Generation X
Embrace Change! …or Be Left Behind.
There’s a lot of sameness in our products and our purchases. For manufacturing purposes, we want things to look and be the same. But we… you and me? We’re not the same. Every single person on the face of this planet is different. And yet, we try to pretend that everyone is the same. Like a pack of gum (listen to the podcast to understand this reference đ). We try to put practices and processes into our organizations and predict what human behavior will be like. And we expect it to continue to be the same. Our brains crave predictability. Our organizations are structured for predictability. And the older we get, the more we crave that social conservationâthe desire for things to be more of the same; to follow certain patterns and paths and traditions. During the postwar era when Baby Boomers were being born, society was trying to establish organizations, and we borrowed management principles from the military. In the military, every soldier is intended to follow the same rulesâdo the same things over and over again. Predictability. Process. Hierarchy. Tradition. And we took these models and we put them into our work forces and membership organizations. We decided that everything needed to be very organized and predictable. Everything is going to be the same. And by doing the same thing over and over again, we’re going to get the same results over and over again. And people are going to respond the same way over and over again. But FULL STOP. All of a sudden, we are faced with rapid change in our society. In this era of change, nothing has stayed (or will stay) the same. Everything about the way we live, work, and do business is changing. But we still crave that predictability. We still expect people to react the same way, make the same decisions, go about life interacting and communicating with our organizations the same way. We expect engagement and…
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Gen X Marks the Spot!
For more than three decades, Baby Boomers were the workforce majority, and this generation remains the largest percentage of members in associations, as well. Then, in 2015, the Millennial generation became the workforce majority, and as the largest generation in history, they became the most studied generation. But what about X? Generation X is the sandwiched-in-the-middle, smaller generation that is often overlooked and remains one of the most difficult-to-engage generations. Their arrival marked the end of membership as we know it, becoming the first generation to question the relevance of associations and ask, ‘what’s in it for me?’ Raised to be self-sufficient, Xers didn’t have the same influences as Boomers and Millennials — two generations raised with community-building and networking influences, experiences, and mindsets. As a result, the way Xers engage as members differs from Boomers and Millennials. They are more likely to need direct outreach to engage, to want short-term volunteer opportunities, and need to clearly understand how membership benefits and fits into their lives. For too long, associations have assumed Xers are exactly like Boomers and will follow suit and join associations. This hasn’t been the case, and as the generation now moving into leadership roles, associations need to seriously consider how to engage X.
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Why the Generational Topic is More Controversial — and More Relevant — Than Ever
By Sarah Sladek Thereâs been considerable debate on the topic of generations. In 2019, the âOK, Boomerâ campaign reached a fever pitch globally. The phenomenon started when an unidentified Boomer man posted a rant on TikTok against young people. Thousands of teens and 20-somethings on TikTok responded, posting videos and memes and even creating âOk, Boomerâ merchandise. The campaign has been referred to as a âmass retaliation” by Gen Z to the political, economic, and environmental choices made by decision-makers which have negatively impacted this generationâs quality of life. On the other end of the spectrum, a guest author said in an Association Chat interview last month that a personâs generation âhas no relevanceâ to how a person behaves or what influences them. He goes so far as to say the concept of generational data-mining is âbrokenâ and ânutsâ. Itâs ironic, isnât it? Gen Zs worldwide organized a campaign as a direct result of their shared, negative political, economic, and environmental experiences at the same time an author proclaims there is no relevance to shared generational experiences. What can we learn from these conflicting views? There are beneficial insights to glean from each. In his Association Chat interview, the author urged us to consider the values that drive behavior and to avoid making stereotypes, and I wholeheartedly agree. I donât agree with his dismissal of generational research, but I do agree organizations need to avoid jumping to conclusions and making broad generalizations. Not every Millennial likes avocado toast, and itâs never a good idea to shift your entire marketing budget to Snapchat simply because you assume thatâs where young people find their information and want to hear from your organization. Doing the research, seeking to really understand your audience and the unique drivers and values that exist within your organization is absolutely imperative. And as in-your-face the Ok Boomer campaign might be, itâs important we look beyond the sarcasm to the cause driving the campaign. Itâs…
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The Importance of Knowing Your People
Last week, I had an opportunity to speak to a great group of folks from the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations about generational differences in the workforce. One of my favorite parts of that experience was when we broke into groups based on our generation and answered a few questions about what we valued. Oh, I should probably mention that Iâm a Gen Xer. What does that have to do with anything? A lot, apparently. Last week, I had an opportunity to speak to a great group of folks from the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations about generational differences in the workforce. One of my favorite parts of that experience was when we broke into groups based on our generation and answered a few questions about what we valued. I do this exercise regularly in my presentations and one thing is always the same: generations value different things. However, on this day I heard something new from the Gen Xers. In response to more than one question, they brought up concerns about their health. I noticed, but I didnât think much of it until later when I was putting my heating pad under my neck. The generation of people born between the years 1965-1981 are starting to experience the effects of aging and it is changing what they value. This is incredibly important for workforce leadership to pay attention to if they want to retain a multi-generational workforce. The 21st-century workforce is nuanced. To be successful, an organization must pay attention to the individual needs of its people. The tricky part that my recent experience with the AOPO illustrates is that needs and values evolve. So what to do? Pay attention. Keep asking questions. Keep learning about your people. Be willing to evolve with them and they will stay engaged year after year. Now, where’s my heating pad… If your organization is struggling, now is the time for action. Register for our newly developed courses specifically…
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Being Future-Focused: Generational consideration with every foundational change
National Watermelon Association â Save the Associations Vol. 7 The National Watermelon Association is the oldest single fruit commodity association in the U.S., and for nearly a century it was run solely by volunteers. In 2005, the association realized that to overcome stagnant membership and the impending workforce crisis, it had to bring in professional staff. That year, Bob Morrissey joined as Executive Director and has not only created new programs for the younger generations, but he has been considering those generations with every foundational change that has been made. Future Watermelon Farm Leaders âI started by reading as much on Gen X and Gen Y as possible,â shared Morrissey. He first read Sarah Sladekâs book titled The End of Membership As We Know It. âThe topic launched us to focus on the near future, and how we could transform an association with four generations involved into something renewed that would be viable, sustainable, and growing into the next couple of decades,â stated Morrissey. He didnât want to be too aggressive as he didnât want to scare people off, but he also knew the association needed to evolve fairly quickly. One result of this effort was the creation of the Future Watermelon Farm Leaders  (FWFL) program. This young professional program is focused on giving members the opportunities they crave to further their careers and their industry. These future leaders speak and work at the national convention, take part in the associationâs varied committees, and network with industry professionals. âThey are the future and they are engaged,â said Morrissey. The program has been well received, which is why it is about to enter into a new phase. Recognizing farmingâs crucial role in feeding the world, Morrissey shared that âwith the average age of farmers today [being] over 58 years old, it is vital for us to embrace the younger generations to continue that respected trade and to lead our association.â In the new version of the FWFL,…
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Which Generation Works The Hardest?
Last week I spoke at a corporate event where younger generations were getting a tongue-lashing from their Baby Boomer counterparts. The Boomers were scolding Generation Y for needing constant feedback, being unable to prioritize, and wanting to have (gasp!) fun at work. Indeed, thereâs a stereotype in many offices that younger employeesâespecially those born since the mid â80sâare less responsible and unreliable. Itâs history repeating itself. Remember when Generation X entered the workforce? They were labeled as âslackersâ because they wanted flex-time. And both the Xers and Ys will gladly sling mud at the Boomers, referring to them as âworkaholicsâ and âfuddy-duddiesâ. Thereâs more than name-calling at work here. What these negative stereotypes really stem from are differences in productivity. For a generation that followed the Industrial Revolution and was raised to value hard work, the perceived lack of Generation X and Yâs productivity drives the Boomers absolutely nuts. In fact, 68% of Boomers feel âyounger peopleâ do not have as strong a work ethic as they do and that makes doing their own work harder. I donât think the Boomers are doing the lionâs share of the work while Xers slack off and Ys seek pats on the back. Rather, productivity resembles something different for each generation. This blog was written to help organizations better understand why they are challenged with differing generational demographics. Our studies show that the significant disruptions and societal shifts of the past 20+ years have influenced younger members behaviors. This has affected the reasons why joining and engaging with your organization is different today. The research findings do not apply to every single member of each generation. However, our 20 years of ongoing research findings continue to hold true – making the information valuable when drafting membership engagement and growth strategies to target younger members. Boomers (1946-1964) Productivity = DedicationBoomers tend to lean toward vision and values. They like inspiring mission statements, setting goals, fixing problems, and measure success in terms of…
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At Risk Of Aging Out: The Oldest Fortune 500 Companies And Industries
A recent report by RetirementJobs.com ranked Fortune 500 employers by the percentage of workers they have over age 50. RetirementJobs.com gathered data from public records and surveys of employers and employees, to illustrate for job seekers which industries tend to employ a disproportionately high or low percentage of mature workers. The results show that the airline industry employs the most workers over age 50, and that American Airlines was first in the nation, with nearly 40% of its workforce over age 50. Toward the other end of the scale is Google with just 12% of workers over 50. The top Fortune 500 industries for the number of workers over 50 are: Airlines Utilities Insurance Retail Chemicals Aerospace & Defense Packaging & Containers Forest & Paper Products Food Production Beverages The Top 10 Fortune 500 Employers With Older Workers: American Airlines 39% Eastman Kodak  38% TravelCenters of America 38% Delta Air Lines 37% United Air Lines 37% Weyerhaeuser 36% Edison International  36% Northeast Utilities 36% United Services Automobile Assn. 35% KeyCorp 35% The Bottom 10 Fortune 500 Employers For Older Workers: Consol Energy 14% Nordstrom 14% Chesapeake Energy 14% Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold 14% Electronic Arts 13% Google, Inc. 12% C.H. Robinson Worldwide 12% Goldman Sachs Group 11% Auto-Owners Insurance 9% AECOM Technology 6% If your organization is struggling, now is the time for action. Register for our newly developed courses specifically designed to help membership organizations more effectively engage and retain members.Â
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Stories From a Gen X Outlier: Why I Join
Sarah Sladekâs presentation to my employer, a professional society of dentists, on the demographic challenges facing associations was fascinating, not just because it rang true to my organization, but also because it confirmed that I was a Gen X outlier. As a â66 baby, Iâm on the cusp of generations, so perhaps that is an explanation for my âjoining,â more attuned to a Boomer than my own generation. My beautiful bride, three years my junior and also a Xer likes to explain that I donât know the meaning, nor have the ability to say âno.â I certainly have an affinity for wanting to help people, which explains partially how I wound up in association work. But itâs deeper than that I think. My first âjoinâ was U.S. Army after high school. Does that count? An assortment of student organizations in college and law school soon followed. A career joiner As I got into my association management career, the real joining started. First and foremost is the American Legion, the largest veterans group in the nation. To be completely forthright, my membership was not entirely for altruistic means. Coming off an unsuccessful run for public office, I thought expanding my personal and professional network as well as associating with a respected organization would facilitate my efforts at the next political campaign. Which by the way, still hasnât come about. A funny thing happened though with my being involved in the Legion. The wise, mostly WWII vets, did something significant. They made me post Vice-Commander, and then Commander. And the more involved I became, the more I enjoyed what I was doing: helping out not just my fellow vets, but also significantly contributing to my community. And then I was asked to join the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Then the Knights of Columbus. Then the Catholic Order of Foresters. Then three church groups. Then Boards of Zoning Appeals in three different towns and a Plan Commission in one of them. Then…
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Hereâs why you should be talking to millennials
Sarah Sladek contributed to this article by Think Advisor. How many of you are marketing to millennials right now?â the moderator asked the audience at the âGetting Gen Y to Buyâ presentation by Sarah Sladek, CEO of XYZ University (photo, below), at NAILBA 34 in Orlando, Florida. There were about 50 to 60 people in the room at the time and only four, which he counted out loud, raised their hands. While this isnât necessarily surprising, the fact that advisors and marketers arenât focusing on this generation â which, as of this year, has a buying power of $600 billion, according to Sladek â is worrying. As soon as she hit the stage, Sladek played a video that captured three generations, from boomers through millennials. Read the complete article here.
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