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Return to Article: FEATURES Generation Passion

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  Speaking of passion, I believe this is a level of consciousness that most have reached rather than a generational mindset. I am 48 and have always pursued work that I thought was meaningful rather than profitable. I have numerous middle aged acquaintances and relatives that also place family issues/quality of life and the impact they have on the life of others as more important than the pursuit of the bottom line. I am considering leaving the federal government's security blanket, after 20 years and before I am eligible to retire, simply because the work that I do seems meaningless, involving a process that has become increasingly difficult for the general public to reap any benefit from, with the changes that have occurred in Congress' funding priorities. My passion for housing and feeding people are basic needs that I enjoy assisting with, but I enjoy little or no job satisfaction as I perceive these general public needs as being swept under the rug, in order to adjust for military budgeting needs.

  Tamathy Williams Posted January 18, 2007 3:13 PM
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  Well, good luck. I once had fire in my system, too. Nothing ruined my will to work for a living more than 16 years in the civil service. I used to think that people that weren't productive were lazy. The truth is -- they usually work for some boss who won't give them anything to do. And, people can't just give up a steady paycheck because they have nothing to do. I also used to think that people didn't get ahead because they were lazy. The truth is, the bottom line in the government is politics and cronyism. Public service is incidental. Nothing I did mattered, because I worked for a jerk who was determined to keep me down to assuage his pathetic ego. I hope members of generation passion have it better in the civil service, but I doubt it. Disgruntled middle aged worker.

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 26, 2006 8:54 AM
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  Young contracting officer,

  Your lack of respect for those of us who've been in the trenches for decades is unnecessary. Yes, values are different for different generations. But, when I hear a 21-year-old GS-7s, coming into civil service for the first time, asking when they will get a laptop and Blackberry, I wonder just what their values are. Those of us who've been defending this country for 20 or 30 years were willing to work our way up to where we were and didn't just expect it to be given to us the first day on the job. And, as for hiring those with degrees, I, like many of my age and grade, worked full time, raised families, and went to school to get a degree. Perhaps the resentment you feel is coming from the lack of respect you demonstrate.

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 22, 2006 8:18 AM
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  I completed a competitive internship two years ago. Unfortunately, I've found the majority of the old-line civil servants in their late 40s- mid 50s to be hostile when faced with any kind of organizational change, new technology, or (God forbid) the idea of hiring people with degrees and actually letting them work. When you've just finished school and are thousands of dollars in debt, being offered a GS-05, 07, or 09 is far from a silver spoon.

  Despite the patently obvious reality of how today's job market works, and the reality of competing salaries in the private sector, the majority of older government workers seem resentful that you didn't get a degree in business to come to work as clerk (like they did) and work a mimeograph (like they did) and wait 10 years to get a GS-12 (like they did).

  But the tragedy is that "they" (much of the older workforce) are allowed to get away with blocking change and failing to nurture their organizations. That is the tragedy -- that they cannot be fired -- or even stopped from trashing productivity and effectiveness, and killing programs and rendering IT investments useless. They are just allowed to hinder the effectiveness of our government and drain our tax dollars.

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 18, 2006 9:01 PM
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  To the person getting all cranky about the quote stating that the newer generation prefers more "meaningful" work - you need to take your pills and calm down.

  It would appear that you just proved that if certain values are not addressed -- for each generation, and they may be different -- then we get bitter tirades such as yours from seemingly mundane article quotes.

  You might need to consider that while not every generation is the same, we are all more similar than alike. Now take a deep breath, relax, and have a nice day.

  Young Contracting Officer Posted December 18, 2006 9:42 AM
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  Ms. Pica's assertion that "this generation places much more value on finding 'meaningful' work than did past generations" is insulting in the least. I've been in federal contracting for more than 20 years and I'll stack my generation's work ethic against the newcomers' any day. We need younger acquisition professionals, there's no doubt about that. But to claim they value meaningful work more than we do is rubbish. I've deployed to Asia and the Middle East in direct support of the troops, as have many others in my age group, as well as being a veteran. The work doesn't get any more meaningful than that! Keeping contract files "organized and pristine" (as Kendra Kozak states) is all well and good but it's hardly the meat of acquisition. Ms. Kozak, try being up at 2:00 a.m. monitoring a contractor performing its duties in issuing equipment to a combat brigade so it can move out to conduct live fire or force on force exercises. Keeping your files "pristine" becomes less of a priority.

  I salute those who are willing to come into the acquisition profession, especially in light of all the cuts to benefits federal employees are receiving, and the requirement to do more with less. But, give us seasoned professionals our due. We have been in the trenches keeping this nation strong for decades. Karen Pica owes us all an apology.

  GovExec.com reader Posted December 12, 2006 1:28 PM