Statistics can prove almost anything
Posted On April 8, 2014
In fact, some researchers used statistics to prove that theory a few years ago. Generational behaviors are no different. One poll says that Gen X is the most optimistic it has ever been. Another says it has the most financial stress of all the generations. Another says, no, Boomers are the ones who are facing financial crisis. All the while Boomers are lauded as the having most of the nation’s buying power.
If you want to take a position on the generations, you can find a study that will back you up. But that’s what makes it interesting…how do you get to the bottom of the numbers and figure out what’s what? That’s where generational norms come into play. When you step back and consider the world that each generation grew up in, and how that world makes an imprint on the generational DNA, you’ll notice that trends begin to emerge among all the disparate research. The essence of each generation begins to appear. And while there are, of course, individual differences from person to person, generational norms tend to ring true more often than not.
The studies, polls and research are interesting moment-in-time snapshots of a particular issue. The fundamental truths of each generation are the reasons why they are responding to a moment in time in a particular way. The more you know, the more you can predict, or at least adapt to, the way your coworkers, managers and employees react to changes in the workplace based on their generational perspective. And I’ve got the stats to prove it.