Gen X is aka the latchkey generation. These kids came home from school & let themselves in(this Is Illegal In some states now). The divorce rate had tripled & more women were working. Young Gen Xers found themselves making dinner, doing HW, babysitting siblings, & watching MTV. This is a generation of people who grew up figuring out things on their own. They brought this same mindset to the office.

Then, enter Millennials who grew up with lots of structure. They had play dates, soccer practice, & scheduled time for HW. Someone organized their time & they would show up to the task.They brought this mentality to the office.

When a Gen X boss tells a Millennial employee to 'Get It done' Millennials often freeze. They can be perfectionistic. When handed a problem and told to go figure It out, they are not always sure where to start. Their Gen X boss simply wants them to take care of it & find it painful to have to take 5 min to explain what they would have simply figured out by themselves.

Gen Xers, be patient with your employees who were raised in a different era. They don't want to fail. They just might need you to help them set shorter term goals so they can see how to reach the big vision at the end.

Katherine Jeffery, PhD
Generational Expert