Generational Decoding Resource

Want to know who Buddy Rich is? Do you know the words to the "Oscar Meyer Wiener" jingle? Curious about what band Michael Stipe is in?

Baby boomers. Generation X. Generation Y. Millenials.Today there are more generations in the the workforce than ever before. Trouble is, different generations have completely different points of reference. Important generational icons for one age group might be completely unknown to another.

The answer? Use Wikipedia.

An on-line open-source encyclopedia, wikipedia is an excellent resource for explaining all things cultural. As an open-source encyclopedia, wikipedia is open to input from everyone (including you!), so I would suggest caution in believing the specific facts that are given in any particular entry.

While perhaps not the best tool for research, wikipedia can quickly give you specific answers to cultural minutia that you hear around the water cooler.

BOTTOM LINE: Great leaders stay open to learning about what is important to each of the generations they work with.


answers:

a. Buddy Rich was a famous big-band and jazz drummer.
b. "Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Wiener, for that is what I'd truly like to be ..."
c. R.E.M.