generation X

I attended a webinar this morning that talked a lot about the differences between the generations. According to my birth year I fall solidly into "generation x". I have heard a lot of this stuff before, but one thing I thought was interesting was the note about cynicism and distrust of leadership, etc. This rang so true with me. I am very cynical about life in general, work, etc.

From wikipedia:
In the 1991 book Generations, William Strauss and Neil Howe called this generation the "13th Generation" because it's the 13th to know the flag of the United States (counting back to the peers of Benjamin Franklin). Strauss and Howe defined the birth years of the 13th Generation as 1965 to 1982 based on examining peaks and troughs in cultural trends rather than simply looking at birth rates.[5] Howe and Strauss speak of influences that they believe have shaped Generation 13. These influences are as follows:

* Disaffectation with governance, a lack of trust in leadership, particularly institutional leadership
* Rampant political apathy
* Increase in divorce
* Increase in mothers in the workplace
* The zero population growth movement
* Availability of birth control pills
* Increase in educational variance
* Decrease in educational funding and loan availability
* Changed career options require more academic requirements and intellectual skill
* Concerns on environmental destruction and ecological issues
* Inception of the Internet
* The end of the Cold War

Another thing I thought was really interesting was the part of the presentation on Millenials, which is where my own children fall, and all of the students I work with in my job on my boards and in office work in general here at the university. They have grown up in an age of terrorism, which has been prevalent in other areas of the world but not until recently here in the US. They tend to live for the day because tomorrow may not come.

From usa today:
High expectations of self: They aim to work faster and better than other workers.
High expectations of employers: They want fair and direct managers who are highly engaged in their professional development.
Ongoing learning: They seek out creative challenges and view colleagues as vast resources from whom to gain knowledge.
Immediate responsibility: They want to make an important impact on Day 1.
Goal-oriented: They want small goals with tight deadlines so they can build up ownership of tasks.