Baby Boomers
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines "Baby boomer" as "a person born during a period of time in which there was a marked rise in the population's birthrate”, usually considered to be in the years 1946-1964. There are two types of baby boomers... the “Leading-Edge Baby Boomers” who were born between 1946 and 1955. (This population represents a little more than half of that generation.) The second group, called "Late bloomers" or "Trailing Edge Boomers": were born between 1956 and 1964. Remember this generation did not grow up with personal computers and mobile gadgets at their fingertips.
According to Wikipedia, many important historical events happened during the baby boomer years... The Cuban Missile Crisis, the assassinations of JFK, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Man's first walk on the moon, political unrest, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Movement, Woodstock, Watergate, and Nixon's resignation, the formation of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Vietnam War, the oil embargo, gasoline shortages, the Iran hostage crisis, Ronald Regan and Jimmy Carter reimposed registration for the draft.
From the site eLearning Industry, I learned some interesting facts about baby boomers.
Strong work ethic. “Baby boomers aren't afraid of hard work. For many of this generation, some of their self-worth comes directly from their professional achievements. They acknowledge that success comes from directing a great deal of time and effort into their careers, which also means that they find it difficult to find the perfect home-work balance."
Self-assured. They are confident, independent and self-sufficient. This generation lived in a turbulent time in history so they are not afraid to question the status quo.
Competitive. "Baby boomers like competition. One of their biggest motivators is racing to the top of the corporate ladder, doing their best to surpass their peers and co-workers."
Goal-centric. "This generation is all about goal setting and achievement. This is true in both their personal and professional lives.”
Resourceful. "Baby boomers were raised in an era where resourcefulness was a necessary trait. Not to mention that many of their parents lived through the Great Depression.
People often had to make do with what they had. As such, this generation can squeeze every ounce of usefulness out of the online activities, exercises, and tech tools that you offer them. Give them the bare necessities that they need to solve a problem or tackle a challenge, then leave them to their own devises.” They will usually not disappoint.
Mentally Focused. “Unlike more recent generations, baby boomers know how to keep their minds focused on a particular subject or topic. They have amazing attention spans."
Team Oriented. “One of the baby boomers' strongest characteristics is their sense of community. They thrive in team environments, whether that be in person or on line."
Disciplined. “Baby boomers like structure. Many grew up in households that were highly disciplined and structured, which shaped who they are today. Give them a schedule to follow and encourage them to meet specific deadlines." They will give it their best shot.
In future blogs I will try to describe Generation X (born 1965-1980), the Millennials (born 1981-1994) and Generation Z (born after 1994). If we live long enough, we will have friends or acquaintances from all these generations. It will be fun to see if they fit into the descriptions from the sources I've quoted and sited.
Until my next inspiration...ciao.
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