The once-defiant generation, the boomers are again defying expectations by evolving from the Me generation of their youth to the We generation of their midlife. What makes boomers tick now in the workplace are ideas and ideals:
• the urge to legacy
• the drive to find meaning
• the desire to make a difference and be recognized
• the wish to mentor and to have its value monetized
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The generation of idealism, boomers would rather change the dream than lose it. The same kind of resourcefulness they employed when faced earlier in their careers with the Ikes’ gray ceiling —namely, championing the idea of participatory management and all of the other workplace innovations they introduced—will be what helps them now raise that ceiling for Generations X and Y. As boomers begin to value life balance more, they will have more affinity with Gen Xers and a greater ability to make room for other generations.
In Gail Sheehy’s landmark book of 1974, Passages, life (cycles) stopped at age 50. Everything beyond that was unmapped terrain. The boomers are the ones now charting these unexplored paths, finding the best courses for forging the inter-generational quadruple win in the workplace.
Carol Orsborn