Bridging the Boomer-Xer Gap

In this summary you will learn

• How the differences between Baby Boomers and members of Generation X affect team functioning
• Why the differences are really not too great
• How to manage teams, despite these differences

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Why you should read Bridging the Boomer-Xer Gap

The three authors - consultant Hank Karp, organizational development executive Connie Fuller and academic Danilo Sirias - admit they began their project with some hypotheses about the differences between Boomers and Xers. One of the most powerfully suggestive was the theory that Xers are much more individualistic than Boomers, which has the potential to create some worrisome issues for managers. Although their statistical analysis found some support for this notion, it also revealed, paradoxically, that Xers are real team players, perhaps even more so than Boomers. The authors do their best to write around that awkward fact, but the fact stubbornly remains: when it comes to working on teams, only seemingly subtle differences separate Boomers and Xers. The book offers a lot of reliable, proven tips about team management, so it is worthwhile. However, its credibility is somewhat damaged by the authors’ repeated references to differences and gaps whose existence seems pretty minimal, even in the eyes of their own research. While that may make this seem like a curious book about a solution to an elusive problem, getAbstract.com recommends it to those who are also pursuing solid, general team management guidance.

About the Authors

Hank Karp is a principal of Personal Growth Systems, a Virginia-based consulting firm. Connie Fuller is an organizational development specialist at AG Communication System, a Lucent Technologies subsidiary. Danilo Sirias is assistant professor of management at Saginaw Valley State University.