Send to KindleA common grievance during the Boomer’s earlier years was “No one understands us.” That might have been at least partly true then, but the generation that can really lay claim to that lament is Generation X, born between 1964 and 1980.
Like the Silent Generation, Xers are caught between two very large and very loud generations. They are small, only about 37 million, and grew up during an unusual time in history when things were changing pretty rapidly bringing a lot of social change and uncertainty, especially in the home. Divorce rates were higher than ever, Boomers were out there acquiring, and families suffered.
Xers can be forgiven for feeling they’ve been pushed aside. In fact, much of the technology that is associated with Millennials would not be possible without the work of Xers. Once again though, the generation cannot be defined by a few single events. In fact, Xers tend to have two sides. The older members tend to lean more towards Boomers and the younger ones tend to lean more towards Millennials.
That makes Xers a unique and valuable group in the workplace. They can be a bridge between Boomers and Millennials since they have a foot in each generation. They certainly should not be discounted.
