Generation vs. Individual Some months ago, I shared a post on LinkedIn regarding the continued emphasis on targeting the needs of different generations, with a particular emphasis on the rising millennial generation. This discussion concerned me then and continues to do so now. Long before the focus on generational differences, there was a lot of energy and resources used to erase boundaries created by stereotyping and labeling. Yet, here we go doing it all over again, but now with generations. This leads me to ponder why we feel such a need to put people in boxes. In turn, this leads me to ask the question, “Which is more important, knowing an individual’s generation or knowing the individual as a person?” While I do acknowledge that there can be benefits to recognizing and responding to trends and patterns as they appear, I have come to believe that the key to engaging and retaining quality team members is to value the individual person for what they bring to the team