Apathy, Risk, and Voice: Some Thoughts on Generation X from a Fascinating Panel

I had the distinct pleasure of sharing the stage with two far more eloquent and accomplished speakers, Chad Kopitzke of NeXtgen Advantage and Courtney Cerniglia from C3 Corporation and Appleton Magazine in conversation at a Collaborate to Succeed event organized by the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. It is always a pleasure to venture back into the world of workforce development and share my meager insights with those at the front lines of the battle for talent. Our selected topic, "GenX: The Forgotten Generation" prompted some fascinating discussion which further inspired me to consider some additional thoughts on the drive home. I thought it both worthwhile and timely to synthesize those thoughts here, largely because I learned that someone actually reads the various musings I have posted over the past year.

I find myself to be a rather dubious expert on the relevance of Generation X in today's workforce. Demographers cannot seem to agree as to whether I, who was born in 1977 belong to Generation X or a so-called "pocket generation" referred to as Xennials. I chose to self-identify as an Xer both because I can confidently say that I share far more with that generation as well as the fact that I cannot find a reasonable pronunciation for Xennial. I have the flannel shirts, grunge albums, and Doc Martens to prove it. Generally speaking, Gen Xer's are currently between the ages of 35 and 53, of which there are more than 230,000 in Northeast Wisconsin, though you would scarcely know it.

We are in the prime years of our working lives. Several of us are considered key contributors to the organizations and institutions that drive the region. Others are now coming into the unfamiliar role of "thought leaders" though the term always makes me feel rather old. We also care a great deal about legacy, either having children that are barreling towards adulthood or considering other ways to contribute to our communities.

We are the first latch-key kids. We learned personal responsibility early even while our parents kept the worries of the 1970's and 1980's out of our childhoods. We appreciate and respect our elders as many of our grandparents survived the Great Depression as members of the Greatest Generation and filled the Sunday dinner table with stories of struggle and sacrifice.

Our entry into adulthood was marked by two "firsts." We were far more likely than our parents to be first generation college students and others were among the last workers truly able to move directly from high school graduation to the shop floor. This experience built a strong bridge to our Baby Boom parents and our careers have carried many of the core principles that we shared through summer jobs and family vacations.

We learned the value of loyalty since we were taught to value the partnership of employee and employer. Our parents were far more likely to belong to a labor union or work in a union shop. We were also taught that advancement occurred through a combination of hard work and time. If we worked hard enough for long enough the boss might see that talent and recommend us for the promotions we were certain were on the horizon. We have been biding our time, waiting for our chance to lead the same organizations and institutions that we gained a deep appreciation for in our youth. Some of us have ascended to that role. Others continue to wait.

Those of us seeking new adventures find the current labor market especially difficult to navigate. We seek validation for the experience and loyalty that we bring to an organization while the market tells us that our skills are out-dated. (We are curious and life-long learners, though we were also told that we would learn everything we needed to know in our university classrooms.) We want to feel wanted yet face recruitment practices that depersonalize every step of the process.

Many of us are passionate advocates for change, yet we find it uncomfortable to use our voices. Some of this comes from the respect for community that we learned in our childhood. Some comes from the sneaking suspicion that we have not yet come into the age where we are respected as "elders." It is no surprise that many of us embrace the principles of Servant Leadership since it is easier to do than to say.

We are also generally less natural entrepreneurs. We value stability and do not have the same appreciation of risk than our younger peers. We are far more likely to buy an existing business than to launch our own ventures because this is considered more of a "sure thing" and it represents an appreciation for tradition. We are also somewhat less comfortable with the concept of failure since this is felt deeply personally as we have carried the unspoken expectations of our parents.

Courtney Cerniglia, who is a proud and passionate Millennial assured us that all of these traits can be learned, which is of some assurance. It is reasonable to accept that Generation X is made different by our shared experiences but that the concerns we raise are not unique to this generation.

We are ready and waiting to lead. We know that many of the organizations and institutions promised to us no longer exist or are less worthy of our trust. We remain passionate about our communities and possess the unique ability to bridge the past to the future.

I know that I have found my voice through the essays that I have contributed here and hope to share elsewhere. I invite others to join me in the conversation. I am certain that we have all been sitting on a wealth of good ideas.