Careers Lessons from Baby Boomers: The Generation with the Highest Work Ethic

Depending on who you ask, Baby Boomers are committed, competitive and self-sufficient or they’re selfish, out of touch and condescending. And in the workplace, the picture is no different.

For Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X-ers, Baby Boomer colleagues can be a source of inspiration or annoyance. But while you might be tempted to just say “OK Boomer” and ignore the views of your older coworkers, there actually are some career-enriching lessons to learn from their approach to work. The fact is, Baby Boomers have been in the workforce for over 50 years and they’ve picked up some valuable insights along the way. 

The youngest Baby Boomers will soon be leaving the workforce and taking their beliefs, ideas and approaches with them. Before that happens, here's what you should be learning from your Baby Boomer coworkers before it's too late. 

1. Their Work Ethic

At the core of the Baby Boomers’ mindset is their strong work ethic. They value hard work above all else and have very high standards in this respect. It’s why you’ll often hear them complaining that younger generations “don’t want to work any more.” 

Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z-ers in the workforce are more likely to prioritize a healthy work-life balance, but there’s still a lot to learn from Baby Boomers’ approach to work without pushing yourself towards burnout. 

Baby Boomers are conscientious. They take pride in what they do and they believe in taking their role seriously, often adopting a “do it like you own it” approach. They’re also motivated to learn as much as possible and spend time on learning and development at work, helping them to progress in their careers and bring fresh ideas and knowledge to the workplace.

While Baby Boomers often struggle to find the balance between their work and their personal lives, there are some ways you can learn from your Boomer colleagues to help you be more productive at work. Here are a few methods:

• Find things to motivate you: If you struggle to feel motivated at work, take time to identify the things that will help motivate you to work harder. They might not necessarily be related to your organization or your employer. For example, you might find motivation in your colleagues, completing a specific task, taking a course, or setting a goal like a promotion or a salary increase. 
• Organize your workspace: To increase your productivity at work, learn from your Baby Boomer colleagues to find out how they organize their notes, inbox, workspaces and more for better productivity. They might have some tips and tricks you haven’t thought of before.
• Avoid distractions at work: To help you concentrate better, remove distractions when you’re doing tasks that require deep focus. For example, try putting away your phone, muting notifications, and closing your email and social media for a fixed period of time.

2. Their Competitive Spirit

While Millennials and Gen Z-ers are known for being achievement-focused and forward-thinking, Baby Boomers rank highly for competitiveness at work. The Baby Boomer generation was named after a rapid rise in population growth, so Boomers faced more competition for jobs when they entered the workforce.

You can learn from the competitiveness of the Baby Boomers to help you get ahead at work. Here are a few strategies to give you more of a competitive edge, without resorting to cutthroat tactics: 

• Focus on relationships: Relationship-building is a crucial way to advance in your career and it’s something that Baby Boomers often do well. Boomers understand the importance of fostering relationships both within their organization and outside. Learn from your Boomer colleagues by reaching out to people you wouldn’t normally talk to in your organization, including senior leaders and coworkers in different departments.
• Listen to feedback: Many Baby Boomers understand the importance of getting recognition at work to help them get ahead. To stand out at work, listen to feedback from leaders in your organization and implement it immediately. If you can show that you take feedback on board and you’re committed to continuously improving at work, you’ll be in a good place to get yourself recognized.
• Stand out with personal branding: While Baby Boomers are criticized for not embracing new technologies, you can borrow from Boomers’ competitive outlook to start building your personal brand online. Use social networks like LinkedIn to build up your professional network and grow your personal brand to help you get noticed in your current workplace and by potential employers too.

3. Their Confidence and Self-belief

Baby Boomers are all about being independent and self-sufficient. With this mindset comes a natural self-confidence and self-belief. Many Boomers believe that if you put your mind to something, you work hard and you stay determined, you’ll achieve your goals.

This self-assuredness can help Boomers achieve their aims in the workplace. As the saying goes, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. But for younger generations - especially Millennials and Gen Z - having the same level of confidence can be challenging. 

Self-belief is crucial to so many aspects of your career, including taking on more responsibilities at work, going for promotions and achieving your goals. Here are some ways to learn from your Baby Boomer colleagues:

• Ask for training: You can’t expect to be an expert at everything from day one. To help build up your confidence and self-belief, actively ask for training at work. That might mean getting help or mentoring from more senior colleagues (including Baby Boomers) or enrolling in professional development programs. The more you can learn, the more confident you’re likely to feel in your role.
• Use confident language: To help you appear more confident at work - even if you don’t feel it - practice using confident language in your communications. For example, changing "Can I" to "I will" or swapping "Hope that's okay" to "Let me know if you have any questions." 
• Practice resilience: Baby Boomers are known for being a resilient and self-reliant generation. Learn from your Boomer colleagues by staying positive and persevering, even if you don’t feel like you’re winning. If you experience a setback, see it as an opportunity to evaluate the outcome, learn from your mistakes, and try again. And don’t be too hard on yourself.

Are You a Baby Boomer At Heart?

Baby Boomers are often criticized by younger generations for being out of touch, especially in the workplace, but there are some crucial things you can learn from your Boomer colleagues to help you progress at work and in your career. Use these tips to channel your inner Baby Boomer and reap the rewards.

And if these strategies are things you already do naturally, have you considered that you could be more Boomer than you think? Not everyone has the values and mindset of the generation they were born into. To find out where you fall on the generational spectrum, take the True Generation Test and discover your true generational identity. Who knows - you might discover that you have more in common with Baby Boomers than you ever imagined!