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# Bridgeworks

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://generations.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Introducing Gen Z](https://generations.com/blog/introducing-gen-z/): As this digitally native generation matures—with its oldest members approaching 30 years old in 2025—Gen Z is increasingly influencing society as consumers, employees, and citizens. Recent data shows Gen Z comprising around 18% of the U.S. workforce, surpassing Baby Boomers (about 15%) amid ongoing retirements. 
- [Building Trust with Baby Boomers and Generation X](https://generations.com/blog/building-trust-with-baby-boomers-and-generation-x/): Amid prolonged uncertainty (2020-2025), building trust in leadership is crucial for engagement and performance. A significant trust gap persists; Gallup's 2025 report shows global employee engagement at 21% (down from 23%), with low leadership trust contributing to an estimated $438 billion in lost productivity in 2024. 
- [Building Trust with Millennials and Gen Z](https://generations.com/blog/building-trust-with-millennials-and-gen-z/): To build trust with Millennials and Gen Z, leaders must go beyond traditional credibility, focusing on purpose, authentic communication, and well-being.
- [“I’m Not-An-Xer” Xers](https://generations.com/blog/im-not-an-xer-xers/): This article draws compelling parallels between Generation X and Millennials, highlighting how both faced harsh stereotypes upon entering the workforce. Gen Xers in the 1980s–90s were labeled slackers, cynical, and disloyal, prompting many to reject the “Gen X” label. These judgments masked deeper truths: shaped by economic upheaval, corporate layoffs, and “latchkey” independence, Xers developed pragmatic skepticism, a drive for efficiency, and a strong commitment to work-life balance, prioritizing quality hours and family over endless overtime.
- [Early Millennials + Recessionists: Meet the Two Millennial Subgroups](https://generations.com/blog/early-millennials-recessionists-meet-the-two-millennial-subgroups/): Millennials are often treated as one group—but BridgeWorks research reveals two distinct subgroups shaped by different economic, technological, and cultural realities. Understanding the divide between Early Millennials and Recessionists helps explain why Millennials can appear contradictory at work—and why leadership approaches need to adapt.
- [Gen X on the Edge: Surviving Childhood](https://generations.com/blog/gen-x-on-the-edge-surviving-childhood/): This article is authored by a Gen Xer who fondly recalls childhood but admits the "good old days" for Baby Boomers and Gen X were surprisingly dangerous compared to today's safety-focused world for Millennials and Gen Z.
- [Embracing Generational Diversity in the Workplace](https://generations.com/blog/embracing-generational-diversity-in-the-workplace/): Generational diversity is a vital, often overlooked, aspect of DE&I. With four or five generations in the workforce—Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z—inclusive practices are critical, especially as Millennials and Gen Z are projected to constitute 74% of the global workforce by 2030 (Deloitte 2025). Organizations must foster intergenerational collaboration, continuous learning, and bidirectional mentorship (including reverse mentoring, used by 72% of DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies 2025). These strategies dismantle silos, driving innovation, better problem-solving, and enhanced resilience, retention, and sustainability in a multigenerational environment.
- [Knowledge Transfer: Empowering Baby Boomers](https://generations.com/blog/knowledge-transfer-empowering-baby-boomers/): With a "silver tsunami" of Baby Boomer retirements looming—even as nearly 20% of those 65+ continue working, often due to financial need—organizations face significant risks to leadership and institutional knowledge.
- [Knowledge Transfer: Mentoring Millennials](https://generations.com/blog/knowledge-transfer-mentoring-millennials/): The "Peak 65" surge has 11,400 Baby Boomers turning 65 daily in 2025 (4.2 million annually through 2027), driving labor shortages in key sectors and risking major knowledge loss. Younger workers can't fully replace them due to demographic and skill gaps, requiring urgent Millennial-focused succession planning. 
- [Millennial Communication: It’s Not All About I.M.](https://generations.com/blog/millennial-communication-its-not-all-about-i-m/): This article debunks stereotypes about Millennials' workplace communication, showing their preferences are context-driven despite valuing modern technology. Email suits routine tasks, while face-to-face is preferred for serious matters like performance reviews or resigning. It highlights the perception-reality gap on texting, the efficiency of in-person dialogue, and technology's ongoing role in collaboration—urging leaders to adapt approaches to avoid disengaging Millennials, who seek meaningful connections and may leave if undervalued.
- [Motivating a Multigenerational Workplace: A Leadership Perspective](https://generations.com/blog/motivating-a-multigenerational-workplace-a-cheat-sheet/): Motivation in today’s workplace isn’t one-size-fits-all. With four generations working side by side, what energizes one person may fall flat for another. This article explores how generational dynamics shape motivation—and how leaders can better recognize, respond to, and support what drives engagement across age groups.
- [Moving Past Millennial Fatigue as a Leader](https://generations.com/blog/3-tips-for-curing-your-millennial-fatigue/): Millennial fatigue isn’t about leading others—it’s about leading under the weight of generational narratives. As Millennials step into leadership roles, many carry unspoken pressure to counter stereotypes while proving credibility. This article explores how recognizing and releasing those inherited stories can help Millennial leaders lead with greater clarity, confidence, and sustainability.
- [Next Gen Speak: 10 Terms to Decode Your Next Convo with Gen Z](https://generations.com/blog/next-gen-speak-10-terms-to-decode-your-next-convo-with-gen-edge/): Gen Z language changes quickly, but the meaning behind it is often more important than the words themselves. This article offers a practical snapshot of commonly used Gen Z terms—not as a guide to speaking their language, but as a way to better understand the humor, context, and signals shaping how younger generations communicate today.
- [NextGen: The Key to Revamping Onboarding](https://generations.com/blog/nextgen-the-key-to-revamping-onboarding/): To foster stronger multigenerational workplaces, organizations should integrate generational awareness into onboarding programs, addressing communication preferences and expectations around feedback, transparency, and growth.
- [Passed Down From Gen Xperience](https://generations.com/blog/passed-down-from-gen-xperience/): In this article, a Gen X parent examines how their generation's parenting has shaped Gen Z children through four lenses: what was said, unsaid, done, and not done.
- [Show Me the Value: Recruiting Next Gen Financial Advisors](https://generations.com/blog/show-me-the-value-recruiting-next-gen-financial-advisors/): The financial services industry faces a projected advisor shortage of 90,000–110,000 by 2034 as Baby Boomers retire, compounded by younger generations' reluctance toward finance careers. To reverse this, firms must align recruitment with Millennial and Gen Z values: purpose (89–92% value), collaboration, and innovation, per Deloitte's 2025 survey. This involves three strategies: emphasizing meaningful impact (client life goals over earnings), highlighting teamwork and partnerships (including reverse mentoring), and showcasing opportunities for creative problem-solving via fintech. By authentically integrating purpose, collaboration, and innovation, firms can reposition financial advising as a fulfilling, forward-thinking profession essential for attracting future talent.
- [Ten Quick Tips to Level-Up Your Generational Training](https://generations.com/blog/ten-quick-tips-to-level-up-your-generational-training/): This article covers practical, proven strategies to transform standard generational workshops into dynamic, memorable experiences. From understanding your audience and setting clear objectives to incorporating creative icebreakers, interactive games, nostalgia, and skillful group management, these ten actionable tips help trainers keep participants of every generation engaged, inspired, and actively learning from start to finish.
- [The Top 5 Generational ClashPoints in the Workforce](https://generations.com/blog/the-top-5-generational-clashpoints-in-the-workforce/): This article introduces "ClashPoints"—common multigenerational workplace tensions in communication, work ethic, empowerment, motivation, and burnout. Drawing on real-world observations and data (Deloitte 2025, Gallup), it highlights how perceptual generational differences impact productivity. By offering practical, generation-specific quick tips and emphasizing mutual understanding, the piece equips leaders to bridge divides. Adopting a generational lens fosters harmony, reduces friction, and boosts performance, leading to 20–30% higher engagement and lower turnover.
- [Training Tips for Multi-Generational Engagement](https://generations.com/blog/training-tips-for-multi-generational-engagement/): To engage multigenerational audiences in corporate training sessions amid shrinking attention spans (as low as eight seconds in some studies), trainers should adopt tailored strategies for maximum impact.
- [Trades, Tech, and Talent ](https://generations.com/blog/trades-tech-and-talent/): Skilled trades and manufacturing face a severe labor shortage, exacerbated by Baby Boomer retirements (2.1 million projected unfilled U.S. manufacturing jobs by 2030; 439,000 more construction workers needed in 2025). Only two young workers replace every five retiring Boomers due to negative stereotypes and overemphasis on college.
- [Tuning Your Web Strategy to All Generations](https://generations.com/blog/tuning-your-web-strategy-to-all-generations/): Your website is often the first place different generations experience your brand—and those experiences aren’t interpreted the same way. From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, each generation brings distinct expectations to digital spaces. This article explores how generational values shape online behavior and how leaders can design web strategies that connect across age groups rather than unintentionally excluding them.
- [What Family Dynamics Can Teach You About Managing Millennials](https://generations.com/blog/what-family-dynamics-can-teach-you-about-managing-millennials/): Managing Millennials often feels less like a technical challenge and more like a relational one. In multigenerational workplaces, leaders bring their own generational lenses into how they communicate, mentor, and set expectations. Using a family analogy, this article explores common generational dynamics that show up when managing Millennials—and how greater awareness can reduce friction and strengthen leadership effectiveness.
- [What’s Next For Boomers? A Little R&R… & Also R](https://generations.com/blog/whats-next-for-boomers-a-little-r-r-also-r/): Baby Boomers are redefining later life, rejecting traditional retirement for a purposeful "encore stage." With nearly a quarter still working in 2025, many delay retirement for financial and engagement reasons. They pursue three main paths: giving back via nonprofit work/volunteering, entrepreneurship (more likely than Millennials to start businesses), and boomerang returns to former employers flexibly (contributing to rising "unretirement" rates). Boomers are enthusiastically shaping a new chapter blending income, impact, and independence.

## Pages
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/gen-z-conference-speaker/): Conference audiences are harder to win than most. They have sat through a full day of sessions. They have checked their email between talks. They are deciding in the first two minutes whether this speaker is worth their attention. A Gen Z conference speaker from BridgeWorks is built for exactly that room: high expectations, mixed generations, and a topic that matters too much to waste on surface-level commentary.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/gen-z-keynote-speaker/): Gen Z is no longer the generation arriving someday. They have overtaken Baby Boomers as a share of the workforce, and the leaders, HR teams, and organizations figuring out how to work with them need more than surface-level commentary. A Gen Z keynote speaker from BridgeWorks delivers the depth, research, and practical strategy that turns a room full of questions into a team with a plan.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/book-gen-z-speaker/): Enough for us to scope accurately: event date and location, format (in person, virtual, or hybrid), audience size and makeup, session length, the corporate event or program the session sits inside, your goals, and any budget parameters. Sharing what has already been tried helps too. The booking process starts with a conversation rather than a form. Our Chief Experience Officer will ask the questions that matter and help clarify goals before anything is quoted. Nothing needs to be finalized before you reach out to book a Gen Z workplace speaker; we shape the scope together.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/generational-consulting/): A keynote opens the door. A training session builds the skill. However, if the differences between generations are ingrained in your organisation's recruitment, promotion, communication and retention practices, you need more than one event. Generational consulting gives organizations ongoing, expert-guided strategy for the workforce challenges a one-time session can't solve alone.
- [Training programs developed by SBP for generational differences at the workplace](https://generations.com/our-solutions/generational-differences-training/): Awareness fades; practiced behavior does not. Our generational differences training moves through three stages: understanding the why behind generational behavior, recognizing the strengths each generation brings, and then practicing specific actions in the moments that matter, including feedback, onboarding, meetings, conflict, and knowledge transfer. Participants work real scenarios rather than hypotheticals, build shared language they will actually use, and leave with a small set of commitments. Organizations that reinforce with Learner Action Guides, follow-up sessions, and manager accountability see the change hold. Our definition of success is behavioral, not informational.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/cross-generational-marketing/): Your workforce isn't the only place generational differences show up. Your customer base is shaped by them too, and most marketing strategies still don't account for it. Cross-generational marketing exists because a message calibrated for one generation of buyers routinely falls flat, or worse, actively alienates another.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/cross-generational-communication/): Most cross-generational communication advice stops at "be aware of differences." That's a start, not a strategy. The organizations that actually see communication improve go further: they install specific, repeatable habits that work regardless of who's in the room.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/cross-generational-management/): Most management advice assumes a single, uniform employee. The premise of cross-generational management is a more honest one: on any team, there may be someone who grew up with rotary phones and another who has never known a world without a smartphone, and maybe as many as five generations.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/gen-z-management-workshop/): Not every organization is putting out a fire with Gen Z employees. Plenty are simply preparing for what's coming. Gen Z now makes up a rapidly growing share of the workforce, and many managers are about to lead this generation for the first time. This workshop is built for that moment: proactive preparation, not damage control.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/managing-gen-z-workshop/): The format is built around practice. Managers work real scenarios drawn from their own environment: a new hire who will not speak up in meetings, a request for schedule flexibility that conflicts with coverage, feedback that was received as criticism. Activities include structured peer discussion, scenario analysis in small groups, live rehearsal of difficult conversations, and reflection exercises that surface a manager’s own generational assumptions. We avoid abstract activities. In a managing Gen Z employee workshop the exercises are the job itself, slowed down enough to practice.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/leading-multigenerational-teams-workshop/): Managing a team that spans four generations means managing four different sets of assumptions about what good leadership looks like, often at the same time, in the same meeting. This workshop is built specifically for the people carrying that responsibility: frontline managers, team leads, and senior leaders.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/generational-sales-workshop/): Our generational sales workshop applies the same research behind our workplace training to the buying side of the relationship: how different generations evaluate credibility and expertise, what builds confidence in a brand or a salesperson, and what actually motivates a "yes" instead of a "let me think about it." Baby Boomer and Gen X buyers often want relationships and track records established before they commit; Millennial and Gen Z buyers frequently want transparency, peer validation, and a fast, low-friction path to decision.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/multigenerational-collaboration-workshop/): Most collaboration problems on a multigenerational team don't come from a lack of goodwill. They come from four generations quietly using different rulebooks for the same conversation. A multigenerational collaboration workshop gives teammates a shared one.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/generational-customer-service-workshop/): Our research into generational behavior extends beyond the workplace and into the marketplace: how different generations evaluate trust, credibility, and service quality, and what actually earns their loyalty. A generational customer service workshop takes that research and turns it into a practical skill set for the people fielding calls, chats, and complaints every day.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/business-etiquette-gen-z/): Business etiquette training for Gen Z employees is designed to close that gap directly and respectfully, without the "kids these days" framing that shows up in a lot of generational commentary. Sessions cover practical, immediately usable territory: professional communication across channels, meeting etiquette, giving and receiving feedback, and reading the unwritten expectations of a specific workplace culture.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/managing-gen-z-training/): Gen Z has overtaken Baby Boomers as a share of the workforce, and many managers are leading this generation for the first time without a clear playbook. Managing Gen Z training exists to close that gap with practical strategy, not stereotypes.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/training-millennials-workplace/): Five come up repeatedly: feedback frequency, where annual reviews meet an expectation of ongoing input; definitions of work ethic, where hours-based dedication meets results-based flexibility; communication channel norms; pace of advancement; and how authority is earned versus assigned. Training millennials in the workplace should address all five as two-way dynamics, because Boomer and Gen X managers have legitimate reasoning behind their expectations too. The focus areas and skills development we build around these tensions give both sides specific language and behaviors, not just awareness.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/generational-diversity-training/): Most workplaces today include Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z working side by side, each shaped by different historical moments, technology, and cultural expectations. Generational diversity training’s goal is to help teams leverage those differences into a real advantage, rather than daily friction.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/multigenerational-workforce-training/): Today's multigenerational workforce brings together Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z, each with different experiences, expectations, communication styles, and attitudes about work. That diversity can be a major organizational strength, but it can also create misunderstandings and friction. Multigenerational workforce training helps employees replace assumptions with understanding.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/generations-workplace-speaker/): Most work tension is not caused by bad intentions. assuming their own expectations are universal. A generation in the workplace speaker exists to name that pattern and give your team a way through it.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/generational-speaker/): Generationally diverse teams have real, measurable potential: institutional knowledge alongside fresh perspective, pragmatism alongside innovation. The right generational speaker is what turns that potential into performance instead of friction.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/generational-keynote-speaker/): A generational keynote speaker does more than describe four different generations. They give a room full of people a shared language for understanding each other.
- [](https://generations.com/our-solutions/millennial-speaker/): We help organizations improve how they recruit, manage, and engage millennial employees across every level. When you hire a millennial speaker from BridgeWorks, your audience walks away with practical strategies to reduce workplace friction, strengthen team collaboration, and get the most out of a multigenerational workforce.
- [Testimonials](https://generations.com/testimonials/): Speaker experience testimonials
- [Media](https://generations.com/media/): BridgeWorks Media & Press Center
- [Our Insights](https://generations.com/our-insights/): Home »
- [Blog](https://generations.com/blog/): Home »
- [Contact Us](https://generations.com/connect/): Ready to bridge generational gaps in your organization? 
- [Our Work](https://generations.com/our-work/): Our Work
- [Our People](https://generations.com/our-people/): Generational Leadership Coach
- [Consulting](https://generations.com/our-solutions/consulting/): Consulting
- [Training & Workshops](https://generations.com/our-solutions/training-workshops/): Training & Workshops
- [Speaking & Keynotes](https://generations.com/our-solutions/speaking-keynotes/): Speaking & Keynotes
- [Our Solutions](https://generations.com/our-solutions/): Our Solutions
- [Generations Home](https://generations.com/): We deliver actionable insights and resources that help organizations lead, engage, and retain today’s multigenerational workforce.

## Insights
- [The Sega vs. Nintendo Saga: An Xer Waxes Nostalgia on the Good ol’ Days of Video Games](https://generations.com/insights/the-sega-vs-nintendo-saga-an-xer-waxes-nostalgia-on-the-good-ol-days-of-video-games/): Born towards the end of the Vietnam War, Xers felt Cold War tensions during the '80s and can remember skirmishes in the Middle East with Desert Storm. President Reagan introduced his Strategic Defense Initiative proposal, which the media dubbed "Star Wars.” And yes, it was all strangely similar to a video game, but I have to admit to being more into Space Invaders at the time. The conflict in the Persian Gulf was famous for media coverage that was strikingly similar to watching a video game. As actual war started to resemble video games, the business of video games was in the midst of a major war itself, like the cola wars and burger wars in the '80s. The mighty giant Nintendo was being pushed to its limit by upstart Sega, and it's a pop culture clash that we Xers will never forget.
- [So Blog, Much Read, Many Meme](https://generations.com/insights/so-blog-much-read-many-meme/): With many thanks to Wi-Fi, and no disrespect to the dial-up modem, viral content has become a normal part of our lives and the source of entertainment for many internet-wanderers. But this ain’t your mother’s internet anymore. One creation in particular, the meme, has transformed the web as we know it. And its creators? None other than those (in)famous Millennials.
- [Hipsters, Martyrs, and More: The Millennials You’ll Meet at Work](https://generations.com/insights/hipsters-martyrs-and-more-the-millennials-youll-meet-at-work/): You may or may not know this, but BridgeWorks is in the business of sociology. We examine broad patterns and trends that differentiate generational segments in the workplace (and marketplace). Since we’re studying generations all-day e’ry day, it might not be surprising that sometimes we find patterns within patterns… a Russian doll of sociology, if you will.
- [Traditionalist 101](https://generations.com/insights/traditionalist-101/): Traditionalists, born 1900–1945, currently make up less than 2% of the US workforce (which Pew admits may be a bit of an overestimate) and 9.8% of the population. Though their numbers may be small, they've left a lasting legacy on how we approach work. Traditionalists founded many organizations that are still thriving, and their communication and leadership style have left an enduring mark on our modern world, still shaping how we work today.
- [2014: A Generational Review](https://generations.com/insights/2014-a-generational-review/): Overall, 2014 marked a tremendous year. There were serious highs and lows, and we at BridgeWorks kept our fingers on the pulse. Hopefully, the moments shared in this blog strike a generational chord with everyone. Now let’s go make 2015 the best one yet with some Traditionalist neighborly-ness, Boomer optimism, Gen Xer entrepreneurialism, Millennial hyper-speed, and Gen Edger self-reliance. Onward, ho!
- [A Gen Xers Take on the Shared Economy](https://generations.com/insights/a-gen-xers-take-on-the-shared-economy/): Some friends and I decided to go on a weekend trip to Chicago. When we started our hotel search, we quickly realized that all the hotels in the neighborhood we wanted to stay at were prohibitively expensive. Which is about the point that a friend of mine suggested we check out a website called Airbnb.com. The concept is simple: people can rent out their unused space (apartment, condo, house, or even just a room) to people who are visiting XYZ city and are on a budget. The person listing the space makes some extra cash and the one renting saves money, as the prices are usually significantly cheaper than a hotel.
- [Afterlife + Americanos: The Emergence of Death Cafés](https://generations.com/insights/afterlife-americanos-the-emergence-of-death-cafes/): The problem with controversial topics is, yes, duh, they’re controversial, but they’re also important to talk about with someone, maybe anyone. Death in particular is given a wide birth: it can be sad, emotional, and downright terrifying. A British survey by the charity Dying Matters reveals that more than 70% of the population is uncomfortable talking about death, and less than a third have spoken to family members about end-of-life wishes. One attempt at bringing the topic above ground is the relatively new concept of the Death Café. (See? Overcoming taboo topics already with a death joke/pun!)
- [Apple Watch: Cool Watch, Lousy Marketing Campaign](https://generations.com/insights/apple-watch-cool-watch-lousy-marketing-campaign/): The Apple Watch launch is old news by now. I've seen the watches popping up on people's wrists here and there, and actually, four BridgeWorksians are sporting them, regularly sending animated emojis or their heartbeats to one another (which, for the record, I think is really weird).
- [Bestie Row: A Millennial-Friendly Housing Experiment](https://generations.com/insights/bestie-row-a-millennial-friendly-housing-experiment/): I’ve always been a big fan of besties. Mostly because I’m particularly fond of my personal besties (shoutout besties!), but a new housing compound outside of Austin, Texas is taking the Millennial bestie trend to new heights.
- [Boomster: The Baby Boomer Hipster](https://generations.com/insights/boomster-the-baby-boomer-hipster/): Baby Boomers (those born between 1946–1964) have re-defined every life stage they have touched. From youth culture to corporate culture to retirement culture, Baby Boomers have changed our expectations and shattered preconceived notions about what it means to get older.
- [Bridging the Trades Gap](https://generations.com/insights/bridging-the-trades-gap/): It’s no surprise the demographic landscape of the workforce is evolving rapidly. Millennials now officially make up the largest segment of the workplace; graduating Gen Zers are quickly becoming a part of the mix; Gen Xers are stepping into leadership roles; and for many Baby Boomers, retirement is just around the corner. But while the people are changing quickly, workplaces are evolving slowly.
- [Dear Gen X Parents of College-Bound Teens: Look to Other Generations for Some Advice](https://generations.com/insights/dear-gen-x-parents-of-college-bound-teens-look-to-other-generations-for-some-advice/): With the steep increase in higher education tuition rates and the myriad options (state school, private, online), how can they ensure that a costly degree is worth it? How can the skeptical Gen Xer feel good about the amount of money they will spend on college and the debt they and their child will likely accrue over the next 4–5 years? (The fifth year is the ceremonially expensive victory lap!) My BridgeWorks gen expert advice for a skeptical Gen Xer: though it may seem strange, take a note from the Millennials who are wrapping up their tour de force in academia.
- [Death of the Water Cooler](https://generations.com/insights/death-of-the-water-cooler/): After the series finale aired, I joined my work colleagues at the water cooler the next morning to discuss the ending with fervor, happiness, or outrage. I loved hearing my colleagues’ reactions to what the rest of the world was talking about. Most recently, with the latest beloved American sitcom taking its final bow, How I Met Your Mother, I was very excited to get to the office to talk about all the highs and lows of the series finale.
- [Early Boomers + Generation Jones: Meet the Two Boomer Subgroups](https://generations.com/insights/early-boomers-generation-jones-meet-the-two-boomer-subgroups/): Whenever we're out giving presentations, it's inevitable that some Boomers approach us with the complaint, "I'm not like those earlier Boomers" or "I think the later Boomers had a different outlook than we did." They follow up with comments like, “I remember not having enough books in my classroom, but I was not old enough to be a hippie.” And they bring up a really good point. Though the Baby Boomer generation is often heralded as the group that collectively changed the US political and cultural landscape, not all Baby Boomers are the same.
- [Follow the Leader: School Leadership Woes](https://generations.com/insights/follow-the-leader-school-leadership-woes/): Prior to joining the BridgeWorks team, I worked as an educational psychologist and school administrator for 10 years. During those years, I felt a kind of disconnect from my staff that I couldn’t put my finger on. Thanks to joining BridgeWorks and gaining heaps of consequent knowledge, I now know that I was experiencing invasive generational ClashPoints. I was a Millennial school administrator managing a staff of four generations in a Traditionalist–structured and bureaucratic industry. I was the ultimate example of “managing up.” My leadership style didn’t always mesh with the established work styles or union regulations, and while my intentions were always student focused and staff supportive, they were not always received that way.
- [Four Generations For Charity: Who Really Gives a Buck?](https://generations.com/insights/insights-four-generations-for-charity-who-really-gives-a-buck/): Unsurprisingly, Baby Boomers donate the most charitable dollars in the US. While Traditionalists may give more per person, the population size and life stage of Boomers empowers them to contribute 43% of all donations. Before handing this very competitive generation the MVP award for philanthropic giving, it’s important to take a broader look at what, why, and how each generation is providing the necessary drip into the financial stream of support for causes around the globe.
- [From Surviving to Thriving: Where Millennials Are Spending Money](https://generations.com/insights/from-surviving-to-thriving-where-millennials-are-spending-money/): We want both: the practical—a reliable and semi-presentable car, a roof over our heads—but also to keep the fridge impractically stocked with expensive ingredients for meals worthy of Food & Wine Magazine. As we've navigated financially trying times, our more sensible sides kept us in check—sternly scolding our fun n’ frivolous selves into investing regularly in savings accounts with roomy cushions to bail ourselves out of unforeseen expenses. Like when our “reliable” car’s shoddy transmission goes out.
- [From the Desk of a Gen X Dad… Are Millennials to Blame for Stores Being Open on Thanksgiving?](https://generations.com/insights/from-the-desk-of-a-gen-x-dad-are-millennials-to-blame-for-stores-being-open-on-thanksgiving/): This whole article was quite surprising to me and, I have to admit, I don’t align with all of what they said. So here I am with ideas and reactions. To begin with, my understanding was that Millennials did all their shopping online. So if this was an article about the explosion of Virtual Monday, it would make total sense.
- [Gen Health Care Trends to Come](https://generations.com/insights/gen-health-care-trends-to-come/): I completely understand having little patience for discussing/muddling through information on the health care reform. Maybe my affection stems from growing up in a health-care-positive family. Grandma was a nurse, mom is a massage therapist and dula, and dad continues to have a successful career in Health Care IT (though he’s retired twice, #BabyBoomer). Personally, I worked in HR for a hospital, was a “tuition paid” click away from attending chiropractic school, and continue to vocalize my pride in being one of Grey’s Anatomy’s original fans who still watch the show. (Irrelevance of last point noted.)
- [Gen X Takes Over Late Night](https://generations.com/insights/gen-x-takes-over-late-night/): It was Jay Leno's first night as new host. He was taking over for legendary Johnny Carson who had been the shows longest running host, sitting behind The Tonight Show desk for 30 years. This might seem like an odd thing for a preteen boy to concern himself with, but I was born a pop culture junkie. As a kid I would get my hands on any periodical or book that dealt with any aspect of pop culture. Music, movies, TV - I was a kid obsessed. In the era before US Weekly magazine and E! Entertainment television, keeping up with Hollywood while growing up on a dairy farm in the Midwest was often easier said than done. But no matter where you lived in the country, you knew that Johnny Carson’s retirement from late night television was a big deal.
- [Generational Theory: Do You Buy It?](https://generations.com/insights/generational-theory-do-you-buy-it/): And we can understand that perspective - how could we possibly try to define 82 million people (size of the Millennial cohort)? Doesn't that feel simplistic and narrow?
- [GenLens on the SuperBowl](https://generations.com/insights/genlens-on-the-superbowl/): We have two goals for watching the SuperBowl at BridgeWorks: 1) find commercials that have a generational approach, and 2) review/critique/love/hate them. (Some of us also care about the game… I’ll leave that for someone else to review.) There were many wonderful commercials this year with no shortage of tears, nostalgia, and dads. Instead of dissecting all of them, we have chosen a handful of ads—good and bad—that can be looked at through a generational lens.
- [Gentleman Caller to Tinder Swiper: The Evolution of Dating](https://generations.com/insights/gentleman-caller-to-tinder-swiper-the-evolution-of-dating/): Valentine's Day is tomorrow, to the delight of some and the great chagrin of others. Because love is fun, but dating can be hard. There's always an unspoken set of rules and complex etiquette that you're supposed to innately know. Trying to navigate the murky dating waters can be tricky at best, but the real kicker? These rules are constantly changing. Long gone are the days of the gentleman caller, chaperones, and perfumed love-letters sent via post. Nowadays, dating is more like shopping for a pair of sneakers. You flick through some profile pics, find a decent-looking candidate, do some thorough research through trusted sources like Google and Facebook, and, if you don't find any glaring red flags, then maybe consider sending a message. Dating norms today are pretty much unrecognizable to those from a century ago. And the evolution is nothing if not fascinating.
- [Getting Boomers on Board: Selling to the Forever Young Generation](https://generations.com/insights/getting-boomers-on-board-selling-to-the-forever-young-generation/): Through our research, we've developed a pretty good understanding of how to walk that fine line. But in the past few years, we've watched as Millennials, for better or worse, have commandeered the spotlight and captured the attention of salespeople and marketers worldwide. With the young, shiny new Millennials on the scene, it can be easy for these people to forget that the other generations have huge financial pull as well. And in many cases, more so.
- [How Gaming Is Leveling Up the Next Generation](https://generations.com/insights/how-gaming-is-leveling-up-the-next-generation/): Gen Xers might recall their first attempt at beating the dot-eating race of PacMan at the local mall arcade or trying to maneuver a cannon to avoid space creatures’ slow but deadly descent on Atari’s Space Invaders. Millennials may recall memories of joining best friends in the basement to play N64 MarioKart for hours while consuming an alarming amount of childhood-obesity-inducing Mountain Dew and Cheetos. Today’s youth, Generation Edge (born 1996–2010) are living out those first gaming memories in virtual communities, whether it be Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto 4, or Minecraft. Gen Edgers are growing up in an entirely different world of collaborative gaming, because it’s almost entirely online. Unfortunately, their gaming gets a really bad rep. Sure, teen tech-addicts are on the rise and gaming is an aid (if not hook) to that addiction and social seclusion, but there is often some good behind the bad. And we've found that to be the case when it comes to gaming.
- [How Hollywood is Inspiring the Next Generation of Bookworms](https://generations.com/insights/how-hollywood-is-inspiring-the-next-generation-of-bookworms/): I’ve been disappointed by more than enough of these Hollywood book-to-movie adaptations to be naïve enough for that (think The Golden Compass, Eragon, Ender’s Game). But—and color me an optimistic Millennial here—I’m hoping beyond hope that The Giver might stir in viewers, however slightly, those complicated feelings of empathy, wonder, frustration, and adventure that I remember from the book. Feelings that can be difficult to navigate, but also the reason The Giver is such a rich and complex story that has found a permanent home in my heart and that of many others. The real reason, though, that I want this movie to be another Hollywood blockbuster is that I hope it inspires Gen Edgers, or really anyone, to pick up a copy of the book itself. I hope it inspires them to read.
- [How to Avoid Falling Prey to Millennial Fatigue](https://generations.com/insights/how-to-avoid-falling-prey-to-millennial-fatigue/): Millennials, Millennials, Millennials…
- [Hungry Like the Wolf: A Look at Gen X Leadership](https://generations.com/insights/hungry-like-the-wolf-a-look-at-gen-x-leadership/): In the pursuit of leadership positions, Xers have been plagued by a few key factors. Firstly, their generation is the least represented in the workforce, currently at twenty percent. Because they comprise a smaller piece of the workplace pie, and lack a majority, they’re often referred to as “the forgotten middle child.” The second barrier to their quest for top roles in organizations is their devotion to work-life balance. Unwilling to sacrifice family time to earn a promotion, Xers reject the perception that more hours equals more hard work equals a more leadership-worthy candidate. Further complicating matters, Xers have survived two crushing recessions during their professional lives. Their whole lives they’ve been fighting an uphill battle to earn their spot in leadership circles, but in a way that’s authentic to their Xer selves.
- [Imperfect is the New Perfect](https://generations.com/insights/imperfect-is-the-new-perfect/): Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last five-ish years, you’ve probably caught wind of the trend people call “Mommy-blogging.” Even if you aren’t parenting currently, it’s hard to imagine a week without your Facebook feed featuring one of these homespun blogs written from the trenches of motherhood about the very real challenge that is parenting. Some are inspirational, others are tearjerkers and many are downright hilarious.
- [Is Your Company’s Recruiting Webpage Up to Snuff?](https://generations.com/insights/is-your-companys-recruiting-webpage-up-to-snuff/): In a world of shrinking attention spans, snap judgments are a way of life. First impressions can be the difference between happily sifting through a slew of applicants and managing an underused, twiddling-their-fingers hiring team.
- [Meaning: Keeping Millennials Fired-up](https://generations.com/insights/meaning-keeping-millennials-fired-up/): Identifying motivating factors for this generation is a worthy cause because, like it or not, this generation is estimated to comprise 50% of the American workforce by 2020, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor Statistics. The truth is, there are dozens of factors that motivate Millennials in the workplace: encouragement, a six-figure salary, a sense of work/life balance or integration, trendy office amenities, freedom to express new ideas…the infinite list goes on. An age-old question that clients continue to ask us is, “How can we get Millennials to stay?” It’s a valid question with a seemingly tricky, yet not-so-complex answer. In a word: meaning. Cue the blank stare, the internal grumble, the ominous silence on the other end of the phone. What does meaning even mean?
- [Meet Generation X](https://generations.com/insights/meet-generation-x/): At BridgeWorks, we talk a lot about generations in the workplace and marketplace—that is, after all, what we live for! How does each generation show up at work? What are each generation’s purchasing habits? But before we can even begin to address these questions, it’s important to understand where the generations came from, i.e., those angst-filled, puberty-ridden, mom-and-dad-you-don’t-understand teen years we love to look back on (now that we don’t have to go through that ish again). So we’re taking it back to the start, looking at some important events during Xers’ formative years, and pulling out some nostalgia to remind you of the good ol’ days.
- [Mortgage Before Marriage: Millennials are Buying Homes](https://generations.com/insights/mortgage-before-marriage-millennials-are-buying-homes/): Millennials and homebuying don’t mix, or so seems to run the standard narrative. They're too busy with their urban tribes, growing lumbersexual beards, living in their rented micro-unit apartments, and stocking up on homebrew supplies. But is that really the case? While some Millennials certainly fit this bill, last year proved that a sizable portion of the Millennial generation is no longer downsizing or enjoying the renter’s lifestyle. It’s predicted that this year, one of three homes will be purchased by Millennials, and like each generation before them, Millennials are bringing their own distinct approach to the homebuying process.
- [Never Say Die: Braving the Skilled Trades Shortage](https://generations.com/insights/never-say-die-braving-the-skilled-trades-shortage/): From electricians to carpenters and manufacturing engineers, companies have been struggling to hire skilled tradespeople since at least 2010. We’ve seen our fair share of articles bemoaning the skills shortage and outdated recruitment tactics, and in the spirit of “new year, new me,” we think it’s important to help this industry get back on the horse and renew some hiring tactics.
- [On the Cusp: Understanding Those Caught Between Two Generations](https://generations.com/insights/on-the-cusp-understanding-those-caught-between-two-generations/): At BridgeWorks, when we study, speak, and consult on five distinct generations, we break the birth years down as follows:
- [Peace, Love, and Music Festivals](https://generations.com/insights/peace-love-and-music-festivals/): Warmer weather brings all the things I enjoy most: iced coffee by the gallon, patio-lounging while drinking craft beer (Millennial much?), and live music. The live music season has already kicked off with the recent South by Southwest Festival (SXSW), which wrapped up its showcase of music, film, and interaction the last week of March. As one of the largest and most diverse festivals around today, SXSW and the popularity of music festivals have the generations to thank. Created by Boomers, enthusiastically carried on by Xers, and reinvented by Millennials, festivals have brought together young and old and unearthed amazing new artists along the way. The five festivals here represent the generations and the evolution of music as a unifier.
- [Pokémon Go (Outside)](https://generations.com/insights/pokemon-go-outside/): In case you've been living in the sewers for the past few weeks: Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm, with Millennials leading the charge. The latest Pokémon release is an augmented-reality game that players can install on their phones—for free. Nineties kids are in heaven right now. Despite their despairing debt and lack of money, they can relive the glory days of sitting on their living room floors, watching the very first Pokémon series while belting the opening song, without worry for their wallets. Though it might have already hit peak popularity, Pokémon Go has become more than a game—it’s a community that even social media can’t mimic.
- [Post-Millennial Parenting](https://generations.com/insights/post-millennial-parenting/): If Gen X parents grew up in a time when “swiping” referred to petty theft and “Windows” were something you actually rolled up, then how can they possibly be ready to parent the next generation of tech-savvy kids?
- [Read the Next America Yet?](https://generations.com/insights/read-the-next-america-yet/): At BridgeWorks, we nerd out on books, media, articles, documentaries, and blogs covering the generations a bit too often. So, naturally, when stat-heavy and dense The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown by Paul Taylor of Pew Research Center got released, we rushed to our local bookstore (#Millennialsbuylocal). There are countless summaries/synopses of the book on the interwebs, and we don’t want to bore you with information you can find elsewhere. Instead, we have applied our generational trifocals to bring you three big take-aways:
- [Retaining Boomer Brilliance](https://generations.com/insights/retaining-boomer-brilliance/): The Why and How of a Pre-Retirement Knowledge Transfer Program
- [Revenge of the Generational Middle Child: Xers Make their Next Move](https://generations.com/insights/revenge-of-the-generational-middle-child-xers-make-their-next-move/): Turn on the TV, open any newspaper, or go online. However you choose to get your news, one thing seems clear: Millennials are everywhere these days. There is a lot of curiosity and excitement around this generation and for good reason. Born between 1980 and 1995, Millennials will make up 50% of the American workforce by 2020.
- [Six Generational Terms to Make You Sound Cool at Happy Hour](https://generations.com/insights/six-generational-terms-to-make-you-sound-cool-at-happy-hour/): Setting aside the dubious truth of that statement, one of my personal favorite things about scouring the far corners of the world wide web is the plethora of generational jargon that folks love to come up with. Some of it really strikes a chord, some of it is hilarious, and some of it is just plain wrong. Either way, it’s nothing if not amusing and whenever we talk about these terms internally they spark some really good conversations. So, in an effort to spice up the small-talk at your next workplace happy hour, I’ve compiled this short list of six terms that have caught our eyes most recently. Arranged alphabetically for your reading pleasure:
- [Smashing Generational Stereotypes](https://generations.com/insights/smashing-generational-stereotypes/): The angle for all BridgeWorks research is a cross-generational, multi-perspective lens to help dismiss harmful stereotypes and embrace the diverse strengths that each generation brings to the table. Pollyanna? Why, yes. But helpful and constructive? We think so. And let’s face it - stereotypes are just nasty, clingy burrs that can be tough to shake from the fabric of our society, and though we're doing our best to pick them out, with each new generation comes a new flood of dismissive and demeaning labels.
- [Stop Being Polite and Start Getting Real](https://generations.com/insights/stop-being-polite-and-start-getting-real/): This past week, I had the opportunity to train leaders in a progressive company on how to better understand their Millennial co-workers. During the training, one of the Gen X leaders posited that reality TV is one of the major negative influences on the Millennial generation
- [Survivor Adopts a GenLens—Xers vs. Millennials](https://generations.com/insights/survivor-adopts-a-genlens-xers-vs-millennials/): My Xer wife and I were recently catching up on some of our TV shows (as Xers do), when they showed a preview for the upcoming (33rd!) season of one of our personal favorites, the iconic Survivor. When I saw that the theme is centered around pitting youthful Millennials versus the somewhat older Generation Xers, the generational junkie in me started doing backflips.
- [The Changing Face of Luxury](https://generations.com/insights/the-changing-face-of-luxury/): The luxurious socialite of the past who had one-of-a-kind art donning her walls, owned a wardrobe filled with fashion-forward pieces, and spoke highly of her cultured travels is essentially today’s hipster with micro homebrews, a passport filled with international glamping trips, and a dresser of Etsy-purchased cuff links. What was once reserved for the haves (most luxuries) are now attainable for the haves and the have-nots. Here’s an attempt at explaining how Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials have changed the definition of luxury. (Important note: this is an examination beyond the most affluent segment of each generation.)
- [The Making of a Millennial Dad](https://generations.com/insights/the-making-of-a-millennial-dad/): Walking through the West Village in New York City, I caught a glimpse of the mythical and oft-discussed Millennial father in action. This particular unicorn, wearing an infant on his chest while pushing a stroller with a sleeping child, walked with a swag-filled jaunt and cool airiness that said, “I got this, ain’t no thang.” But there’s more: attached to the stroller via Strollerboard—a contraption that is exactly as it sounds, a skateboard that attaches to the stroller—was a sunglasses-wearing toddler riding along. Three kids, one father, all dressed like a posh Tony Hawk. The foursome rode along until they met up with another Millennial dad with his two children. I couldn’t stop staring as this odd conglomeration entered a Mexican restaurant for Sunday brunch. As an expecting father, I thought, Is this the new fatherhood? Will this be me in only a few short months, weeks, days? Babies? What?
- [The Mother’s Day Hangover Cure: Statistics!](https://generations.com/insights/the-mothers-day-hangover-cure-statistics/): Happy Monday Moms!
- [This Just In: The News Then and Now](https://generations.com/insights/this-just-in-the-news-then-and-now/): Boomers may remember their paper routes as their first job. The ability to accurately throw an overstuffed paper while simultaneously maneuvering a bike is a skill that develops over time, with a few potted plants and front porch windows sacrificed along the way. The closest thing Millennials had to this rite of passage was on their Nintendo—virtually “delivering” newspapers while avoiding feral cats and rolling spare tires in the game PaperBoy.
- [This Just In to Happening NOW: the Evolution of News](https://generations.com/insights/this-just-in-to-happening-now-the-evolution-of-news/): News carries a much different meaning today than it did during the days of Walter Cronkite. In the '50s, '60s, and '70s Cronkite was a respected authority, remembered for stoically delivering iconic “breaking news” across his anchorman’s desk such as Kennedy’s assassination and the Apollo 11 lunar landing.