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PEOPLE
Here's How Generation Xers Are Driving Millennials Crazy In The Workplace (And Vice Versa)
Xers tend to believe people need to "pay their dues" before voicing opinions.
 
BY QUORA
5.2k SHARES
 

IMAGE: Getty Images
 
As a Millenial, how do I understand and work with a Gen Xer? originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question.

Answer by Mira Zaslove, Fortune 500 manager, on Quora:

As an Xer, I've worked with and managed many Millennials. And as Michael O. Church writes, people are people. Yet, there are times when knowing a little about each generation has helped me to understand a colleague.

When generalizing about any group, it's first necessary to recognize that not everybody in any particular group acts like everyone else. There is often just as much variation within in each group as there is between groups.

However, because generations come of age and enter the workforce around the same time, members of each generation often share similar experiences. And these shared experiences often shape perceptions and work-style.

So first off, who is in each generation?

Baby Boomer: born 1943 to 1960 (aged 55-72 today)
Gen-Xer: born 1961 to 1981 (aged 34 to 54 today)
Millennial: born 1982-2002 (aged 13 to 33 today)
To understand an Xer, the first thing to know is that Xers grew up in a largely hands-off culture. Every generation for the past century has grown up with less and less self-autonomy. For an interesting article describing change over four generations, check out: How children lost the right to roam.

Boomers and Xers had pretty similar levels of freedom growing up. Kids could safely be out of sight of their parents for long periods of time. Many Xers were latchkey kids. In contrast, Millennials, due to the technological ease of staying in contact and changing parenting norms, often weren't out of their parents' sight until their teenage years.

Millennials also grew up with a lot more encouragement than Xers. As a result, Millennials generally feel more comfortable voicing their opinion. Even when they're just starting out in a job.

For instance, one Millennial I worked with had just gotten through training, and was asked by a Senior VP what they thought of the training program.

The Millennial, either not knowing or not caring who was asking the question, quickly answered, "It was boring."

To which the VP replied, "I wrote it." And then, "Who again, are you?"

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So, like Anya Deason writes, don't talk too much--until you know what you are talking about and who you are talking to. Xers tend to believe people need to "pay their dues" before voicing opinions.

A few other tips for working together:

Xers tend to be more independent. So, when working with a Xer, don't be surprised or offended if they choose to work alone.
An Xer manager is not going to act like a helicopter parent. Xers tend to be entrepreneurial thinkers and results-oriented, so they may not tell you how to do every step of the job.
Xers tend to be hands-off, low face-time managers. So when working for an Xer, ask them to clearly define their expectations.
Millennials are often cheekily called the "Everybody Gets A Trophy" generation. Few Xers were regularly praised growing up. So, when working with an Xer manager, don't expect a lot of praise.
When you do receive a compliment from an Xer, you've done an great job.
Don't take Xers' skepticism personally. Xers grew up questioning everything. Expect them to give the pros and the cons to even the best of ideas.
This question originally appeared on Quora. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions:

Generation X: What's the parenting mindset of Generation X?
Millenial Generation: Why is the younger generation so opposed to capitalism?
Career Advice: How do I identify my talent?

 
How Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers Can Work Together
Thomas Koulopoulos, founder of Delphi Group, talks about the dangers of creating artificial generation gaps and how to treat behavioral differences.
 
PUBLISHED ON: SEP 11, 2015
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TECHNOLOGY
Why the iPad Pro Is a Game Changer for Work
Apple just made some big headway in the business market by announcing the brand-new iPad Pro.
 
  BY JOHN BRANDON
@jmbrandonbb
870 SHARES
 

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing. IMAGE: Getty Images
 
Apple doesn't make a nod to small business too often. There are obviously devices you can use, like a MacBook and an iPhone, to do real work, but the gadgets also appeal to consumers, students, and kids. They tend to be general-purpose devices anyone can use.

At an event today in San Francisco, Apple announced one of the most business-centric devices it has ever created. The new iPad Pro is a powerful, 12.9-inch tablet that runs high-end business-class apps. It feels almost as if Apple skipped over some of the usual specs--the tablet is fast, lasts 10 hours, and is almost as thin as the iPad Air 2. The company's event moved quickly to app demos from (gasp) Microsoft (showing a powerful version of Word) and Adobe (showing a new app called Photoshop Fix for retouching images).

The new iPad Pro has two accessories every business user will love. There's a new Smart Keyboard that has slightly raised keys for fast typing--they mimic what you will find on a MacBook. For airport dwellers, it means doing real work anywhere. The keyboard snaps onto the tablet using a magnet. There's also a new stylus called the Apple Pencil that adjusts automatically depending on pressure and angle. It's a boon for those taking notes at a meeting.

The iPad Pro is a major productivity booster. It's big enough to type documents using a large soft keyboard, and fast enough to run desktop-class apps. The stylus is ideal for taking notes and drawing out plans during meetings and business trips. It's a game changer for business, because it means you can stay productive without having to lug around a laptop. The everyday business apps are powerful: You can add charts to a document and edit photos on a display large enough to see what you're doing. For the iPad Pro 32GB version, you will pay $799. The Pencil costs $99 and the Smart Keyboard, $169. All of the new products will be available this November.

Now, it's important to note here that a large, desktop-class tablet is not exactly a new product segment. The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is also a 12-inch tablet with a stylus. It costs $899 and weighs 1.7 pounds; the iPad Pro weighs 1.57 pounds, so they have some similarities. And both the Surface Pro 3 and the iPad Pro use a smart keyboard cover and a stylus. There's no way to know which device will fit best into the context of small business until we get a chance to compare them side by side. The Surface Pro 3 is not quite as clunky as it was before, now that you can use Windows 10 as the operating system and not deal with the confusion of Windows 8.
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Will you buy the iPad Pro? I'm curious about your view--post in comments or email me.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
 
PUBLISHED ON: SEP 9, 2015
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