Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace (Hardcover)

by Ron Zemke (Author), Claire Raines (Author), Bob Filipczak (Author) "There is a problem in the workplace-a problem derived not from downsizing, rightsizing, change, technology, foreign competition, pointy-haired bosses, bad breath, cubicle envy, or greed..." (more)
Key Phrases: Baby Boomers, West Group, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Generations at Work is intended to help you bridge the gap or, more accurately, gaps between people of different ages who work at your company. What's so vexing about the workplace is that four different groups are vying for roles and recognition. There are the veterans, boomers, Xers, and the nexters. The people in each cohort, the book argues, have more in common than just their age: They share memories of the same world-shaping events, the same childhood heroes, the same early work experiences. Learning about differences may be fun. But learning about cooperation is useful. And it's here that Generation at Work becomes a valuable tool. -- Fast Company, October 1999

Review

"Learning about differences may be fun, but learning about cooperation is useful. And it's here that Generations at Work becomes a valuable tool." --Fast Company

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1 edition (October 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814404804
• ISBN-13: 978-0814404805
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #66 in	Books > Business & Investing > Organizational Behavior > Workplace
  #81 in	Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Human Resources & Personnel Management

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For managers, with a grain of salt, please, March 3, 2006

By	Louise McCauley (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Never before has there been such diversity in the workforce. This is particularly true of the range of ages that co-exist on the job. In Generations At Work, the authors identify the four generations, the particular problems you may encounter managing them, and potential solutions. As the employee pool matures, this is knowledge every manager of a cross-generational workforce will need. These categories are, of course, cut rather broad. This book is probably better used as an idea toolbox than gospel writ.

The Generations:
1. Veterans (1922-1943): The World War II generation's dedication to the values of civic pride, loyalty and respect for authority have become a continuing influence in the following generations.
· Veterans tend to be more directive in leadership roles.
· Veterans are used to working in teams under strong leadership.
· Veterans can be prone to the "we've never done it that way before" mentality.
· Veterans often find technology intimidating and confusing.
2. Boomers (1943-1960): This generation tends to be idealistic and driven.
· Find out how they want to be managed.
· Expect a reaction if things don't go well.
· Motivate them with lots of public recognition, and involvement in decision-making.
· When mentoring them be tactful, let them tell you how they're doing, and think of yourself as a friendly equal.
3. Xers (1960-1980): The Xers are deeply cynical about management and the driven attitudes of the Veterans and Boomers. It is, however, possible to motivate Xers.
· Make your work environment as flexible as possible.
· Provide them with up-to-date technology.
· Give them lots of simultaneous projects and let them prioritize.
· Give them constructive feedback on their job performance.
4. Nexters (1980-2000): The most studied generation in history, Nexters are likely to be more like the veterans than any other group. When recruiting Nexters, keep the following principles in mind:
· Forget gender roles.
· Focus on teams.
· Mind the gap: there is likely to be a large generational gap between the Xers and the Nexters.
· Grow your training department.
· Establish mentor programs.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Understanding other generations., June 8, 2000

By	Bill Godfrey (Mt Stuart, TAS Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This study of the beliefs and values of the major generational groups and their attitudes to each other provides a thorough basis for understanding issues that are likely to arise in the workplace. The authors highlight the very different attitudes to work, life and the importance of life style between the generations. They offer ideas for dealing effectively with each generation and with the differences between them.

The book is readable and well set out. A chapter is devoted to each generation group, each with useful tabulations and comparisons. This is followed by case studies of good inter-generational relationships and a couple of chapters of advice.

The book is concerned primarily with the present - that is with how these differences impact on today's working life, but the sketches of each generation also provide insights into what may happen to work arrangements as different value systems become dominant.

An interesting and important question of course is 'What is going to happen to business itself, its values and its relationship to wider society?' Unfortunately this question is not even raised, the implicit assumption being that business will continue unchanged even if ways of organising and doing business change. A dangerous assumption!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fetishization of Boomers & Millennials, August 6, 2004

By	Michael E. Kreca "[e-mail]" (San Diego, Calif., USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Inspired by Neil Strauss's and Neil Howe's groundbreaking generational studies, "Generations At Work" is a readable and easily understandable primer to successfully understanding and coping with a heretofore unprecedented socioeconomic phenomenon--a workplace simultaneously containing several generations; from elders in their 70s to young people in their 20s.

The authors do a good job of explaining and describing each group's attitudes, shared beliefs, investment practices, buying habits and work methods--all of these having been shaped by different historical events (at least in the USA) and the relevant generational experiences derived from those events. The book also contains a series of sample profiles and vignettes which are a useful basis for comprehending and motivating (and marketing and selling to) various age groups.

On the minus side, far too much obsessive attention and empty praise has been generously lavished on the still-untested Millennials--almost to the point of evangelistically fetishizing them much like the Soviet Communist Party had for decades emptily and shrilly fetishized their "Heroes of Labor" and similar groups. I suspect this approach (with its hardy and predictable but now-less-obvious condescending and dismissive attitude toward Generation X) reflects the arrogant Boomer sensibility of the book's authors. Also, this sensibility distressingly takes a far too comfortable and friendly view toward conventional corporatism, bureaucracy, "centralized authority," "obedience," and "large-scale collectivism"--when our increasingly fragmented, rapidly changing, networked and multipolar world is generally leaving such paradigms (and the institutions, attitudes and politico-economic theories such paradigms spawned) in the dust.

The underlying agenda of this book seems be that, as a group, the "we will never die" Boomers, despite their apparent claims to the contrary, will hand off their control-freak worldviews to their Millennial offspring, while barely tolerating "Veterans" and "Xers" (seemingly hoping the former will quickly jackknife into coffins or nursing homes and that the latter will remain lifelong subordinates and assistants to Boomers and their Millennial heirs apparent.) Also, there were several noticeable spelling and grammatical errors in the book (the confusion of "proscribed" with "prescribed" for one)--not very complimentary to the Boomer authors and their peers who self-referentially pride themselves on being more sophisticated, better educated and more voracious readers than "the rest of us."