Bridging the Generational Cohorts at Work

Politics, Business, Civic Engagement, Social Capital,

and Philanthropy

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gen·er·a·tion·al co·horts

• Attempts to define target behavior based on the defining characteristics and life values of different generations.•Formative years mold core values – where they were between the ages of 10 and 20.

source: “Beyond Rocking the Ages,” Bill Stoneman, American DemographicsBridgeworks Generational Workplace Survey

Understanding the Research

• Sociologists and Demographers approach generational cohorts from different perspectives – one looks at marketing opportunities the other at life perspectives.• There is no “age box.” These cohorts are based on research and don’trepresent the way you are or are supposedto be. • Each cohort is a marketplace of its own!

source: “Managing by Defining Moments,” Geoffrey E. Meredith and Charles D. Schewe

Baby Boomers

• Born 1946 – 1964

• Current Age 49 to 67

• # Born 79,907,084

• Formative Years ’50s/’60s/’70s/80’s

The Baby Boomers

• Defining Events & Trends– Prosperity, Television, Suburbia– Civil Rights and Women’s Movement – Assassinations & Vietnam

• Leading Edge Boomers - Save the World Revolutionaries – Came of Age ’60s & ’70s

• Trailing Edge Boomers - Career Climbers – Came of Age ’70s & ’80s

49 - 67

Boomer Nation - Perspectives

• Forever Young!– Aging is Mandatory – Growing Old is Not

• Baby Boomer turns 65 every 7 seconds• Never Use the Terms:

– Senior Citizen, Retirement, Aging, Golden Years, Silver Years

• Free spirited, boisterous• Comfortable in the Spotlight• Competitive – like to finish first!• No Such Thing As Retirement• By 2013 Boomer Grandparents will grow from 18

million to 37 million

Entrepreneurial Boomers

• Place a high value on the individual and youth.• Work is an exciting adventure.• Oriented toward the present tense rather than the future.

Look for tangible, immediate outcomes.• Work is FIRST. There is No Such Thing as Work – Life

Balance• Boomer idealism can be a disrupter at work

and in politics!

Generation X

• Born 1965 – 1981

• Current Age 32 to 48

• # Born 58,582,000

• Formative Years ’70s to ’00s

Generation X (Baby Busters, Lost Generation)

• Defining Events & Trends – Fall of Berlin Wall, Challenger– Computers: WWW launch, Dot Com crash– Single Parents, Latchkey Kids– AIDS and MTV

• Generational Lifestyle– Reactive – “We won’t get it.” “Don’t lie to me”

• Risk taking skeptics• Balance work and family• Tend to be cynical• Are the “least faithful” generation

• Financial Style– Resigned – “It’s hopeless.”

32 - 48

Generation X

Coming of Age Events – Aids– Challenger explosion– Stock market crash 1987– Fall of the Berlin Wall– First Gulf War

Entrepreneurial Gen X

• Have a Defined Work – Life Balance.

• Tend not to be “team focused.”

• Trends annoy them. They trust themselves and their friends, but almost never trust the media.

• Lead with who you are, what your business is, what you stand for, and the quality of your product.

• Want personal communication! Don’t like to be grouped!

Millennials – Entitlement Generation?

• Born 1982 – Present

• Current Age 0 to 31

• # Born 79,000,000???

• Formative Years ’80s to ’00s

Millennials

Coming of Age Events – September 11 attacks– The Internet– Great economic times– Dot com boom and bust– Columbine Shootings – Oklahoma City Bombing – Princess Di's Death – Clinton Impeachment– OJ Trial – Fall of Berlin Wall

Millennial Technology:Early Adopters – Digital Millennials

(Born 1982 to 2000)

• The Internet, especially the World Wide Web (about 1995 onwards)

• PCs with modern operating systems and mouse-based point-and-click, requiring fewer keyboard skills. (late 1980's and onwards)

• Cellular Phones and Camera Phones (late '90s and onwards) • DVDs (1997 and onwards) • Digital Audio-I (2001 and onwards) • Tivo and other DVR devices. (1999 and onwards) • HDTV (2001 and onwards) • Broadband Internet (early 2000's) • Digital Camera (late '90s) • Instant Messaging (late 90's and onwards)

Entrepreneurial Millennials

• Want to communicate instantly through multiple channels – Email Seems too slow

• This customer base is a community rather than a target

• Millennial consumers expect transparency

• Work – Life Blending – Work when they want

• “Fun” is a feature mentioned often in research

Q&A

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