What does Generation X want?

[Jay_Gatsby]

Interesting article, but I'm not so sure it's all that accurate.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/17/news/companies/bestcos_genx/index.htm

 

[maddythebeagle]

I thought I had been hearing this for years (from every age group) that money wasnt the overriding factor in job satisfaction.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I think I speak with authority when I say that generation X wants a beer and to see something naked.

 

[Howard]

..hopefully of the opposite sex, but after Brokeback Mountain, what do I know.

 

[Nords]

I think I speak with authority when I say that generation X wants a beer and to see something naked.

But how would that differentiate them from any other generation?!?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Thus proving my point that each generation really isnt that different from another...

 

[Jarhead*]

Dave894:  I've read a number of your posts, mostly belly-aching about your lot in life. (Generationally speaking).

My two daughters, age 39, and 35, are well adjusted, happy in their job and life, and I'm thankful that they don't share your "poor me" attitude.

My wife was a stay at home mom, and if your attitude is any indication of what the long range effects are of two working spouses on children,
it goes a long ways towards reinforcing our decision.

The laugh at the end was intended to let you know that I don't think that's your real problem.

Try spending a little more time making yourself valuable to your employer, and a little less time
"whining" to an internet board, and I'll guarantee your attitude will improve. (And you'll be better company)

Take Care, Jarhead

 

[REWahoo]

Dave894: I've read a number of your posts, mostly belly-aching about your lot in life. (Generationally speaking).

Jarhead, I want to compliment you. No, not for taking Dave to task about his whining, but for the restraint you showed. Even though the temptation must have been overwhelming, not once did you resort to "son, when I was your age..."

Remarkable self-restraint.

PS: My two daughters, age 34, and 30, are well adjusted, happy in their jobs and life, and I'm also thankful that they don't share a "poor me" attitude.

 

[Sheryl]

If Gen X is those born 1964 - 1977 per this article, and boomers were 1945 - 1960 what are those poor lost souls who were left out of the whole equation??

 

[wildcat]

Maybe I am different from those described in the article. "Sure" is what I say in response to the article. People fill out BS answers all the time to those surveys. Dangle a lot more money in front of just about anyone, especially young people trying to accumulate wealth, and they will sell their souls to the corporate devil - become institutionalized.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

..hopefully of the opposite sex, but after Brokeback Mountain, what do I know.

Howard, wow, pretty brave for admitting that a) you have seen Brokeback Mountain (in theater I presume) and b) that after Brokeback Mountain your opinions are not as firm as they were before.

 

[sgeeeee]

From the article: "So chemical maker W.L. Gore (No. 5 on the list) retains bright young engineers and technical-salespeople in part because of what the company calls its "lattice" (versus ladder-like) organization chart, which has no top or bottom."

I've seen companies try this and never seen it work worth a d@mn for more than a few months. Lazy deadbeats love lattice organizations because it is impossible to identify who is ineffective. Driven workers like it at first because everyone wants them on their team. They get tied into the lattice everywhere and gain the illusion of having influence. Then they find out that there is no more credit for being a hard working success than there is for being a lazy deadbeat.

Then there's this: " . . .The firm's policy is that its highest paid employee can earn no more than 10 times the salary of its lowest-paid employee."

Kinda sets the maximum work effort you might be willing to put forth.

Maybe I should go through the companies described in the article and look into shorting all of them.

 

[Marshac]

There are a lot of people on this board who make assumptions about things which they have no idea about (especially when it comes to people).  Perhaps it is the egotistical independent nature of people...

Nah, we're just a bunch of nerdy INTJs that don't get out much...

 

[eryx]

Well, to get this thread back on topic...

I gotta say that I keep hearing the "you need recognition" thing at work, coming from my baby-boomer boss. And what do I think to myself? "Who cares?". I'm sure he's correct, in a large company that is certainly how one would "move up". But like the article says, its all about the people you work with, and the chance to work on new and interesting projects. Both of which I've lucked into in my engineering job. That and the whole work/life balance thing.

 

[sgeeeee]

. . .But like the article says, its all about the people you work with, and the chance to work on new and interesting projects.  . .

If that's really how you feel, you should do volunteer work. Volunteer organizations I've worked with are filled with really interesting, diverse personalities and the work is always more interesting (and rewarding) than contributing to the profit margin of a big company.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

I'm surprised none of the old timers (with all due respect intended) seized upon the following quote from the article:

As for the old-fangled idea of paying one's dues in a dull job before moving up to something sexier, forget it...

As a Gen Xer, I complained about paying my dues in a dull job, not realizing that I was actually learning something in the process which would later turn out to be useful.  With that said, I can also tell you that I was the recipient of more than my fair share of scut work that taught me nothing, but which a more senior person didn't feel like doing.

Along those same lines:

On the first point, notes Shelton, "Gen Xers are suspicious of hierarchies. Rank and seniority mean nothing to them. They want to participate as equals."

I'm not so sure that Gen Xers are resistant to the idea of hierarchies, rank or seniority.  Rather, they probably have a much better perspective on who truly should be ranked above them in the hierarchy.  Like any other employee who is "on the line" or "in the trenches", it's difficult to take directions from someone who doesn't share (and perhaps has never shared) the same perspective.  Put differently, Gen Xers don't respect people who haven't been in their shoes, or in other cases, never earned their seniority and the respect that comes with it.

 

[P.S.]

 If you raised your children to believe that spending half of their time paying taxes and incurring expenses to produce income is perfectly acceptable and reasonable, that was your decision.  The Heritage/WSJ survey for 2005 says that the fiscal burden the US government imposes on it's citizens is one of the most burdensome in the world (bottom quartile).  

Dave, what country/government do you think has achieved a good balance of taxes and benefits?
I've lived a part of my adult life in two other countries ( one Asian, one European) and IMO Americans are a blessed lot, mainly because of the available opportunities and infrastructure.

Maybe Gen X-er's want blissful lives. Interesting, but no suffering. Exciting, but no pain. Happy, but happiness should be automatic, granted, and guaranteed. At least that's what I would conclude from what I see in clinic (selection bias).

 

[maddythebeagle]

As a Gen Xer, I complained about paying my dues in a dull job, not realizing that I was actually learning something in the process which would later turn out to be useful.  With that said, I can also tell you that I was the recipient of more than my fair share of scut work that taught me nothing, but which a more senior person didn't feel like doing.

I think that "paying your dues" is overrated. Sure, the first couple of years are learning but my current job wasnt like that. I was given responsibility and told to go to it. I wasnt put in a cubicle and told to look through a stack of files and watch the clock. If that happens, I think it is more an indication of an unorganized employer or you not warming up to your peers.

 

[cube_rat]

If Gen X is those born 1964 - 1977 per this article, and boomers were 1945 - 1960 what are those poor lost souls who were left out of the whole equation??

I'm one of them I was born in 62. I hope to God that qualifies me as a baby boomer. I indentify with boomers much better than Xers.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Howard, wow, pretty brave for admitting that a) you have seen Brokeback Mountain (in theater I presume) and b) that after Brokeback Mountain your opinions are not as firm as they were before.

The heterosexual mans guide to 'brokeback mountain'. Oddly enough, from a san francisco publication...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/05/LVGMTGVUG31.DTL

I'm another one of those baby boomer/gen x "gappers". Although I've seen the baby boomer range extend to include the year I was born in some articles and stop short in others. I've never seen the gen-x range extend backwards.

So my appreciation to the baby boom generation for occasionally wanting to include me in their group, probably during periods of wanting to feel younger. As far as the gen-x'ers who want nothing to do with the old phart? Screw you!

 

[P.S.]

Some of the most economically free countries in the world?  Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Estonia, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Sweden.

Have been to half of those countries. I could imagine living in Switzerland and Sweden (beautiful scenery, etc) but if I understand correctly, both have very high taxes. From what I've read, Sweden has almost no upper/upper middle class because of its (heavy) tax stucture. And for awhile, it boasted the highest rate of suicide. FWIW, their tap water tastes awesome though.

 

[lets-retire]

Universal health care would be bad, very very bad. Look at the military health care system. I haven't seen or heard anybody who has been in the military recently say the health care is good. It is stop gap health care at best. I injured myself while in. Once I was a civilian injured the same part. While I was getting the second injury fixed the doctor noticed the first and corrected that one also. If it had been fixed prior to getting out, rather than here's some 800mg motrin, I would not have incurred the second injury.

 

[Howard]

lets-retire,Ii spent over 30 years in International Health care, i ahve seen all systems, including the US, on balance I will take the system in Canada over that in the US.

You may have to wait for Non Life Threatening services, but you will never go bankrupt due to an illness nor will you be refused.

No System is 100% perfect for 100% of the population 100% of the time, and no one ever gets refused employment because an existing Health Condition would cause an increase in a companys premiums.

My buddy in Colorado seems to spend an inordinate amount of time fighting with his HMO.

We all can make up Horror Stories to justify our systems , US lobbyists fror Giant Pharma are paid very well.

Your Presidents new budget cuts back on Medicare and Education and increases Military spending?

I was a generation X'r , before the term was used, my know it all attitude cost me a couple of good jobs.

 

[Marshac]

nor will you be refused.

You will never be refused emergency treatment here in the US either as hospitals are legally required to render emergency treatment regardless of ones ability to pay- this is one of the reasons why healthcare is so expensive for the rest of us who can pay.

 

[SteveR]

...
I'm not so sure that Gen Xers are resistant to the idea of hierarchies, rank or seniority.  Rather, they probably have a much better perspective on who truly should be ranked above them in the hierarchy.  Like any other employee who is "on the line" or "in the trenches", it's difficult to take directions from someone who doesn't share (and perhaps has never shared) the same perspective.  Put differently, Gen Xers don't respect people who haven't been in their shoes, or in other cases, never earned their seniority and the respect that comes with it.

My comments are not intended to paint with a broad brush but rather to share perceptions from my personal experience with many folks from Gen X in the work place over the past several years.  This is not a personal attack; just an opinion based on managing several different generations of folks over the past three decades.

I have found many of these folks seem to lack much of a concept of how a business organization really works.  They seem to think it is a democracy.  It is not.  While the HR folks would like you to think it is; it is not and cannot operate that way.  Wanting it to be so and complaining because your wishes, wants and desires are not taken seriously by the leaders of the organization is seen by them as an insult.  To the "older workers" , it is a fact of life.  If you have not earned the power and position in the organization, you will have very little to say about where it goes or what it does.  The tiny voice whining about the unfairness of the system will be lost in the big picture of the organization.   Lip service is paid to make the whiner feel appreciated but their voice is not heard except as a memory in the leader's mind that this person is still very green and unseasoned in the business.  

Many of the older generation also view experience as a major issue.  Pay ones' dues is still seen as an important component in being experienced and being credible by many leaders and peers.  Some managers clearly promote people who they like but who otherwise might not be competent for the job.  That is true for any generation and is more human nature than a generational thing.  

Doing the crappy jobs is part of the whole experience in working with groups.  Every group I have been associated with has this same concept of "rites of passage" for new members.  There is always some form of iniatiation for the new folks to endure to show the rest of the group that they can fit in.  Those that whine and complain their way through this process are seen as inferior by the other members of the group and are treated less professionally.  I don't condone it but it is the nature of groups to do so.  The weak do not survive in the real world.  

The Gen. X'ers I work with every day are as varied as any other group.  However, there are some trends that I see that seem to be unique to them.  I also agree in part with the basic issues in the article presented by the OP.  I know people just like them and could list a whole bunch more with similar issues and concerns.  I feel for these kids and I have a couple of them myself so I see first hand what they are going through.  My two don't have school loans because I help them out a lot.  They work part time but I end up footing most of the bill but that is my gift to them.  My step kids are deep in debt and have yet to "get it" when it come to finances.  I hope to be a role model to them over time and I give advice when asked.  After I retire I am sure it will hit closer to home for them and I hope they will ask for more advice.