Generations at a glance

Which generations are part of your team ?

Silent Generation ( or Traditionalists ) Born 1928-1945 Grew up during the Dust Bowl , the Great Depression , World War II

Baby Boomers Born 1946-1964 Grew up during Watergate , the Vietnam War , President Kennedy ’ s assassination

Generation X Born 1965-1980 Grew up during the Cold War , birth of the personal computer , space exploration

Millennials Born 1981-1996 Grew up during the Great Recession , September 11 , the rise of social media

Generation Z Born 1997-2010 Grew up during smartphones , # MeToo movement , social media influencers

As the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers retire from the workforce , the next group to look out for is Generation Alpha , born 2011 and ongoing — the cutoff will likely be 2024 . They ’ re growing up during COVID , a surge of artificial intelligence and a climate crisis .

“ I see there ’ s a little tension amongst the older generation , saying , ‘ That doesn ’ t look right to me ,’” says Candace Smith , PhD , RN , NEA-BC , Vice President of Operations , CNE , Lee Health , Cape Coral , Florida . Dr . Smith came up with a compromise : They select one or two days a week where they can all wear T-shirts or dress in support of a particular cause such as pink for breast cancer awareness month . “ We ’ ve got to learn how to be more tolerant and put some of our own bias away ,” Dr . Smith says .

At AdventHealth in Orlando , Sotomayor says he helps establish common ground by instilling every team member with the organizational mission and service standards . “ That brings us much closer , because we all know the playbook ,” he says . “ We may have different personalities and experiences , but we have our one core value .”

Another evolution in values has centered around mental health awareness . “ Generation Zs are a generation that has really experienced a lot of different traumas ,” Dr . Smith notes . She uses that fact to develop a trauma-informed leadership approach , including more mental health workshops “ focused around compassion , empathy , listening differently .”

Of course , the pandemic has had a huge impact on mental health , forcing healthcare leadership to understand that staff wants to feel valued . “ They don ’ t want to be a number . They don ’ t want to be a unit . They want to be individuals and want to be valued for who they are and what they bring ,” Dr . Smith says , adding , “ I do believe that ’ s something we have not yet nailed as a nation .”

Actually , it ’ s personal The myths of the generational differences might persist , but it ’ s time to realize they do not paint the whole picture . The generation gap isn ’ t so challenging after all . You can help keep your team together with a twofold approach : tap into the advantages each group offers , while valuing each individual for who they are separately . Create an environment where every voice is heard , regardless of age , and allow team members to learn from each other . “ The best thing is to listen and know everybody has something to offer ,” Sullivan says . ■

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