What were you watching when you were growing up?

• Howdy Doody, Texaco Star Theater, Amos & Andy
   
• The Ed Sullivan Show, Gunsmoke, The Honeymooners, Dragnet, The Mickey Mouse Club, Leave it to Beaver, Adventures of Superman
   
• The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bonanza, The Munsters, Star Trek, Get Smart
   
• All in the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, MASH, Starsky & Hutch, The Love Boat, Charlie's Angels
   
• A-Team, Alf, Growing Pains, Dallas, Cheers, Different Strokes
   
• 90210, South Park, The Real World, Friends, Seinfeld,  The Simpsons, X-Files

Your answer, of course, depends on your age—or more specifically, on the generation to which you belong. While TV shows may not seem all that important, according to Law Practice Today authors Diane Thielfoldt and Devon Scheef, “the sum total of experiences, ideas, and values shared by people of different generations makes for a melting pot of work approaches and priorities.”

There are basically four generations at work today:

• Veterans (born between 1922-1943) grew up during the time of the Great Depression, New Deal, World War II, Korean War, Golden Age of Radio, Silver Screen, and postwar rise of labor unions. As a result, Veterans generally value hard work, dedication and sacrifice, respect for rules and authority, duty before pleasure, honor, conformity, and patience. They tend to be conformists, logical, conservative spenders, past-oriented, and history-absorbed.
  
• Baby Boomers (born between 1943-1960) grew up during the time of Vietnam, Civil Rights, Sexual Revolution, Cold War, Space Race, assassinations, prosperity, television, suburbia, and children in the spotlight. As a result, Boomers generally value optimism, teamwork, personal gratification, involvement, personal growth, health and wellness, youth, and work. They tend to be driven soul-searchers who are willing to go the extra mile.
  
• Gen Xers (born between 1960-1980) grew up during the time of Watergate, latchkey kids, single parents, MTV, AIDS, computers, Challenger, fall of Berlin Wall, and Wall Street frenzy. As a result, Xers generally value diversity, thinking globally, work/life balance, techno literacy, fun and informality, self-reliance, and pragmatism. They tend to be self-reliant, risk-takers, skeptical, balanced, family-oriented, and think about the job, not the work hours.
  
• Nexters (born between 1980-2000) grew up during the time of computers, school shootings, Oklahoma City bombing, TV talk shows, “it takes a village,” technology, child-focused world, multiculturalism, Clinton/Lewinsky, and 9/11. As a result, they generally value optimism, civic duty, confidence, achievement, respect for diversity, sociability, morality, and street smarts. They tend to be optimistic but realistic, tenacious, and prefer collective action.

According to the book Generations at Work, “There’s a serious new problem in the workplace, and it has nothing to do with downsizing, change, foreign competition, pointy-haired bosses, cubicle envy, or greed. Instead, it’s the problem of distinct generations—the Veterans, the Boomers, the Xers, and the Nexters—crossing paths and sometimes colliding.” Today’s workplace experiences:

Clashes over work ethic.
(Boomers and Veterans view Xers as "slackers.")

Clashes over established ways of doing business.
(Xers make their own way--to the frustration of Boomers and Veterans.)

Clashes over technical competence and comfort.
(Xers and Nexters deem Veterans and Boomers inept and clueless.)

Clashes over loyalty.
(Veterans and Boomers decry Xers for their lack of it.)

Clashes over positional power.
(Veterans respect it. Boomers crave it. Xers are unimpressed. Nexters are polite.)

Clashes over leadership.
(Veterans trust hierarchy. Boomers want consensus. Xers value competence. Nexters believe in pulling together.)

Clashes over balancing work and family.
(Boomers put career and company first. Xers say, "Get a life." Veterans and Nexters are willing to work hard, but it's not a compulsion.)

Clashes over perks.
(Boomers covet status. Veterans prize honor. Xers disdain both.)

Clashes over people skills.
(Xers consider them a much lower priority than Veterans, Boomers, and Nexters.)

Clashes over politics.
(Only Boomers see the point and the payoff.)

Clashes over entrenched notions of gender roles.
(Nexters alone excel at "gender bending.")

Clashes over change.
(Xers and Nexters accept it as inevitable. Boomers and Veterans remain wary.)

Every generation has something to offer the workplace. Unfortunately, we tend to allow our differences to prevent us from seeing the value that other generations bring to the table (“he’s old and out of it,” “she’s young and doesn’t know what she’s talking about”). The most successful organizations recognize that no one has all the answers and finds a way to let every generation be heard. This appreciation of diversity allows each group to contribute and be a part of the growth of an organization, which benefits everyone involved.

The events and conditions each of us experience during our formative years help define who we are and how we view the world. Let’s remember that our world view is unique to us and that we benefit when we value the perspective that others, regardless of their ages, bring to the table.