1. Talkin’ about the Generations
Carly Anderson
Leadership Skills for Tech Professionals
carly@stellarleader.com

2. Generations in the workplace
The Traditionalists born 1922-1945 (67-90 yrs)
The Baby Boomers born 1946-1964 (48-66 yrs)
Gen X born 1965-1980 (32-47 yrs)
Gen Y/Millennials born 1981-1999 (13-31 yrs)

3. Spot the CEO
Notice the ages of the employees
What impression are you left with?

4. The CEO: Tony Hseih – 38 years (Gen X)
1995 Harvard grad, computer science
1996 started Linkexchange
1998 sold to Microsoft, $265m
1999 started Zappos
2009 sold to Amazon for $1.3b
2010 wrote Delivering Happiness
Zappos.com
Zapposinsights.com (sell training on
creating a GenX/Y workplace culture)

5. Traditionalists 1922-1945 (67-90 yrs), Boomers 1946-1964 (48-66 yrs)
Gen X 1965-1980 (32-47 yrs), Gen Y/Millennials 1981-1999 (13-31 yrs)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Break in to groups of your generation
• What are the top 10 things other
generations should know about you?
• What’s your biggest frustration with how
other generations view you?

6. Traditionalists (1922-1945)
• Believe in consistency, uniformity, and rules
• Command-and-control leadership style
• Want automatic respect for being an elder
• Believe in logic, and following directions
• Have loyalty and respect for authority
• Dislike conflict – gravitate toward control
• View an understanding of history as a way
to plan for the future
• Prefer hierarchical organizational structures

7. Baby Boomers (1946-1964)
• Focus on individual choice and freedom
• Value prosperity and ownership
• Focus on health and wellness
• Equal rights emerge
• Confronted with a diverse workplace
• Seek collaborative, group decision-making
• Emphasize team-building
• “The future is there for the taking”

8. Generation X (1965 – 1980)
• Both parents working; “latchkey kids”
• View parents as “older friends” – byproduct
is autonomy and self-reliance, rather than
respect for authority
• Want feedback and recognition
• Technology savvy
• Want balance between work and rest of life
• Want flexible work hours
• Unimpressed by titles

9. Gen Y / Millennials (1981 – 1999 )
• Have never lived without technology
• Exceptional multi-taskers
• Easily accept diversity, global in perspective
• Prefer to work in teams, and value independence
• Will there be a future? Columbine, 9/11
• Believe work is temporary and unreliable (have
seen their parents lose their jobs)
• Nurtured and protected by parents. Want same
from managers/supervisors
• Respect must be earned, regardless of age or title

10. Gen Y / Millennials (1981 – 1999 )
continued
• Adapt rapidly, crave change and challenge
• Want things instantly (other generations term this
‘entitled’)
• Fear living poorly – want lifestyle balance
• Seek flexibility in work hours and dress code
• Value self-expression more than self-control
• Marketing and branding self is important
• Seek continued learning (using technology)
• Want respect, to be seen as equal

11. Generations in the workplace
Be not afraid
Nuke nostalgia
There are no
perfect role models
The four-year career

12. Questions to Ponder
What barriers are you now aware of, that you put
between yourself and those of a different generation?
What fresh perspective can you view other generational
mindsets from?
What benefits could you get from seeing the world
the way ‘they’ see it?
Carly Anderson, carly@stellarleader.com