How about a message from the seatbelt crew in India?

Here is a link that might be useful: something amazing

Gen X isn't much better than Gen Y. I am a boomer, born in 1959 and will be 55 this month. I work with nurses as young as 22, and I can tell you there is a generational divide. They don't think they have to work nights, weekends or holidays. We are having trouble staffing our OR (small town, not a lot of availabilities) because they don't want to take call. Have you heard about the new college graduates having their parents find jobs for them and even go on the job interviews? If someone came to interview with their mommy in tow, I wouldn't even bother interviewing them. So if they get a bad performance review, will mommy be calling the boss?

It's all in fun.

But since you're stereotyping, let's put it all out there.

traditionalists (1925-1942)
old fashioned
behind the times
rigid
risk/change aversion

baby boomers (1943-1960)
self-centered
unrealistic
political
power-driven
workaholics

generation x (1961-1981)
slackers
selfish
impatient
cynical

generation y (1982-2002)
short attention span
spoiled/disrespectful
technology-depdendent

OR... you could see them for the good they have in them

traditionalists
hardworking/dedicated
respectful of rules
conservative/traditional

baby boomers
youthful self-identity
optimistic
team players
competitive

gen x
balance work/life
self-reliant
pragmatic

gen y
fast-paced
multi-taskers
fun-seeking
technology savvy

Your choice.

During the day, I work with people who are within 5 years of my age. And I can tell you it has nothing to do with generations. I work the shift I am always scheduled to work. yet my managers work when ever they feel like it. One starts a half hour early every day and leaves up to 3 hours early every day, even taking her lunch breaks. The other might work 8 hours a week, and he's salary. They're supposed to work one night a week, but never do yet they scheduled me to work one later shift and I always do. They don't do anything according to company standards and me and another long time store employee are always fixing their mess. Yet our younger employees work their scheduled shifts, get so angry when they see what the older people are doing and there isn't anything we can do about it. I think you were either raised with work ethics or you weren't. My kids were. My son has been offered so many better paying jobs by people who have watched him work because he's such a hard worker. He turns them all down because even though he knows he can make more money, he loves the people he works for. He loves them so much he rents the house next door to his boss. My daughter has never had to look for a job, they come looking for her. And when my other son left his job they were so upset that even a higher up manager raised doggy-do-do to another manager for allowing him to leave because he's such a good worker. I always told my kids if someone is paying you to do a job, you do it right or don't do it at all and let them hire someone who will. My kids were all born between 1981 and 1985. ;)

I'm a boomer. It's not so much an age thing as how the person grew up. I don't care if they're 66 or 16; if they grew up on a farm, especially a dairy farm, they'll be excellent workers. Getting up at the crack of dawn (or, as my daughter would say, the butt-crack of dawn) you learn a decent work ethic.

Ron

ronf......I agree. I'm also a boomer. It's ethics we acquire and want to embrace. It's a choice. I meet people my age all the time that aren't taking responsibility for themselves.

It was a fun video tho....thanks for sharing...

I lol'd at the waiting for the Baby Boomer to retire bit. I am a Gen X, and I am waiting for someone to retire.

ronf, I disagree with the people who grew up on farms being excellent workers: the one manager I spoke of in my post grew up on a farm.

Debby, while there are always exceptions to rules I would say 95 out of 100 people who grew up on farms are hard workers. I live in Wisconsin, the home of dairy farms and am married to an ex farm kid. He knows how to do everything, fix everything, build anything and never stops working. While employed in the medical field, he could work as a contracter, an electrician, a tree-trimmer, even a farmer if something happened to his career. I can't tell you how many farmers I encounter who are the hardest working people I have ever met.

To me, none of the generational attitudes or outlook tendencies are better or worse, they're just different. Just as with differences between people. Different experiences and societal times produce different views and expectations of life. Understanding the differences helps in dealing with people of different ages and backgrounds, we had lots of training about that during my career in a large organization.

Farmers are farmers.

Sleeper...my Sister in Law actually called when her son didn't get a job he'd interviewed for! She called to find out why...this was not a teen ager either....he'd already been in the Navy. I said my son's would have been HORRIFIED!! She felt she was being a "good mother" ACCCCKKKKKK!

Jean, I bet that company was doubly glad they didn't hire him. Like I said, what's next? Parents calling the boss to complain about this or that. Unreal!

I agree, it doens't matter if one is old or young. Mostly, in reality, I agree with snidely. People are different. Understanding what formed the generations does help, but it's not all there is going into what makes a person who they are. "Societal times" are a part of the mixture, but it didn't affect everyone the same. How you're raised is a part of it, but again, not just farmers. Not everyone threw out values after folks who were born in 1918 were raised, or born after 1981, they're different values. Some are actually better than those taught before (thank God Jim Crowe laws have been struck down, women can vote, and many more changes that have improved the lives of everyone). Some values aren't better. Different ways of thinking, and it's not defined by being old or young.

Come together and find the commonalities.

By the way, I didn't come up with the above stereotypes good and bad. It's from a class I attended. I just keep seeing them recycled. I really do hope if one sees the downside to a different generation, they can also see the good side. Or let it all go. That'd be ideal.

DH has a boomer cousin that was born, reared & remains on the farm. He's a hard worker & mechanically minded, owns a lot of properties. Now here is the big BUT... He has served prison time for drug dealing, still has enemies "out there". Many/most of his properties look like junk yards & scrap heaps. He rarely bathes, filthy. Still, he has a lady friend ...who is a teacher.

Generalities often don't work.