To start 2013, we’ll look at a series of Generational snapshots. This will reveal the elements that make up that generation’s CODE, which in turn is the basis for how that generation perceives the world, its role, and that of other generations. When you get to the core of what people in a generation have in common—their shared experiences as a collective—you begin to see the big picture of why, as a generation, people do what they do, why they see the world as they see it, and how/why they lead, or micro-manage a project, relationship, or team. First up is the G.I. Generation.
Natural Realities in a Nutshell:
Born: 1900-1926
Names: G.I. or Veteran
Archetype: Hero
Mood: Patriotism
Focus: Fighting the Good Fight
Technology: Radio, Telephone, Electricity
Shifts: Great Depression, Child Labor Laws, Women Voters
Beliefs: Buy American, Obey
Anchor Points: World War I, Prohibition, Great Depression, Hooverville, World War II
People: JFK, Ronald Reagan, Walt Disney, Judy Garland, John Wayne, Walter Cronkite, Hitler, Churchill
Places: Normandy, Eastern Front, Western Front, Manchuria,Nazi Germany, Dust Bowl
Events: D-Day, Cold War, Manhattan Project, Resistance, 1929 Stock Market Crash
Natural Realities explained:
The G.I. generation was born between 1901-1926. They make up less than 1 percent of the workforce. They were born during the Unraveling at the turn of the century and were known as “good-kids.” They were our first Boy Scouts and Miss Americas. The chaotic times had adults instituting new rules to protect youth. Where the previous Lost Generation (Nomads) had struggled to survive amid child sweatshops and rampant social drug use, now authorities and parents were implementing child-labor laws and building playgrounds.
G.I.s had and still have a healthy respect for their elders and an appreciation for authority and rules. During the Depression, they patiently supported their parents, and as uniformed young soldiers, they fought valiantly in World War II to protect their country from foreign enemies “over there.” As the heroic veterans of World War II, the G.I.s returned home to begin their careers with educations subsidized by the G.I. Bill. They were strong believers in the good and power of civil organizations and institutions. They earned their paychecks and built suburbs, miracle vaccines, plugged missile gaps, and launched moon rockets. As senior citizens, they have safeguarded their own “entitlements,” but they have had little influence over societal culture and values.
