The Complete Lawyer

Understand Generational Perspectives

Generational perspectives play an important role in mentoring. Social scientists believe that all generations experience “defining moments” during their formative years—events that capture the attention and emotions of thousands, cutting across gender, social, economic and ethnic lines. These defining moments shape core values, motivations and expectations of behavior. Today, we are witness to the clash of these varying perspectives in the workplace; therefore, decoding the various belief systems regarding mentoring and feedback is critical.

Veterans (aged 64 and older) adhere to the “no news is good news” philosophy of feedback. Their defining moments were World War II and the Depression. During their childhoods they learned about self-sacrifice for the greater good. A generation united by war, with the military as their model of institutional behavior, they grew up believing in the chain of command. Everyone obeyed the rules. They recognize and value institutional hierarchy and respect those with seniority. For the Veterans, work fulfills a sense of duty; the only reward needed was knowing you’ve done your job well.

Baby Boomers (aged 45-63) focus on annual performance reviews complete with documentation and career development plans. Their defining event was the Vietnam War coupled with the civil rights movement and women’s liberation. But whereas WWII brought the Veterans together, Vietnam tore the Boomers apart. Eighty million people strong, this generation was poised to change the world. However, they simply could not agree on how to do it. As new workers, they questioned the rules and began a grassroots movement to change them. Challenging the status quo, they questioned authority by engaging in process, believing change is achieved through informed consensus. Boomers work for a sense of self-fulfillment and find their reward in the status that comes with hard work.

Gen Xs (aged 29-44) prefer timely, informal feedback over annual, formal, structured reviews. This is perhaps the most misunderstood generation. Often referred to as slackers, they are perceived as being disloyal and disinterested. Their defining moments were bleak: the first generation of “latchkey kids,” they grew up in the shadow of Watergate, AIDS and the Challenger disaster; they witnessed massive corporate layoffs and downsizings. During their childhoods, the divorce rate tripled, and government and institutions failed to live up to expectations. As a result, this generation is very self-reliant.

GenYs (aged 28 and under) need the structure of on-going feedback coupled with a formal review process. They view work as a means to an end. Although they enjoy the personal fulfillment that comes with a job well done, they primarily seek the freedom money buys them to pursue outside interests. They believe in leadership by competence, not seniority or title; they can come across as disrespectful to the Veterans and Boomers, and indifferent to Gen Ys.

Technology has been the dominant force defining this youngest generation. Like the Boomers before them, GenYs have been told they can change the world. Technology supports that belief. With technology, everything is possible. Gen Ys do not know a time before cell phones, computers, or the Internet. They grew up with 24-hour news, talk shows and reality TV. Every fact, idea and opinion has a forum in which to be expressed, including their own. They grew up believing competition was not about winning and losing, but about participating. Everyone got a turn at T-ball and won a trophy just for showing up. As a result, this generation enters the world of work feeling very self-confident and expects rewards and praise.

These differing life perspectives impact behaviors and attitudes in the workplace. Those charged with delivering performance feedback and mentoring need to consider the generational attitudes, values and perspectives of others in order to craft and deliver messages that will be heard. Given that the ultimate goal of mentoring is to strengthen the workforce, adjusting your delivery style to accommodate different generations is not simply a matter of “being nice.” It is more self-serving than that. By giving your listeners what they need, you are more likely to get what you need from the exchange. As a Veteran or Boomer mentor/manager, it may be helpful to shift your mindset from “mentoring as a management tool” to “mentoring as a coaching tool.” Younger workers respond more effectively to coaching because it appeals to their self-reliant and self-confident natures.

When mentoring the younger generations remember:

Gen Xers respond well to authentic leadership, not titles and hierarchies. Because they prefer open, informal communications, on-going, timely feedback is imperative. Be honest, direct, matter-of-fact and unafraid when delivering feedback or discussing challenging issues—and expect pushback. Although you may perceive this pushback as an inability to hear your message or resistance to your criticism, it really is a Gen Xer’s way of thinking through the message. Your role is to coach Gen Xers to understand the validity of your comments (or the errors in their approach) by asking questions to lead them to the proper conclusion.

Gen Ys, who crave constant praise and direction, respond well to structure and clear expectations. When providing them with feedback, emphasize team work and goals and stress how their individual efforts will contribute to the team’s mission.

Each generation contributes to a more efficient workplace. As a mentor, you need to recognize the value of each generation’s unique perspective and heed the ancient Chinese Proverb:

“Blessed is the generation in which the young listen to the old; and doubly blessed is the generation in which the old listen to the young.”