The generation that introduced the latch key kids are also the same ones that see work as just that: work. Today we discuss how to lead the Gen X generation.
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Transcript
Good day and welcome to the leading with nice daily. My name is Mathieu Yuill, and this week we’re looking at leading a four gen workplace and today we’re going to look at gen X. I personally am a gen X, so I relate very well to this. However, I do in some definitions, I could be also considered a millennial, but I more identify with gen X. Now, other genexers would include Michael Jordan and the artist jewel. So those are the kinds of people that were growing up at the same time. This is a generation where the term latch key kid came from. These are kids that had their house key around their neck, would go home for lunch when they were 12. They’re making, you know, dinner and lunch for their eight and six year old siblings. They took care of themselves, huge levels of independence, but more from a survivor mindset. Then I’m an old travel in a van around the Southwest U S, it was just a sense of survival.
They witnessed the fall of the Berlin wall and they also had the highest rate of divorced parents. They were taught through their life to be self-sufficient. Now, because of this, they’re more likely to view work as just a job, as something they do for survival. So when you’re dealing with them, you need to understand that they probably feel like they don’t need a lot of input, but can do what they want and is kind of not, sorry, not do what they want. They want to know what are the boundaries, what are the rules, where is the sandbox? And I will play in it because that is how I’m going to survive. Also, this group is fun because technology is exciting for them because it’s always been introduced. That’s all for today. For more on this topic, visit Leadingwithnice.com where we want to help you inspire others, build loyalty and get results talk to you tomorrow.