How All the Different Generations Interact in the Workplace

Throughout the business world you will come across people from many different walks of life. Some are just starting their careers in their twenties and there are some people in their mid-sixties getting ready for retirement. Each different age group has grown up in different times and each have a different sense of the world. For example, the Millennials grew up in a generation of computers and quick changing technologies as the World War II generation grew up with World War II and the Great Depression. This mix of generations is even more prevalent in today’s world as workers are working later in their lives because of a rocky global economy. With the ever diversifying work place, it is important for us to distinguish how to work with the different generations and continue to be successful. The world changes so much faster in today’s society, which makes it even more important to recognize the differences in each generation.

There are four different generations that are going to be talked about. It is important to note that not one is more superior to the other; each generation just does things a little differently. It is also important to note that these are all generalizations. Just because a person is born between a certain time period does not automatically mean that a person is a certain way. These are not stereotypes, they are just broad generalizations.

The first generation I am going to talk about is the World War II generation. These people were born before 1940’s and were born during the great depression and grew up with World War II going on. There were so many global challenges going on at the time they were growing up. This generation makes up about 75 million Americans and represents 25% of the work force (When Generations Collide, 2004). This generation has been named “The Great Generation” because of their great work ethic. These people grew up with War and the idea that once you have an objective to do you do it, and...