Generations What? Lets begin with the Traditionalist.....

Have you considered how the period you were born into determines how you will be as a person? How you and your school mates reacted towards circumstances?  How to cope with the generation gap that we all feel between ourselves, our grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren?  How some people cope with change better than others?  I am going to discuss each in a series of blogs.

There are 6 generations defined in Wikipedia and research has been completed on most of these, with a few speculative websites.  They are Traditionalists, BabyBoomers, Generation X, Generation Y, Generation Z and Generation Alpha. I will discuss Traditionalists in this first blog and how as an expat their experiences can be of value.

Traditionalists

Born: Between 1900 and 1945

Age: Between 66 to 111.

Influencers: WWII, the Korean War, the Great Depression, the New Deal, the Rise of Corporations, and the Space Age.

Education: Was more of a dream than a reality

Family: Generally came from the Traditional Nuclear family unit 

Values: Hard work and saving for tomorrow was their aim.  They valued the family unit and community above all else and were respectful of their elders and authority.

Money: They put money away, paid cash for everything and saved for retirement.

They were raised by survivors (not the reality type, but the real deal) and experienced hard times while growing up.  A hard childhood was followed by a time of prosperity.

Motivation:  Your experience is respected

Work: Was of the utmost importance to their livelihoods, they believed in working hard, were dedicated to their jobs, made sure they got the job done, were always on time and punched in and out for the hours required.  They worked hard to gain senior positions, where time on the job and working hard resulted in promotions. They believed in long term assignments which gave them job security and stability. Conservative in their outlook on life, they believed in hierarchal work and home structures, with clear chains of command and top-down management with job - recognition and respect for their experience.

As an expat, this group of aging people can bring experience to a company.  They have had their careers and are looking at either topping up their pensions or experiencing the world. They are no longer looking for upward mobility in the workplace, but rather enjoyment. They still respect authority and have a gentler more respective outlook on life in general.  If they are employable, this shows that they have kept up with technology and the changing times and generations.

A group well worth having around.

Events in history during their time:

1927 - Lindbergh completes first transatlantic flight

1929 - Stock market crashes

1930 - US Depression deepens

1931 - Star Spangled Banner becomes national anthem

1932 - Lindbergh baby kidnapped

1932 - FD Roosevelt elected

1933 - The Dust Bowl

1933 - The New Deal

1934 - Social Security system established

1937 - Hindenburg tragedy

1937 - Hitler invades Austria

1940 - United States prepares for war

1941 - Pearl Harbor; United States enters World War II

1944 - D-Day in Normandy

1945 – FD Roosevelt dies

1945 - Victory in Europe and Japan

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