication most often but are open to making decisions in meetings or online (zoom). Whereas Gen Z (ages 13-24) find Facetime or video call someone normal and are comfortable with crowd-sourced decisions using survey software or a mobile app. As we seek to grow as leaders and embrace employees of all ages, we must be aware of these nuisances. Do you have 75-year-old employees who love to text? Yes. Will you have a Millennial who is less comfortable with mobile technology than expected? Yes. That person is me.

Technology and invention are reasons generational research and awareness are relevant. For example, research places me (40 years old, born in 1982) as a Millennial. Other research recognizes that the period between 1977-1984 was pivotal enough to consider it a “micro-generation,” the Xennials. Those of us born between these years experienced an analog childhood. Think home phones with cords, large lunch box phones in cars, and green-screened computers. Then as we aged into adulthood and the workforce, the world became digital, what felt like overnight. In 2004 as a Senior in college, I obtained an exclusive Facebook account; at that time, it was only allowed if you had a college email address. Xennials carried pagers into college and a Blackberry on the way out. We spent our days at school playing Oregon Trail in black and white; most of us didn’t have computers at home, and if we did, we listened to the phone line connection as we logged into AOL to chat with friends, which meant our home phone lines would ring busy for hours for others trying to get ahold of us. Hence, this generation can be highly adaptive, think abstractly, and find new solutions. On the flip side, we were the “first,” so you might find us cynical, too independent, and confident (i.e., lousy team members). We can use pay phones and have rolled down car windows by hand. We are pretty much unbeatable. 

Apply Your Knowledge

One of the best things you can do as a boss is to take a moment to list your staff and their biological generation. Generational stereotypes are not an exact science, so keep an open mind. Then read the descriptions for each generation listed in this article or find some additional research online (just Google: Generations in the Workplace). Once you have charted and made notes for your entire department or team, take a step back and look at the age differences between staff, managers, subordinates, your favorite co-worker/employee, and a not-so-favorite co-worker. Look at these relationships with you and others. Can better understanding their age and experience provide better insight into solving some issues? The answer is most likely yes. Many things go into a person’s mentality, work ethic, experience, and personality, but learning more about what might contribute to that strengthens you as a leader and allows for better team management.

Knowledge is Power

As I step off my soap box and close this editorial, you must know that the stereotypes in this article are not my personal feelings; they are a collection of research, notes, memes, etc., over the last six years. It is a good reminder that most people age well, but some don’t. You will not know how someone grew up or how old they are just by looking at them. Although we broke down the various generations and definitions, it is always essential to think about the best communication practices and to always put yourself in the shoes of others to show empathy and understanding. If you are dealing with a baby boomer and going back and forth by email and they don’t understand your request or question, get up and walk into their office or make an appointment to meet. If you have a staff member who is not responding to your emails, and they are under 25? Send them a text message; they may not know it is urgent or you want a response. This article will not give you all the answers, but the more knowledge you have, only better prepared you are for the workplace and situations you may face as you move through your career. 

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Kristina Nemetz (CPRE) loves everything about local government, especially parks and recreation. She spent thirteen years at an Illinois park district working in special events, marketing, and communications. Kristina is the Communications Manager and Public Information Officer for the Village of Montgomery. She stays connected to the industry through consulting with organizations directly or alongside Campfire Concepts, serving on the C&M Board through the Illinois Park & Recreation Association, and speaking across the U.S. at conferences. In the last year, she has traveled to Michigan, Missouri, and Arizona, speaking at NRPA for the first time on this topic.   Professional with over 40 years as a nationwide leader in various park and recreation agencies. 

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