Baby Boomers
In order to share my thoughts around the 4 US social generations as I see them today, it would be fair to define each. Though I hold them in incredibly high regard and reverence, I won’t spend too much time talking about what Tom Brokaw described as the Greatest Generation, those who were born between 1900-1927. This generation literally grew up during the Great Depression and were largely shaped by WWII. Many of them were the first in their families to immigrate to America in search for better life. Their sacrifices serve as the foundation for what many of us now enjoy as a life of privilege and opportunity. We all owe them a debt of tremendous debt of gratitude.
There is also a “Silent Generation” that is mentioned. My parents are part of this group, and I’m sure you know people part of this generation as well. Demographically, this is far and away, the smallest group, making up less than 20M people in the US today. These are children of the Great Depression, and as such, they are frugal and thrifty. They are deferent and look up to authority, rarely questioning the establishment. This was the first generation where it would not be uncommon to see both parents working.
OK, moving ahead to the first of 4 of the primary generations for the basis of your daily interactions:
Baby Boomers:
I want to begin by profiling the Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 to 1964. Since I was born in January of 1964, I am technically a Boomer, but I relate strongly to both Boomers and Millennials. Demographically, this is the 2nd-largest generation in the US today (replaced recently by Millennials), making up about 21.2% of the population. The term “baby boom” originated shortly after WWII when there was a noticeable increase in births shortly after servicemen returned home from fighting abroad. Post war US was a time of economic expansion, unemployment was very low, prosperity was almost taken for granted during the 1950’s and early 1960’s. Cars were readily accessible for the public, scientific applications for the mainframe computer were being introduced at IBM in the 60’s. Mathematics, computer science, and engineering were key disciplines in post war universities now especially given their “real world” applications which translated to better paying and more accessible jobs.
With this prosperity, boomers had more choice with how they spent their time and money. Rather than be influenced exclusively by their parents, their friends, and outside influences played a bigger role on these 20-somethings. Television, music, movies, politics all began to tear at the traditional family fabric as the youth began to question authority and challenge the establishment. Over time, however, as they started families and priorities changed, Boomers began to seize the opportunities they were offered during the 1980’s and the Reagan Era. While the late 1970’s were headlined with lines at the gas station, high inflation and slow economic growth and general malaise, the 1980’s were sparked by widespread tax cuts, increased military spending, and the deregulation of domestic markets. For the Boomers, who were now in their prime earning years (30’s and 40’s), they could maximize their income, begin preparing for retirement, and provide for their families in ways better than their parents had provided for them.
Social characteristics of Boomers
Boomers are largely considered the generation with the strongest work ethic. This does not imply they work the hardest, this just means they have the greatest sense of DUTY and RESPONSIBILTY. They were given better opportunities than their parents, in particular, higher education, and are expected to do more with these privileges. Women and minorities earned degrees and are in positions of authority like never before. They have respect for work as a result, as well as for official qualifications or credentials. Their view of authority, however, is one of extremes—both love and hate. A manager with an open shift knows that, if called, a Boomer is very likely to show up. For that reason, many managers have a tendency to lean on Boomers more heavily than other generations. Boomers have also been dealt a tremendously “good hand”, being able to capitalize on the great economy of the 1980’s and the timing of great technological advances.
Boomers are extremely competitive, self-assured and independent. Most are optimistic and goal-oriented, and with age, the goal is often tied to the type of retirement they would like to enjoy. They appreciate a lifestyle of quality and excellence and appreciate products and services that make their lives easier. Much of their professional self-worth is measured by how much their company values them. Boomers remember a time when you dress professionally, and expect others to care about their own appearance. They also equate experience with authority, meaning, you are more competent and, therefore promotable, if you’ve done the job longer. Tenure matters, and trust comes with age.
Boomers, however, are often considered stubborn, opinionated and resistant to change. Don’t forget, all Boomers started their careers before there were things like voicemail, pagers, cell phones and computers. After customer meetings, I would use pay phones, with a roll of quarters, call my admin to pick up my messages and return customer calls from pay phones. I can still remember when we started rolling out productivity tools and how difficult it was for my older peers to adapt. Forecasting used to be done pen-to-paper; suddenly, we were being asked to do it in this thing called Lotus 1-2-3. Kids, look it up…. This was the precursor to Excel, which gave us SFDC.
Boomers tend to lag in social media tool adoption. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok, another generation adopts the technology first, and then the Boomers take it over when it’s no longer viewed as “cool”. I know of no one under 25 who still uses Facebook today as their primary social media platform, but nearly everyone over 55 is on constantly to stay in touch with old high school friends or family. Boomers were all over Linkedin, though, because it was a productivity tool for business. Ask a Zoomer about it though, and I’m not sure they know what the real purpose is….
It may not come as a surprise, but Boomers represent over 53% of the wealth in the US. They are all either preparing for, or already retired, and have trusts set up to ensure their children and grandchildren are protected in the future. Boomers are now prioritizing the following:
How we spend our time
Who we spend our time with
Where we spend our time
Boomers openly talk about how they/we are on the “back nine” of our lives, more like the 12th tee box. We have worked hard, provided for our families, and now it is time to enjoy the fruits of our labors. Ideally, we want to spend this time with our families and the people we enjoy most, and we don’t have time to spend with people that bring us anxiety, distress and pain.
Next week: Millennials.
