Adultolescence and KGOY – what’s at risk?
Posted On April 24, 2014
I’ve talked here fairly frequently about the trend toward extended adolescence – younger generations holding off on typical adult milestones such as getting married, having children, and even moving out of their parents’ homes. There is a flip side to this, known as KGOY (kids getting older younger), where today’s children are entering into adolescence at younger and younger ages. Nine-, ten- and eleven-year-old children are now “tweens” interested in and exhibiting more behaviors that are typically considered teenaged than child-like. With the entrance and exit of adolescence being pushed earlier and alter, adolescence itself is getting stretched. That is,… Read More
Categories: Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Training Industry, Work, Workplace
It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…
Posted On April 22, 2014
Sorry for the Muppets earworm, Xers – it was either that or Sesame Street’s “Sunny day, sweepin’ the clouds away…” And now they are both stuck in your head, aren’t they? Me too, thanks to a great read from Salon.com. In her article, Millennials just don’t get it! How the Muppets created Generation X, Elizabeth Hyde Stevens takes Xers on a tour back in time, uncovers tons of subtle (and not so subtle) influences Jim Henson has had on the entire psyche of 70s and 80s kids, and brings it all home with connections to today’s business and media legends…. Read More
Categories: Advertising, Blog, Generation X
Gen X and retirement: A case of cognitive dissonance?
Posted On April 17, 2014
The Insured Retirement Institute recently released a study, “The Retirement Readiness of Generation X” which outlines the financial security, or lack thereof, that Generation X expects in their retirement years. The study reinforces how the Great Recession hit Gen X hard at a moment when their financial stories would typically have been on an upswing. What I found most interesting about this piece, however, was that the survey results paint the picture of a very conflicted generation – one that believes one way, but whose actions are in complete contradiction of that belief. These three statistics in particular, presented in… Read More
Categories: Blog, Financial Services, Generation X, Retirement
Game on: How one generation is changing the face of business
Posted On April 15, 2014
This is fascinating. We all know that technology has drastically impacted the daily workings of the business world. And we know the stereotype of today’s youth walking around with faces and fingers glued to some kind of mobile device or game system. Businesses are taking note. According to Gartner, by the end of this year (2014), a full 70 percent of Forbes global 2000 will be using some sort of gamification (an app or other software that uses game theory to influence behavior). This is up from only 20 percent in 2012 – a significant change in two short years…. Read More
Categories: Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Training Industry, Work, Workplace
Are millennial women more optimistic about their career prospects?
Posted On April 10, 2014
Possibly not. While my work focuses primarily on generational differences, not gender one, this Chicago Business story about getting more women into the c-suite piqued my interest. Would the optimistic nature of the Millenial generation translate to greater belief in their ability to break the glass ceiling? According to a Pew Research study cited in the article, 62 percent of Millennial women surveyed assumed that having children would make it harder to advance in their careers. Seems the times are not changing as much as many had hoped. Yet, I can’t help but think that while Millennial women may not… Read More
Categories: Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Women, Workplace
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… Read More
Categories: Blog, Generations
Baby Boomer wealth a myth?
Posted On March 20, 2014
Not exactly. But while much is written about the high concentration of affluence in the Boomer ranks, and the speculation that Gen Xers will be the first generation not expected to surpass their parents in terms of financial success, a Bloomberg Businessweek feature tells the story of wealth disparity between a Boomer worker and her Mature father. It might be easy to blame this on the recent recession, as so many Boomers lost significant value in investments or found themselves unemployed at a point in their careers where they expected relative stability. Yet, the underlying issues may be more about… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Matures, Retirement
Coworker preferences – where gender and generation collide
Posted On March 18, 2014
In December, the Pew Research Center released the results of a snap survey that asked whether individuals preferred to work with male or female co-workers. Whether politically correct or simply honest, the overwhelming majority (77%) expressed no preference. However, of those that did express a preference, males and females both stated a preference for working with males. But then they dug deeper and analyzed the responses by generation… Interestingly, the survey indicated that Millennials are “significantly less likely to prefer working with male coworkers than other generations.” And Millennial men are nearly twice as likely to prefer working with mostly… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Generation Y / Millennials, Work, Workplace
Who’s the boss? Or rather, who wants to be the boss?
Posted On March 13, 2014
That’s the question the Pew Research Center asked recently. And the answer is, the kids. Millennials want to be the boss, Gen Xers are split, and Boomers say, no thanks. More scientifically, 32% of Boomer, 58% of Gen Xers and 70% of Millennials males (and 21%, 41% and 61%, respectively for females) want to be the boss. That may or may not come as a surprise to you. Often those with the least power are most hungry for it, and those in power better understand the burden. So, from a generational and age perspective it makes sense that the youngest… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Workplace
Millennial (not just Boomer) demands are creating new business opportunities
Posted On March 9, 2014
Aging Baby Boomers who don’t want to take on the typical retirement stereotypes have created demand for new businesses aimed at helping them address their AARP years in a whole new way. On the flip side of business, some Millennials are recognizing that their unique way of navigating the workforce demands some new ways of looking at business. Dan Friedman, the millennial founder of one such business, Thinkful, recently shared his perspective in Business Insider. In an nutshell, Friedman proposes that the loss of expectations for meaningful employee-employer loyalty has created a professional learning gap for today’s young workers. More… Read More
Categories: Baby Boomers, Blog, Entrepreneurship