Born On Third and Thought We Hit a Triple
Understanding what motivates and inspires Boomers and Gen X since 2022
“If you worry, you die. If you don’t worry, you also die. So why worry?”
– Mike Horn
We boomers were born on third base and thought we hit a triple
Was there ever a generation of Americans more blessed than us baby boomers? Our parents had lived through the Great Depression and World War II. They were frugal and battle-scarred. They had experienced awful times and sacrificed mightily. And by God, no way were their children going to go through any of that misery. Thus, when my generation of 78 million Americans was born, every possible way to make our lives easier was employed by our parents. Yes, we were born on Third Base and thought we had hit a triple. This means whatever advantages we had in our lives, they were not created by us. Our parents set us up for success and relished in it.
The unmasking of the narcissistic, conspiracy-spreading baby-boomer rock stars
Each of these examples differs in its particulars — and stands in stark contrast to the likes of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, neither of whom has put their music back on Spotify after pulling it last year to protest the platform’s star podcaster, Joe Rogan, spreading vaccine misinformation. But together they raise the question of whether members of a generation that “made striking changes socially and morally and artistically,” have betrayed the implicit promise of the ’60s counterculture. And if they have, should we be surprised?
Businesses turn to robots as retiring baby boomers cause labour squeeze
Small and medium-sized companies are turning to automation as the gradual exit from the workplace of Germany’s postwar “baby boom” generation tightens the labour squeeze. About 1.7-million German jobs were unfilled in June, official data shows. The German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) says more than half of companies are struggling to fill vacancies, at an estimated cost to growth in Europe’s largest economy of nearly €100bn per year.
Estimated $100tn wealth transfer will ‘reshape philanthropic giving’, report finds
An estimated $100tn wealth transfer will “reshape philanthropic giving” across the globe, new research concludes. A report from the US bank Citi, called Philanthropy and the Global Economy, says a wealth transfer from the “silent and baby boomer generations” is resulting in new philanthropic values becoming priorities for donors. The move will result in calls for changes in how the assets held by philanthropic organisations are used, authors said. Karen Kardos, global head of philanthropic advisory at Citi, said: “An estimated $100tn wealth transfer from the silent and baby boomer generations is underway. “Their successors — who include many more women — often have distinctive values and philanthropic priorities. “Social inequalities, climate change and other areas of sustainability are set to be even greater areas of focus for the new generations of donors.stocks."
How to lengthen the stay of boomers at retirement age
As Generation Z enters the workforce with completely different values and motivators than previous generations, companies need to be prepared with the proper tools to successfully transition baby boomers out of the workforce without massively disrupting business. For this reason, companies will need to quickly pivot to prioritize retention and develop robust succession plans. To offset the negative impact of all baby boomers retiring at the same time, you can appeal to their fiercely loyal character trait to try to retain them a bit longer as you work to transfer their knowledge to younger workers or document it for future reference.
5 investments that could sabotage baby boomers’ retirement dreams
With an age range starting at 58, the vast majority of baby boomers are either close to retirement or already have retired. Investing carries numerous pitfalls regardless of your age. Young investors have decades to recover from mistakes or market fluctuations. For baby boomers, though, it’s critical to avoid investments that could delay your dreams of retirement — or wreck them completely.