Book review: Generations, Inc.

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generations inc. front cover

Suddenly America makes sense. Larry and Meagan Johnson, a father and daughter team, have written a book that explains that people are the product of their environment. Working with Baby Boomers? Expect a strong focus on education as a result of the GI Bill. Got Generation Y people joining your team? Be a ‘concerned coach’ to keep them on track while they are out of the reaches of their parents.

Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters – Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work points out that for the first time five generations are working side by side. That gives us:

  • The Traditional Generation: born pre-1945, making up 8% of the workforce
  • Baby Boomers: born 1946-1964, 30% of the workforce
  • Generation X: born 1965-1980, 17% of the workforce
  • Generation Y: born 1981-1995, 25% of the workforce
  • The Linkster Generation: born after 1995, 18% of the workforce.

I’m assuming those workforce figures are for the U.S. only, as the book is heavily U.S. specific. The authors use historical events on which to hang their business theory and knowledge. They show how each of the generations has been influenced by contemporary events and social trends which have shaped their attitudes to work. For example, as a result of shortages and hardships during World War Two, Traditionals have a strong work ethic and sense of community.

It was a really interesting read, and I wish someone would write something with a similar focus on U.K. historical events. For example, the hurricane that hit us and stopped me attending a swimming event in junior school shaped my work ethic: keep trying, until a massive oak tree blocks the entire road and you really, really, can’t carry on. The adverse weather that year goes unnoticed by the Johnsons, as do the miners’ strikes, the introduction of the welfare state, Windrush and every other U.K. event of note. That’s not a criticism – Generations, Inc. is a book for U.S. managers, and it does that extremely well.

The book is a good guide to office politics, making transparent the things that drive and motivate people at work. I recommend reading it in conjunction with Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers by Anthony Mersino, which still rates as one of my all-time favourite books about people on projects.

It also shows what really hasn’t changed in the workplace. For example:

Originally an insert in the New York Times magazine section, Ms. morphed into a monthly women’s magazine that focused on issues like unequal pay for women, career opportunities for women, and job-related sexual harassment. After the first regular issue hit the newsstands in July 1972, network news anchor Harry Reasoner commented, “I’ll give it six months before they run out of things to say.” Within weeks, Ms. had received 26,000 subscription orders and over 20,000 reader letters. [p. 32-33]

And sadly, we are still writing about unequal pay today.

Generations, Inc. is split into sections that cover historical signposts for each generation and then management tips for working with them. I identified with and understood all the generations except Generation Y, which is going to give me problems as a manager if I don’t sort that out. It ends with a section on management styles for different types of people, and a chapter on managing intergenerational conflict, which could be useful if you do find that people are brushing each other the wrong way.

I found it an interesting and conversational read – put it on your list!