The Truth About Getting the Best from People, Second Edition

Truth 39. All the generations want the same things

In recent years—especially before the current economic crisis kicked in—clear delineations seemed to exist among the various groups we like to define as generations. Baby Boomers, GenX, GenY, and Millennials were believed to want different things from work, to have different attitudes toward their work, and to have different expectations from their management. Consequently, a whole management consulting expertise emerged designed to make business leaders feel uncertain about their approach to managing employees from different age groups—and then to reap the financial rewards from serving that organizational uncertainty.

What if we were all wrong? Economic stresses and a shrinking job market are ...