Generational Gaps

We have a photograph in our home that is very special to my wife. It is a picture of her with her mother, her grandmother, her daughter, and her granddaughter – five generations of the family all together at one time. Seeing all five generations together helps me to better understand how they are alike and how they are all very unique at the same time. It also explains why there are times when Freddie (our male dachshund) and I just have the need to go for a long walk and howl at the moon together.

One of the toughest ongoing challenges we face as managers is to know what motivates our people so we can target our behavior in a way that will be most effective. As much as we could like to believe it was so, one size or style does not always work with everyone. Some people are achievement motivated while others respond to closer relationships. Some of us are analytical and logical while others tend to be more free-spirited and creative. Knowing our people better can help each of us as we work to improve our communication, our productivity, and our management activity so we can create the most positive workplace possible.

I found the chart below to be a helpful tool to get a different picture of FIVE GENERATIONS. Not five women from my family, but a look at the characteristics of five eras and age groups of employees, many of which may be a part of your team. We have people from most of these eras working with us today and it is always easier to manage more effectively when you know where they are coming from. This chart describes well some of the unique traits and motivations of each group.

Take a few minutes to review and reflect on this to see where you agree or disagree. What can you learn from this information that might help you better understand your people and your role? How might you be able to use this to better know what motivates your team? You might even want to get a discussion going with your group and see where it leads.

The more we can know about and understand each other – INSIGHT – the more we can be aware of our uniqueness – AWARENESS – and the better we can adjust our behavior and attitude – ACTION. Insight, awareness, and action... three marks of managers and a company working to be the best.

Connie Salios
Professor for
MA in Organizational Leadership
Biola University

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