Generations in the Workplace: Baby Boomers

AKRON — Generations in the workplace has been a hot topic in a variety of industries and for good reason  —  this is the first time in history that five generations are active in the workforce.

From the Traditional Generation to Generation Z and everywhere in between, people are heading to work.

“History is in the making,” said Meagan Johnson, Generation X, co-author of Generations Inc. with her father, Larry Johnson, a Baby Boomer.

“Never before have five generations occupied the workplace as they do now,” she claims.

Why does this matter? Because working together can spell the difference between a successful business and one that simply muddles along or, ultimately, fails. Tire Business plans to take a look into each generation in the workplace, defining key characteristics and tips for working together. There are often misconceptions about each generation from the perspective of others.

Tire Business' “Generations in the Workplace” series will take a detailed look at each generation — not just exploring the traits of each generation, but why each generation's members are the way they are, with tips for working with and managing them.

Earlier this year Ms. Johnson spoke at the Virginia Automotive Association's annual conference, after which Tire Business Reporter Jennifer Karpus sat down and spoke with her. This led to Ms. Karpus reading Generations Inc. and putting together a five-part series on the topic.

This first installment focused on the Traditional Generation.

Stay tuned to www.tirebusiness.com as a new generation — as described in the Johnsons' book — will be featured each week.

This week will focus on the “Baby Boomers,” which is a term coined for the 77 million people that were born between 1946-1964. The country had never seen such a boost in birth rate when the Boomers first came on the scene, and as they get closer to retirement age the number of senior citizens in the U.S. is going to double.

“That's like taking every single person that lives in California and every single person that lives in the New England states. That's how many senior citizens we're going to have,” Ms. Johnson said.

From the Traditional Generation to their children —the Baby Boomers — a lot had changed. For instance, Ms. Johnson explained that her grandfather, a Traditional, said his family pulled him out of school in eighth grade because he had to get to work.

This is in contrast to her other grandfather, who was also part of the Traditional Generation, but went all the way through school. He even attended college following WWII with the help of the G.I. Bill. While growing up, Traditionals may have thought college was out of reach for one reason or another, Ms. Johnson said Baby Boomers pursued educational opportunities.

Boomers get A+ in sharing   

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Baby Boomers were the first generation to ever be graded on a report card “works well/plays well with others,” Ms. Johnson explained.

This shift occurred because there were more students in school at one time. Ms. Johnson reported that almost 50 percent of all the country's public education buildings today were built in the 1950s to accommodate the influx. There were about 30-50 children in each class.

“Attending school in these crowded conditions, Baby Boomers quickly learned the value of teamwork,” the Johnsons wrote.

Growing up with these cramped quarters meant Baby Boomers learned how to share school supplies because there was not enough to go around. This led to a generation of adults who value teamwork. It was in the 1980s, when Baby Boomers started to take management positions, that businesses started speaking about teamwork, having team meetings, electing a team leader, etc., Ms. Johnson explained to attendees at the VAA Convention.

“The ripple effect: the changes we see in the workplace today that you may even notice at your automobile repair centers, is Baby Boomers, you are known as the ‘Teamwork Generation,'” Ms. Johnson added.

For other generations trying to work with a Baby Boomer, think about this when approaching them for a project. “Taking a team approach with a Boomer goes a long way toward cementing your relationship with him or her,” the Johnsons pointed out.

Baby Boomers want to understand technology

For younger generations, getting a Baby Boomer boss or co-worker onboard with a technological change may be a challenge. During the VAA Convention, Ms. Johnson had members of Generation Y group together, while the other generations grouped together and each shared their thoughts on each other.

Gen Y thought Baby Boomers were slow to act and not technologically-advanced, whereas, their older counterparts thought Gen Y moved too quickly.

Ms. Johnson said one of the biggest mistakes younger generations can make with Baby Boomers is think they are not interested in technology. That is not true; however, there are generational differences.

Baby Boomers want to understand how technology is going to make their job or life easier, she said. If they do not process that information, then they may keep doing things the same way.

“If you have a Baby Boomer that you feel is resistant to technology, it falls upon you to demonstrate to them how…that technology is going to make their job or life easier,” Ms. Johnson said.

There are two keys to taking it upon oneself to train a Baby Boomer with technology: train them one-on-one and check back in with them no more than 10 days later.

Younger generations tend to train with technology to use the technology, Ms. Johnson said. This does not work. Take the time to work with the Baby Boomer one-on-one in terms they understand so they can understand what the objective is.

Once a Baby Boomer is trained, they need to be followed up with. If a Baby Boomer starts using a new technology and he or she hits a bump, that person will be more apt to go back to the ways things were.

For instance, if a shop owner is trying new software and forgets a step — extending the process and making the job more difficult — that owner is going to go back to the way he or she knows will work.

As a member of the training younger generation, Ms. Johnson said a person would feel like that Baby Boomer is rebuffing their attempts at modernizing the way the company does business. However, that person can assist in that transition by taking actual one-on-one time to train and then following up to make sure the Baby Boomer understand how to use the technology after a few days.

If these two steps are taken and the Baby Boomer understands how the technology will make their life or job easier, they will be more accepting of that technology, Ms. Johnson said.

Don't let Boomers' people skills be lost forever

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Baby Boomers have been in the workforce for a few decades. They have experience, which can be great, but it also can be problematic if they are not passing knowledge down the line.

Because Baby Boomers have longevity in the workforce and have superior teamworking skills, Ms. Johnson said they are politically savvy creatures. That translates to: Baby Boomers know how to get the job done. They know that if something needs to be done as soon as possible, they know who to call. They know what suppliers not to call on a Monday morning, etc.

This “people knowledge” is great for a company, but if it stays in the head of the Baby Boomer employee, when they retire, it will be lost.

“What you do not want is that Baby Boomer walking out the door with that information,” Ms. Johnson said.

She related it to a conversation she had previously with an audience member. She approached Ms. Johnson after her presentation and explained it's the same with family recipes. If no one takes the time to write anything down, it can be lost forever.

“They (Baby Boomers) have this incredible recipe book about your business and your customers and how business is done,” she said.

“And that recipe book needs to be shared.”

Ms. Johnson asked the non-Baby Boomers in the crowd what they are doing to reach out and gain this knowledge. Baby Boomers are good at what they do and that they can be taken for granted, she said. People may assume they will always be around to do that work.

“We kind of forget that if they're not there tomorrow, or a week from now, or a year from now, that's going to leave a huge hole,” she said.

“Reach out to those Baby Boomers. Talk to them. Shadow them. Have them write things down.”

Tips for younger managers

As many Baby Boomers reach the age of retirement, they are opting to stick around the business. Because of that, there are more opportunities for this age bracket to be managed by those younger than them.

This can be a tricky line as managers try to respect the Baby Boomers and also earn respect from their employees. The first thing to note is to realize that regardless of a person's age or closeness to retirement, there should always be training opportunities.

With that in mind, there are ways for Gen X and Gen Y managers to successfully manage Baby Boomers.

Baby Boomers have been in the business world for decades, and managers should respect their experience, the Johnsons noted.

Baby Boomers have great people skills, and this can come into play a lot in the business world. Ask legitimate questions when warranted.

Do not just focus training efforts on younger generations. Baby Boomers are at the point in their career where they do not need much direct supervision, the Johnsons said, but that does not mean that a manager should just leave them be without ever checking in on them. The Johnsons advise to have an open dialogue with Baby Boomer employees to see what their expectations and desires are for their current role.

These issues should be discussed early in every working relationship, they said, so that both sides understand expectations.

While younger generations may have more time left in the workforce than their Boomer counterparts, it does not mean that those employees are going to stay at the company.

“With many Boomers planning to extend their careers because they can't afford to retire or simply like working, they may be around longer than you think,” the Johnsons said.

“Since most Gen Xers and Gen Yers view their jobs as temporary assignments, paying to train older employees may be the safer bet.”

If any friction does occur between a Baby Boomer and their younger boss, the Johnsons advise to deal with any issues or resistance. Baby Boomers do have a wealth of knowledge and experience, but with that, they may recall a time when a change occurred that did not work. They may have resistance to change, and that just presents an opportunity for a manager to work for a solution.

By allowing a Baby Boomer — or any employee for that matter — to opt out of a change or not adhere to a company policy, “you risk eroding your credibility with the Gen Xers and Gen Yers who are watching,” the Johnsons said.

Additionally, if a technological change is being made at a company, it is most likely for a reason. If a manager allows an employee to not use this new system, it can decrease productivity, which is not an outcome desired for the team.

The key to managing Baby Boomers is to earn their respect, not just demand it. “You are younger than the Boomers and that won't change,” the Johnsons said.

“For a while you will be perceived as ‘just a kid.” Accept it and have a sense of humor about it. You will gain respect by your performance.”

Next week's edition of “Generations in the workplace” will feature Generation X, those born 1965-1980.