Boomers and their babies fight for work force spots

Predicting the future doesn't require a crystal ball but an ability to identify "weak signals" — the very early signs in conversations, behaviors, and events that may eventually morph into a mainstream trend. Today, a good source of such signals comes from articles, reports, and blog postings available online, and the visceral reactions readers post in response. We have been watching one signal and sense that it is reaching critical mass. We see the signs of an all-out generational war on the horizon, perhaps only months away.

On Jan. 1, 2011, the oldest baby boomers begin turning age 65. Every day for 20 years thereafter another 11,000 boomers will cross that threshold, society's longstanding benchmark for retirement. In today's jobless recovery, younger genera-tions are eagerly counting the days before boomers quietly exit the work force. In fact, some are demanding boomers get out of the way. Boomers are responding emphatically that they don't have to.
We don't have to look far to see examples.

A few weeks ago, Mike Taylor, of the New York Observer, wrote "Old People Will Ruin the Economy:"
"So, in the name of American prosperity, we implore our elders. Retire! Enjoy your declining years! Spend your money! The future of our unemployed youth is in your hands. And to help them, you only need to do the easiest thing in the world to do in 2010 -- lose your job."

"Give Up the Reins, You Geezers," by Timothy Malcolm (Gen Y, age 25), editor for The Times Herald-Record (in New York's Hudson Valley), advances the notion that boomers are the problem: "The main reason we 20-somethings still sleep at mom's house is because mom and dad won't get out of the work force. They're clogging the pipeline."

While those stories are a poke in the eye, it's the reader postings and related blogging from all generations that show how these stories resonate. Here's a boomer's response to the "Geezer" article:

"Geezers? . . . My work ethics would BURY yours. I come in. I never refused work because the shift or day didn't suit me . . . .I don't come in to a job thinking I should be able to change all the protocols to increase my self-esteem and comfort level . . . .Listen to yourself: 'Stand back and give it to us!' Earn it! Or is that too foreign a concept?"

Trade professionals, too, are joining in the, ah, public discourse. From the American Bar Association Journal's site in response to a story about generations in law firms:

"I'll tell you this, across the board, the Boomers need to retire already and make room for those of us who need the work and the promotions. We're struggling out here . . . thanks to Boomer greed-based practices . . . .You've done enough Boomers. Just, please, get out of the way."
— Gen Y Associate

"Why are you waiting to take over 'in years to come' when you're old enough to make things happen now. Who's stopping you?"
— Boomer Associate

Over the past few years we've seen countless instances like these where both sides fuss at each other. It is going to get worse.

That's because our research indicates many boomers haven't even started to make their retirement plans. Half of the 55-64 working boomers today say they have no idea when they'll retire. In a new national survey we just fielded among 64-year-olds, 50 percent of those who are still working say they will work for two or more years longer and another 30 percent can't even venture a guess how long they'll keep working.

With any luck, four countervailing forces may take the edge off generation bashing.
First, the recent resurgence of multigenerational families across America may make a difference.

Today, almost 50 million Americans are living in households comprising more than two generations. Close-quarter living with family members of all ages may help shape and reinforce a sense of our shared destiny.

Second, as boomers leave the work force, over time and on their own terms, their careers will evolve into new, less-than-full-time work in nonprofit engagements and volunteer activities. Boomers will get to fulfill their need to work and communities where younger genera-
tions live and work will benefit.

Third, over time as we return to full employment an important, much needed role for older workers will emerge. We will need them in order to grow. The U.S. Department of Labor projects older workers (55-plus) will continue to be the fastest-growing segment of the work force. Over time, the graying of the work force will create a new normal for how workplaces will look and work. Ultimately, companies that can successfully harness the power of multigenerational dynamics will have a competitive advantage. Enlightened Gen Y and Gen X managers will embrace, lead, and celebrate this generational diversity.

Last but not least, the significance of the number "65" is changing. The full retirement age (also called "normal retirement age") has already been increased. Beginning with people born in 1938 or later, retirement age gradually increases from 65 until it reaches 67 for people born after 1959. It's already the law! And, we believe it will be raised even higher in the future, no matter who's throwing the Tea Party in Washington.

Until then, let's keep generational misunderstandings and stereotyping from becoming another societal force that divides us. Let's channel Thomas Jefferson and the insight he offered some 250 years ago when he said "The web of mutual obligations between generations is essential for a civilized society."