See gobeyondthesky.com for more details

Gen X

To generalize, Gen Xers do not like to spend time in meetings; they prefer to just get their work done independently and efficiently then go home and raise their kids.  Gen Xers were raised growing up to be independent since they were raised in an environment where the feminist movement was taking shape yet the infrastructure wasn’t set up and hence  the child care resources weren’t in place. 

Gen Xers are the most prolific generation on social media such as blogs (that do not require interaction) and they are adept at technology which they learned growing up (as opposed to Gen Y who were born with the technology innate around them).

If you are managing a Gen X, remember that typically, Gen Xers do not want to invest as much time as Boomers or Gen Y at work.  When they entered the workforce, they had are more difficult situation than Boomers or Gen Y.

They are collaborative with each other and they have a positive outlook and they naturally help each other. To Boomers, this seems like getting others ahead in their company at their own sacrifice.  For Gen Ys, they don’t plan to stay for life in the company and they see being collaborative as helping out their own team.  The Gen Ys don’t understand why Boomers are so competitive at work with all the politics they play.  

In contrast to Boomers, this generation also doesn’t see the world as a work-life balance but that it is all just life. Gen Ys want managers that care because their parents, coaches, tutors did.  As a result, they want constant feedback (which could look like micro-managing to some).  What they are actually looking for is clear direction and specific feedback not just a “good job.”

Gen Ys are good self-learners and, for example, are quick to learn in the face of new thinking such as new technology.  The characteristics are similar across nations such as Canada and US especially since the flow of communication with the digital technology.