Baby Boomers: The second-oldest of the five workplace generations, the Baby Boomers are the workers born between 1946 and 1964.

This large group includes most of the major decision makers who will be “calling the shots” between now and 2030. Their primary values are to CHALLENGE LIMITS AND QUESTION EVERYTHING.

Baby Boomers are willing to confront authority when and as circumstances require, and they tend to have a stronger sense of social responsibility and a deeper understanding of the need for change and reform than the Traditionalists (those workers born before 1946).

As a rule, their characteristics include profound optimism and willingness to believe that any worthy goal can be achieved.

They’re generally less formal than Traditionalists, and they are more likely to focus on their individual career goals than on team initiatives.

They are generally receptive to new communication technologies, although Baby Boomers, like Traditionalists, are often seen by younger workers as “digital immigrants.” This is because the Boomers did not grow up speaking the language of a digital world. For instance, some Boomers took their time embracing twenty-first century social media forums like Facebook and Twitter. Most of them have now adopted this massively important medium, which is “hardwired” into the younger half of the workforce.

KEY TAKEAWAY: To work efficiently with Baby Boomers, you should be prepared to identify a new and exciting goal that has not been attained before.