Being Led and Managed by a Gen Xer
Gen Xers will definitely have a chance to prove that they can be effective leaders, but only time will tell for sure. One problem that Gen Xers will face as leaders is that they are not like either the Boomers or Gen Y. They are sandwiched between these two massive generations, and they are fundamentally out of tune with both. They want to be and were somewhat forced to be independent from the older Boomers, and that very independence makes them out of step with the very team-based Gen Y. However, Gen Xers have some qualities that may make them truly able to step up to the challenge of leadership roles that will eventually be placed on their independent shoulders.
So what do those being managed by Gen X need to know? Well, just as with any boss, there will be good and bad, and which way it is weighted depends on the individual leader. However, on a macro level, you can count on your Gen X boss to be very clear about desired results, expectations, and how results will be measured. He or she will care a great deal about doing a good job, because doing a good job makes a person employable. Gen Xers are very focused on being employable. They will care about their own title and yours, but not because they want the title. They are only interested in a title that makes sense on their career path and that gives them a logical upward progression. After all, they do need to make as much money as possible, because many Gen Xers got themselves in trouble with subprime mortgages and other easy money that they consumed with gusto and now have to figure out how to repay.
Your Gen X boss will look for creative and even entrepreneurial solutions, regardless of the size of the organization you are working in, and will be delighted when you do the same. Because of their fierce independence, Gen Xers will lead the way, but may at times forget that anyone is following. Independence is a characteristic that doesn’t just go away because they become leaders. They will work hard with complete commitment to getting results, but they may also take the whole team to a baseball game on Thursday afternoon to give everyone’s mind a break and rejuvenate creativity. They are not stuck in the conventional, and for them, this type of outing is just as much a part of work as sitting in front of the computer. Creativity comes out of play more than it does out of work.
You might think that your Gen X boss doesn’t need much appreciation due to his/her independent nature, but you would be making a big mistake. Gen Xers will be as generous as possible with their employees when it comes to financial reward, work location, flex schedules, etc., as they learn how to lead, but if their generosity isn’t appreciated, they will be hurt and will pull back to lick their wounds and watch their backs like they always have.
Of course that doesn’t mean that you’ll always hear a lot of appreciation from your Gen X boss. It isn’t that they don’t appreciate their employees; they are just so busy trying to work and focus on family at the same time that they sometimes forget to give positive feedback to their employees. A little reminder now and then is good for Gen Xers, and they are likely to respond with genuine appreciation both for the feedback and for the good work you have provided.
If you are a high producer, you may hear little from your Gen X boss. Gen Xers love low-maintenance, high-producing employees and may think that the way to reward them is to let them do their work their own way. This management style is great for some and a real problem for others who desire more structure and a steady stream of feedback. Gen Y’s need for constant feedback will most likely exhaust Gen X bosses.
Gen X also has strong survival skills, so if a project or company is in trouble, your Gen X boss will most likely jump in and try to help. Gen Xers may be skeptical, but they are also creative and entrepreneurial, so don’t expect them to throw in the towel when the going gets tough. Put on the coffee and prepare for some late-night, sleeves-rolled-up problem solving.
If a company or project fails, your Gen X boss will most likely keep everything in perspective. Hopefully no one died, and everything else is secondary to that. It is OK to admit failure to your Gen X boss, but it isn’t OK to spend too much time crying about it and it isn’t OK to point the finger at someone else—ever. The best thing to do if you make a mistake is to own it, accept all or partial responsibility, try to make right what you can, and wait for the response. Just tell it like it is: Gen X can take it. On the other hand, if the failure is due to organizational policies and politics beyond the control of Gen Xers, they will barely be able to cover their disgust and may be seen swearing under their breath when they run up against institutional bureaucracy, a lack of technology, and other such obstacles.
As a group, Gen Xers will have little tolerance for race or gender discrimination since they have grown up in a mixed-race America and the global economy has taken shape during their entrance into the workforce. They look at today’s organizations with surprise and some disgust that there are not more people of color or women at the top. They’ll go about changing this scene with vigor, and by the time Gen Y takes the “king of the mountain” position, we should see the national melting pot displayed at the top of our organizations—if we even have a traditional top of the organization then. So if you are a minority or a woman, you should not find these characteristics to be a barrier in your career under your Gen X boss. Let’s hope Gen X remembers tolerance when it comes to age….
Now Gen Xers love technology, even if they don’t always understand it, so technological advances will flourish under their reign. If you have technology ideas that fit within the budget or you can prove a positive return-on-investment, your Gen X boss will take you seriously. This generation will be willing to try new things with technology and see how it goes. Gen Xers are used to technology causing as many problems as it fixes and, at times, bringing about delays in work. They know that this is part of the price for change and are tolerant, though impatient, with technologically progressive thinking.
Your Gen X boss will also be very open to your using social networking sites as well as in-person networking to move your work forward. They are very adept at this themselves and can be tapped for connections when needed. Gen X bosses will pride themselves on connections. They’ll love it when you ask them for a connection and they are able to provide it. They learned not to burn bridges and they know how to reach across, backwards, and forwards in their network. Top Gen X networkers know how to create an opening into a contact or organization in seconds. This is one place their resourcefulness will help you as their employee and the organization that you work for.
Your Gen X boss will also be very open with you about your career. You will be allowed and often encouraged to voice aspirations to leave your current position or even organization. Your Gen X boss will even help you achieve your career goals, but only if you are worth the investment (read “if you are a low-maintenance high producer”). Of course helping you with your career could someday come back around to help your Gen X boss with his or her own career, so he or she is not likely to burn any bridges, even if you are not exactly a low-maintenance high producer.
Your Gen X boss will also completely understand if you prefer to leave your job to stay home to raise your children. This makes perfect sense to your Gen X boss, and he or she will not look down on parents who are returning to the workforce after a time at home with the kids. Remember, Gen Xers are the ones involved in every aspect of their children’s lives, so they value this trait in others as well. However, this can get a little sketchy for Gen Xers when they are in a middle-management position in an organization that does not value such work-life balance. They’ll do their best to help you with this, but realize their success may depend on “butts in seats,” and if so, there is only so much they can do and remain highly valued and employable.
Another positive about working for Gen Xers is that they will be keenly aware of humanitarian and environment issues. They will reach across the world when possible to impact fellow human beings with difficult living environments, and they will love to participate in everything “green.” The Boomers started the race in this phenomenon, and Gen X is proudly reaching for the baton, excited to make a difference in the world through everyday, realistic choices. Your Gen X boss will love it when you contribute to the effort with both actions and ideas.
Overall, Gen Xers have everything to gain and nothing to lose as they move into the “king of the mountain” position. As leaders, they will most likely struggle with conventional, workaholic Boomers as they question just about everything that is and ask “Why?” If it doesn’t make sense to them, they’ll set about trying to change it and hopefully will not crash too many things in the process (.com boom, .com bust; mortgage boom, mortgage bust). Gen X leaders will also face the mirror as they learn to lead other Gen Xers. Picture two dogs’ teeth on a toy, looking eye to eye and pulling in opposite directions—not because they need to go in opposite directions but because it’s just their nature to be stubborn and resistant.
This will be a learning experience in itself.
Gen Xers leading Gen Y will be interesting, exciting, difficult, awkward at times, and overall unconventional. Where Gen Xers thought they were bringing the world into the 21st century kicking and screaming, they’ll find that they are the ones kicking and screaming when Gen Y kicks workplace change into supersonic.