More generational food for thought
In a recent comment here on Acronym, Wayne Carley asks, “The last two conferences/retreats I attended had lots of young parents bringing their stroller-aged post-millenials. (Do we have a name for that generation yet?)”
Coincidentally, an article in this month’s Harvard Business Review, “The Next 20 Years: How Customer and Workforce Attitudes Will Evolve,” is the first I’ve seen to give that generation a name. Authors Neil Howe and William Strauss call them the “Homelander” generation. Clearly it’s early to make any predictions about these toddlers as a generation, but Howe and Strauss do have some predictions about what Millennials will be like as parents.
Personally, I found it a little sad to see the name “Homelander” given to my children’s generation. I’d like to hope that security issues will be less of a concern in their lifetime than in mine.
On a somewhat related note, Tammy Erickson, a blogger at Harvard Business Online, has unveiled some results from research she’s been doing with Generation Y/Millennial focus groups.
One finding that struck me as particularly interesting: Her participants really like working with Boomers and find that they learn a lot from Boomer mentors. This seems to fly in the face of a lot of media coverage of Millennial/Boomer interaction, which typically seems to cast Millennials as the angry young gatecrashers or as irresponsible children of helicopter parents. (Admittedly, conflict is an easy hook for a writer to play with, which I’m sure influences this kind of coverage.) It’s nice to see new evidence that shows that these two groups can really respect each other’s perspectives and learn from one another.
Erickson uses my favorite quote as the title of her blog entry on the research; when talking about their desire for flexibility at work, one participant is quoted as saying, “What is it with you people and 8:30 a.m.?”
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Comments
Homelander, huh? I agree that the security implications are sad, indeed. But so too is the inward focus of "homelander." At a time when globalization is a reality as indicated by at least three of the eight SuperTrends in Mapping the Future, when China is poised to perhaps supersede the US as the world's superpower, and when my order at the drive-thru window of a McDonald's in California is taken by an operator in India, I truly hope my children's (OK, my grandchildren's) generation can focus out beyond their borders and embrace an exciting world. Perhaps they will be "homelanders" because the homeland by then will be safe and secure, and they can use it as a base to launch their forays into a rich diversity of global experiences.
And speaking of diversity, in our zeal to name and categorize generations (and all other groups - but that is a matter for another post), let us not forget to embrace the diversity within each generation and group. On a somehwat narrow and personal level, I know twins who are polar opposites, a single mother of four boys who couldn't be more different, and two children of my own who, well, never mind. You get the idea. As we make our plans to incorporate these new generations into our workplaces and our memberships, we must remember to celebrate and encourage the diverse natures, backgrounds and beliefs they bring with them. Then we can truly have intergenerational success - and the kind of homeland we hope for.
Posted by: Wayne Carley | July 17, 2007 4:23 PM
Lisa, not sure where you've been reading about the angry Millennials, but Howe and Strauss and others have long predicted close relationships between Millennials and their Boomer parents would transfer into mentoring/workplace relationships. I think their basic assertion has been that Millennials value learning from experienced individuals and have respect for reasonable adult authority and established systems, etc. The key word is reasonable. The anger may come in when systems and authority seen as unreasonable block their advancement or contributions, something that while others may say is unique to the Millennial generation, I find it a reaction among people of all ages who feel they are being treated unjustly.
Posted by: Jeffrey Cufaude | July 18, 2007 8:47 PM
Wayne: You're absolutely right that generation is not destiny--every individual is different and no one conforms entirely to the stereotypes about their generation. But I do think it's useful when an organization is looking at the big picture to consider big trends, like generational differences, and think of creative ways to address certain traits that may be more prevalent in a new generation of members. (For instance, to use an insanely broad generalization, if younger people are more comfortable learning through online games, an association could consider expanding its education programming to include self-paced online courses with game-based modules.)
Your comments on diversity are definitely on target, in my opinion--and they actually relate closely to an article that will appear in the August issue of Associations Now, by Ted Childs. You should keep an eye out for it!
Jeffrey: The "angry Millennials" articles I have seen have been more in mainstream media (newspapers and magazines), not in research journals. The first two paragraphs of this Fast Company article are fairly typical--although it's worth noting that the article ends with exactly the point you make, that Millennials just want to be heard and have their opinions taken seriously like anyone else.
Posted by: Lisa Junker | July 19, 2007 7:38 AM
Adding to Jeffrey's point, Strauss and Howe also argue that there is a historical pattern where each generation tends to be MOST critical of the one immediately younger than them (Boomers to Xers), but then has a more favorable view of the generation after that (Boomers to Millennials). Apparently we Xers will have the most venom for Millennials, but will love those...Homelanders?
Posted by: Jamie Notter | July 19, 2007 9:15 AM
Good point, Jamie! I can definitely say that I love the Homelanders I'm most closely related to (my son and daughter) but it's hard to imagine what they and their fellow "Homelanders" will be like in 20 years. So many things will happen between now and then. But I must admit I can't wait to find out!
Posted by: Lisa Junker | July 19, 2007 9:53 AM