What shapes the different generations?

All generations are shaped by their experiences and the events and political climate of their time. This can profoundly affect the people of this generation, their values and their perception of what is important in life and work. However, we should also be careful not to stereotype completely the different generations and remember, that older generations also have experiences later years and events together with the younger generations.?

Some of the important events that have shaped generations since the Silent Generation - namely those who were born before the mid-1940s and are now 80 years old and older – are the following:?

The Second World War – 1939-1945 The moon landing – 1969 The internet was officially created in 1983 The stock market crash – 1987 The fall of the Berlin Wall – 1989? The fall of the Twin Towers, September 11, 2001? The tsunami in Southeast Asia 2004 Covid-19, 2020 The war in Ukraine – 2022-???

And of course, there have been many other important events – both global and local – that have had an impact on how people understand and relate to the world we live in.

Technological advancements are also changing the way we interact and communicate. Think about how computers, the internet, e-mail, the mobile phone and social media have influenced our lives – for good and bad – and now AI (artificial intelligence) is rapidly entering the workspace.?

One thing we can say for certain is that the younger generations are more alike across the globe today than ever before. All that have access to a mobile phone and the internet can listen to the same music, receive the same news, listen to the same influencers, access the same social media and they can communicate instantly with their peer across the globe. The older generations were more isolated in their geographical regions, news travelled much slower, and communicating across distances were costly (telephone) and slow (letters).??

As of April 2024, there are 5.44 billion internet users worldwide or around 67% of the global population (Statista.com)?

As of 2022, global internet usage was higher among individuals between 15 and 24 years across all regions, with young people in Europe representing the most significant usage penetration, 98 percent. In comparison, the worldwide average for the age group 15-24 years was 75 percent (Statista.com)?

As of April 2024, there are 5.07 billion social media users, which amounts to around 62% of the global population (Statista.com)?

As of 2024, an estimated 4.88 billion people own a smartphone. That’s an increase of 635 million new smartphone users over the past year alone (backlinko.com)?

How is this relevant in the workplace?

Maybe it would be interesting to bring the different generations together and??

• Ask them which external events have made a lasting impact on them during their life?
• Explore with them what are their important values and priorities in work and life?
• Ask them what achievements they wish to accomplish to say they have lived a full life?
• And ask them what advice they would give to other generations in the organisation??

Wouldn’t that be a very interesting conversation? And a conversation that could start another interesting conversation about how to collaborate and lead better.?