1.
The sociological theory of a generation gap first came to light in the
1960s, when the younger generation (later known as Baby Boomers)
seemed to go against everything their parents had previously believed in
terms of music, values, governmental and political views.
Sociologists have divided the lifespan into three different levels:
childhood, midlife and retirement. Usually, when any of these age groups
is engaged in its primary activity, the individual members are physically
isolated from people of other generations.

2.
Traditionalists Baby Boomers Gen X Millennials
Birth Years 1900-1945 1946-1964 1965-1980 1981-2000
Education A dream A birthright A way to get their An incredible
expense
Focus Task Relationships and
Results
Task and Results Global and
Networked
Technology Adapted Acquired Assimilated Integral
Communication logical manner ,
Show respect for
their
age/experience
Diplomatic ,
Speak open – direct
style
Blunt/Direct ,
Use straight talk
Polite
Use positive,
respectful
Communications
Media
Write a memo Touch-tone phones Cell phones Mobile, Internet ,
E-mail

3.
Traditionalists are considered hardworking.
The older generation is more likely to stay with one employer their entire
life.
Traditionalists will avoid causing trouble and are good team players.
Baby Boomers are known to be confident and independent.
Baby Boomers are well educated and are exposed to more financial
resources than the past generation.
Baby boomers are hard –working.
Generation Xers are individualistic people and independent.
Generation Xers also believe in more balance between their work and
home life.
Generation Xers are more willing to try new and they welcome new
technology into their lives.
Generation Y is prone to communicating via electronic devices.
Generation Y is family-centric and value family over work.
This generation is achievement-oriented and is confident.

4.
Seniority and age correlate
Climb the ladder by hard work
Understand value and money (conservative)
Respects authority
 Team Oriented
 Interested in health and wellness
 Always learning and always loyal
 Prefer flexible work hours and informal work environment
 Easy to recruit, hard to retain
 High value on ‘having fun’ at work
Goal setting is a priority
Teamwork attitude of Boomers
Think DIFFERENTLY than any other member of the workforce

5.
Traditionalists like to be recognized for their hard work.
Traditionalists also see work as a team effort and avoid conflict.
This group is also technically challenged and they may struggle to learn
new technology.
Baby Boomers are career focused and enjoy achieving at work.
Baby Boomers are very competitive.
Baby Boomers are resourceful.
Finally, Baby Boomers tend to favor face-to-face interaction instead of
remote means like emails, text, etc.
Generation Xers enjoy freedom at work.
Generation Xers will be the first ones to take advantage of technology.
Finally, this generation believes in a healthy balance between work and
their personal life.
Generation Y’s working style is vastly different from those of the previous
generation.
This generation is motivated by benefits that give them the ability to have
flexible schedules.
This generation does expect a lot from their employer in terms of new
challenges.

6.
The older generations experienced harder times. Baby
Boomers know what it is to fight for civil rights and protest against the
government.
The older generation experienced entertainment as
traditional events like the movies and non-technical activities. The
younger generation grew up with video games and other activities.
The younger generation experienced technology as a way
of life. Generation X had technology grow into their lives and Generation
Y never did without it. The older generation was slow to adapt and use
technology as a social tool.

7.
 Make sure team meets frequently in a team-meeting
environment. It can be once a month, once a week etc. Having team
together in a group will help them engage each other, communicate,
and dialogue.
 Make meeting less formal. This way everyone puts down his
or her guard. Making meeting informal will allow employees to share
and learn.
 Make meetings about team building. Topics like
updates, reports, etc., are best delivered by other means like email in a
presentation.

8.
 Will gain a good perspective of the external culture.
 Can generate more ideas based on varying experiences.
 The older generation can help the younger generation refine their
social skills.
 The younger generation can help the older learn how to leverage
technology.
 Create a mentoring environment.

9.
Although this report is coming to a close, we hope that our journey to
improve our Generation Gap skills is just beginning. We need to take a
moment to review and update our action plan. This will be a key tool to
guide our progress in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.