Tammy Erickson recently did a webinar over at HR.com that I had a chance to listen in on. As one of leading experts on collaboration and innovation, you’ve probably read her blog posts and/or articles for Harvard Business Review, as well as her many books on managing the generations. Her latest book What’s Next Gen X offers an analysis of the “implications of organizational and technological changes” for this generation’s future. The webinar Why Gen X Has the Leaders We Need Now draws heavily from this book and shares some interesting ideas on the leadership potential of Gen X.

During the Webinar, Erickson, did a thorough job of establishing all of the factors that have brought Gen X to where we are today, including the economy, changing world order, the Internet, entry of women into the workforce and divorce rates. The end result is a generation that is self-reliant, mistrustful of institutions, rule-morphing, tribal, information-savvy, and determined and dedicated parents Now, you may be thinking… really, how much are generational differences even an issue? According to experts like Erickson, there is definitely a difference between boomers, Gen X and Gen Y. And the experts from the HR Raging Debates forum offer many views on whether or not these differences matter. From my perspective, the reality is that HR pros need to recognize there is a difference and go from there. The differences shouldn’t be the primary focus, but a guiding force in creating and managing HR programs.

What’s interesting about Erickson’s examination of Gen X is that she approaches it from two directions. For members of Gen X, she lays out “practical steps for Gen Xers in the workplace”, as well as tips for “trading up and branching out” such as asking for non-salary things you value, meeting commitments, and reinforcing your personal brand. All of these steps offer insights into how organizations can be flexible and meet individual needs of Gen X employees.

On the flip side, Erickson, provides practical steps for “attracting and retaining Xers” including providing family friendly flexibility, minimizing moves that sever social connections and leveraging their entrepreneurial instincts. One of the most interesting steps by far is giving them choice and control over their career paths. Definitely not a breakthrough idea, but one that is well-worth repeating time and time again. We all know this is a must, however, are we actually doing it? And how does it fit within our talent management process? We need to ensure there’s room in the “process” to have a two-way dialogue that encourages this choice and control, and not a static event where employees are walked through a check list.

How are you working with employees to ensure they have a degree of choice and control over their career path?