If you're attending The Premier Business Leadership Series in Orlando later this month, I'm about to give you one crucial reason not to take an early flight home: Jason Dorsey. Or, as he's affectionately known, the Gen Y guy. He's smart, he's energetic, and he knows things about your employees and your customers that you don't know. Plus, he has the data to back up his enlivening and informative insights.

We've planned a few posts here about Dorsey and his research to give you a taste of what you'll learn from his presentation in Orlando. But trust me, there's nothing like hearing him live.

To start, Dorsey explains, this is the first time we've seen four generations in the workplace.  But what are the differences between the generations? And why should business leaders care? Read on for a description of the four generations from the Gen Y Guy himself.

From our work at The Center for Generational Kinetics, we believe there are four generations in the workforce (with a fifth generation just beginning to enter). Here is a quick overview of the current four:

1. Traditionalists: Born before 1946, this generation came of age around the Great Depression and WWII. They have the most experience of any generation and are also the grandparents of Gen Y.
2. Baby Boomers: Born between 1946 and 1964, this massive generation of 80 million people changed the workplace and the marketplace. They still have a “work hard” and “pay your dues” mentality but we now see them also pushing back for more life balance. Unlike what everyone usually assumes, we don’t think they’ll fully retire any time soon.
3. Generation X: Born between 1965 and 1976, this is the “sandwich generation.” They came of age at a time of skyrocketing divorce rates and other social and corporate promises being broken. Their skepticism makes them great for leading in the analytics space. They always want to know exactly where we get our data!
4. Generation Y, aka Millennials: Born between 1977 and 1995, this is my own generation. We are about 80 million strong in the U.S. alone, and represent the fastest growing generation in the workplace and marketplace. This generation has more degrees and diversity than any previous generation. We also have a unique mindset that can challenge even the most experienced employers and marketers. 

Dorsey promises to share a lot more about Gen Y and the other generations during his speech in Orlando. In fact, he says, you won't want to miss his hilarious take on why his generation texts without vowels. If you aren't attending the Premier Business Leadership Series, you'll have a chance to hear more from Jason on this blog next week, including his thoughts on Generation Y and data.