Disloyal up-starts who are arrogant, don't want to be told what to do, have short attention spans, don't want to pay their dues, and can't stand deferred gratification. The real GenX is flexible, technoliterate, entrepreneurial and in great demand. It is probably true that every new generation of workers clashes with the generations in power. But the emergence of Generation X in the workforce coincides with the most profound changes in the economy and the nature of work since the industrial revolution. Xers are shaped by the very same forces shaping the workplace of the future, and this makes Xers uniquely well suited to serve as a compass in the changing economy.
Dues paying and ladder climbing is out.
Confidence is high among GenXers and not just because demand is outpacing supply. GenX is not in such high demand just because the economy is good, but because the economy is going through the most profound changes since the Industrial Revolution and GenXers are in perfect sync with those changes. Most GenXers are not planning to base their careers on a long-term relationship with one established company. They reject authority for the sake of authority and rules for the sake of rules. Dues paying and ladder climbing is out.