| Generation X"--the 40 million or so people | | | | result, Xers also are:- More stable when they |
| born between 1965 and 1976--understands it is | | | | do marry, Xers are about nesting and making a |
| living in a world of uncertainty where | | | | house a home. Today's newlyweds are typically |
| neither the govern¬ment nor private | | | | more mature, well-established and have higher |
| employers offer lifetime financial security. | | | | incomes than in the past.- Better savers than |
| This is, however, the next generation of | | | | their Boomer parents. In this they are more |
| responsible adults, bright young people with | | | | like their grandparents. The average Gen-X |
| families to protect and educate...and nearly | | | | Moms and Dads start putting money away for |
| 40 years until retirement.Generation X was | | | | college when their kids are 2½, while most |
| the backbone of Operation Iraqi Freedom and | | | | Boomers waited until theirs were |
| continues serving the US effort to bring | | | | 7.- Rediscovering traditional family values. |
| peace to the Middle East. None had to be | | | | Appalled by the moral relativism and |
| there. They chose to be there by becoming | | | | situational ethics of their parents' |
| Marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen or Coast | | | | generation--the Clintons were the last straw |
| Guardsmen. For example, our son, Bill, 32, | | | | for many young Americans (Al Gore and John |
| was finishing a four-year Marine Corps | | | | Kerry amusing poseurs) Xers similarly don't |
| enlistment when September 11 changed his life | | | | buy the notion that the |
| plan. Completing Officer Candidate School and | | | | government-as-nanny-state knows best. Their |
| The Basic School would mean another four-year | | | | message: It doesn't take a village, stupid, |
| commitment-but one he gladly made. After | | | | it takes parents!- Redefining the |
| receiving his commission, Bill was assigned | | | | family-career challenge. Boomer women may |
| to Okinawa, and recently returned from an | | | | have opened the door to the workplace, but |
| 8-month deployment to Iraq.So don't mistake | | | | their daughters are facing the family-career |
| Gen-Xers for Baby Boomers. Generation X | | | | challenge in their own ways. "I have talked |
| detests labels--including the "Gen-X" tag | | | | to women of all ages about balancing work and |
| it's had to live with--and unlike their | | | | family life. What has surprised me the most |
| Boomer parents, has no illusions about the | | | | is the difference in outlook between women my |
| future.Gen-Xers are...- Less status-conscious | | | | age, 27, and women just 10 years older," says |
| than their parents, Gen-Xers are not into | | | | Elizabeth McGuire, a graduate student at John |
| show, they want re¬sults. Many Xers no | | | | Hopkins School of International Studies: "But |
| longer view college as the only way to | | | | most women I know who are in their 20's are |
| prepare for vocations lead¬ing to | | | | dissatisfied with [family-career] |
| rewarding careers. These sharp young people | | | | alternatives. Concerned about infertility, |
| are becoming a significant economic and | | | | many of us want to have children while we're |
| social force.- Boldly putting their own stamp | | | | young. And though many of the dual-career |
| on business. Launching hi-tech and other | | | | couples I know who have nannies are wonderful |
| types of companies at a record clip, Gen-Xers | | | | parents and have successful careers, it seems |
| are less tied down by old notions of | | | | their relationships with each other have |
| bureaucracy, and they're ready to try out | | | | suffered. While others debate whether day |
| their own management styles. Yet, they view | | | | care is harmful to children, we are more |
| financial prosperity as a by-product of a | | | | worried about avoiding the frenetic pace |
| well-rounded life, not the main | | | | these families seem to keep."In a word: |
| event.- Risk-takers. Surveys find adversity, | | | | Gen-Xers are unique. They don't do things or |
| challenges, and the high risk of failure, far | | | | look at the world the way their parents did, |
| from discouraging Gen-Xers, have produced a | | | | and they have to be approached and worked |
| tough, even ruthless edge. Resilience, the | | | | with accordingly.What This Means To |
| willingness to abandon a losing project and | | | | YouMarketing and selling to Generation X is a |
| try again, is fundamental.- Motivated to make | | | | work in progress. That means you can take |
| a difference. Gen-Xers are attracted to | | | | what you do best and creatively wing it based |
| careers that compel interest and provide the | | | | on what you know about this unique |
| challenge of competition. Thirty years ago, | | | | mar¬ketplace. Declares motivational |
| Peter Drucker in The Ef¬fective Executive, | | | | speaker and author, Sue A. Hershkowitz, CSP, |
| wrote: "Doing the right thing is more | | | | "Look for ways to twist the familiar and |
| important than doing things right." Judging | | | | success will beat a path to your door."We |
| by the wave of successful Whiz Kids with | | | | say: Gen-Xers may not beat a path to your |
| neither formal business edu¬cation nor | | | | door, but you can show them the way.Want |
| conventional management training, Drucker's | | | | More? Send questions and comments to w..Bill |
| message resonates.- Interested in good | | | | Willard has been writing high-impact |
| personal relationships. Embracing racial and | | | | marketing and sales training for over 30 |
| cultural diversity more genuinely and less | | | | years-but as Will Rogers put it: "Even if |
| self-consciously than any generation before | | | | you're on the right track, you'll get run |
| them, Xers are also more likely to be | | | | over if you just sit there." Through |
| tuned-in to personal relationships and do | | | | interactive, Web-based "Do-While-Learning |
| business with someone they like and believe | | | | (TM) " programs, e-Newsletters and |
| to be competent than with someone | | | | straight-talking articles, Bill helps |
| claim¬ing to be an "expert."- Delaying | | | | small-business owners and independent |
| marriage and starting families. Maybe it's | | | | professionals get the job done: profitably |
| because they've seen so many Boomers end up | | | | improving performance, helping grow your |
| in divorce court, the so-called challenge of | | | | business, skipping expensive mistakes, making |
| being single in a couples-oriented world no | | | | the journey to success faster, smoother, |
| longer squares with the demographics.As a | | | | easier. And fun! |