Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters--Managing the Friction
Between Generations at Work
Members of each generation share special signposts: collective experiences that
influence our expectations, actions, and mind-sets. They also mold our ideas about company
loyalty, work ethic, and the definition of a job well done. And now that five different
generations are working together simultaneously—from Traditionals to Generation Y and
beyond—it’s even more important to understand where everyone’s coming from.
Written by two generational experts—who happen to be father and
daughter—Generations, Inc. offers the perspectives of people of different eras,
eliciting practical insights on wrestling with generational issues in the workplace. The
book provides Baby Boomers and Linksters alike with practical techniques for:
Addressing conflicts • Forging alliances with coworkers from other
generations • Getting people with disparate values and idiosyncratic styles to work
together • Running productive meetings in which all participants find value in each
others’ ideas
Generations, Inc. provides realistic strategies for all those managers,
executives, and employees seeking to coexist, flourish, and thrive together…at the same
time.
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
AUTHORS' NOTE xi
CHAPTER 1 Signposts: Harbingers of Things to Come 1
CHAPTER 2 Baby Boomers: The Elephant in the Python 19
CHAPTER 3 Managing Boomers 41
CHAPTER 4 Big Bird, Wayne’s World, and Home Alone: Signposts for Generation
X 59
CHAPTER 5 Managing Generation X 79
CHAPTER 6 The Next Elephant in the Python: Signposts for Generation Y
101
CHAPTER 7 Managing Generation Y 127
CHAPTER 8 Old Dogs Have Lots to Offer: Signposts for the Traditional Generation
142
CHAPTER 9 Managing the Traditional Generation 153
CHAPTER 10 Cell Phones and Hanna Montana: Signposts for the Linkster Generation
165
CHAPTER 11 Managing the Linkster Generation 176
CHAPTER 12 Different Strokes for Different Folks: A Model for Managing Across
Generational Boundaries 188
APPENDIX A Resolving Intergenerational Conflict 211
APPENDIX B A Quick-Reference Guide to the Book 216
NOTES 235
INDEX 249
272 pages, Paperback