Generation X - Harvard Business

Ok, I admit it - I like "10's lists". I also like articles that delve into the impact of culture on the work place. Tammy Erickson's article "10 Reasons Gen X'ers Are Unhappy at Work" in Harvard Business added to my understanding of generational differences and the impact of those differences on the work place.

As a "boomer" and son of a life long GE employee I came into my career with no other expectation than a job in corporate America. Since then I've moved around but remained attached to the idea of corporate job or close ties (consulting) to Corporate America. The article made me think through what many of my younger colleagues have experienced. It also made me think about perceptions - specifically what my own children think about the careers that lie ahead of them in light of what they have seen of my career and the careers of their friends parents. Note: I am the father of a high school freshman and a 6th grader.

Below are Ms. Erickson's 10 Reasons - but please read the full article because each reason has much more to it than the headings supplied below.

1. X’ers corporate careers got off to a slow start;

2. When you were teens, X’ers witnessed adults in your lives being laid off from large corporations;

3. Most corporate career paths “narrow” at the top;

4. Just your luck – the economy was slow when you entered the workforce;

5. And then there are those pesky Gen Y’s;

6. X’ers are, in fact, surrounded by a love fest – and not feeling the love;

7. X’ers are the most conservative cohort in today’s workforce;

8. Many X’ers’ are guarding a closely held secret;

9. Boomer colleagues are annoying;

10. Finally, your own parenting pressures are at a peak.

There are two items that resonated - #2 and #4. Many Gen X'ers would have been entering the workforce during the "corporate re engineering" efforts of the 1980's and the downsizing / economic downdraft of the late 1990's and early 2000's. They watched as parents, relatives and friends were laid off. I did not experience anything like that in my teenage years or during the middle years of my career. But the economy was very slow in the late 1970's when I entered the workforce and I did experience, first hand, tech bust in 2002 while on the verge of moving into the VP / C-level ranks. So I can relate.

My own children have watched as I have moved between jobs and while I have never really struggled financially, because I was able to move into consulting, those changes must have had an impact (note to self: discuss careers with children)..

To consult or not...

As noted in my early postings - I've been in and around I.T. for a long time, almost 30 years. I can honestly say that I like I.T. and I like leading and being part of I.T. organizations. For the past 6 years I have been both an employee (Vice President Information Technology) and an independent consultant.

I've been asking myself lately which I like more and what do I want to do next. I enjoyed my last "real job" - great company, great people (just in a place that ultimately didn't work). In fact I've enjoyed virtually every real job that I've had (a couple of exceptions which we won't get into now).

I have also enjoyed every consulting "gig" that I've had over the past 6 years. I've "unplugged" a business unit from one company and helped plug it into the acquiring company and in the process helped build a small I.T. organization to run I.T. for that business. I've developed a survey instrument designed to quantify the cost of storage for a small advisory service. I've helped integrate a major acquisition for one of the biggest printers in the country and along the way helped refocus the I.T. Field Service organization. I've done an I.T. assesssment for a really interesting small division of a large pharmaceutical company.

Contributing to a business by bringing an "I.T. Toolkit" to bear on company systems, processes, issues and opportunities is the goal. It can be done in either a consulting capacity or as a permanent employee. I'm now spliting time between the search for a permanent role and looking for another consulting assignement. I've got good people helping me in each pursuit. I've got a good (maybe great) network of people who I trust. I've got a supportive family.

Perhaps the only real issue is uncertainty - consulting is by its very nature uncertain. But permanent roles/jobs are now more uncertain than any time in the past. Jobs bring benefits (health care, vacation time). Consulting brings flexibility. I'll meet great people either way that I go.

The journey continues...

Change is good..

Rule 4 - Change is good - use it to the benefit of the business and your organization.

One of the issues that I have seen over the past 30 years is that companies and organizations that make up those companies are unwilling to change or reorganize to meet the changing needs of the market or the business. GE was the exception (in my career).

We, as managers and team members, must be constantly looking for ways to improve the business - directly (increasing revenue or decreasing cost) or indirectly (improving efficiency or doing new functions with the same $). That is very difficult to do if it's not built into the culture. The only time that it is done consistently is when the organization is under financial pressure and downsizing is used as a way to cut costs. That should not be the case.

We should be using change and reorganization as a means to improve the business, change a trend, reward our people, send a wake up message to others or move people out who cannot perform. The net is positive - it can be disconcerting to those who don't like change but I the overall effect is positive - especially if it becomes part of the culture (and not while downsizing).