Generations Bridging the Gap or Trying to Reduce Generational Turbulence

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GenerationsBridging the Gap or Trying to Reduce
Generational Turbulence?

• Mindy Stooksbury, RSBA, PHR
• Director of Fiscal Services
• Maryville City Schools
• Tennessee

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Generational Repetition

• Each generation assumes the following generations
  will want what they have and will share their
  same definition of success.
• Each generation then believes the following
  generations should pay their dues the same way
  to earn that success.
• With a few exceptions, each generation thinks the
  following generation has had it easier.

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Generation Profiles

• A generation has shared values, common heroes and
  experiences.
• Keep in mind that exceptions to the profiles
  exist based on personal circumstances.

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Current Generations

• Veterans 1900-1945
• Baby Boomers 1946-1964
• Generation X 1965-1980
• Nexters 1981-1999

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Veterans 1900 - 1945

• The difficult we do at once the impossible
  takes a bit longer.
• --Motto of the Seabees

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Veterans 1900 - 1945

• AKA Traditionalists, GI Generation, Jazz Age
• Current Age 61
• Outlook practical
• Work ethic dedicated
• View of authority respectful
• Leadership by hierarchy
• Relationships personal sacrifice
• Perspective civic
• of Active Workforce 5

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Veterans - Defining Events

• Stock Market Crash
• Great Depression
• World War II
• Patriotism
• New Deal
• Rise of labor unions

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Veterans - Compelling Messages

• Make do or do without.
• Stay in line.
• Sacrifice.
• Be heroic.
• Consider the common good.
• Age Seniority

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Veterans - How They Were Raised

• Discipline
• Schedules
• Conformity
• Strict obedience
• Spare the rod and spoil the child

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Veterans - Personality

• Like Consistency Uniformity
• Like Things on a Grand Scale
• Conformers
• Disciplined
• Strong work ethic

• Consistent
• Dependable
• Past-Oriented History Absorbed
• Believe in Law Order
• Conservative

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Veterans - Communication Turnoffs

• Profanity
• Slang
• Emotional language
• Disorganization
• Lack of respect for tradition
• Poor grammar
• Disrespect for experience

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Veterans - How to Manage

• Treat these colleagues with respect.
• Show that youre organized.
• Emphasize long-term goals.
• Use your best grammar and avoid slang.

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Veterans - Bits Pieces

• Popular Names George Dorothy
• Notables George Bush, Harry Belafonte, John
  Glenn, Lee Iacocca
• Media Radio, Fireside Chats, Lone Ranger, Grand
  Ole Opry
• Music Swing, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington
• Heroes Superman, FDR, MacArthur, Patton,
  Eisenhower, Churchill, Babe Ruth

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Veterans - Bits Pieces

• Markings
• Conservative, somewhat dressy clothes
• Neatly Trimmed Hair
• Golf Clubs
• Mixed Drinks
• Spending Style Save Pay Cash

• What they read Readers Digest, USA Today,
  Time, Wall Street Journal
• Their Humor The Better Half
• Use of Time Time is a currency to be invested
  into their future

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Veterans - Memories
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Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964

• God knows many of them are fools, and most of
  them will be sellouts, but theyre a better
  generation than we were.
• 
  ---Lillian Hellman

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Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964

• AKA Beat Generation, Consciousness Revolution
• Current Age 42 - 60
• Outlook optimistic
• Work ethic driven
• View of authority love/hate
• Leadership by consensus
• Relationships personal gratification
• Perspective team
• of Active Workforce 45

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Baby Boomers - Defining Events

• Vietnam
• Civil Rights Exploration
• Space Exploration
• Cold War
• Assassinations

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Boomers - Compelling Messages

• Be anything you want to be.
• Change the world.
• Work well with others.
• Live up to expectations.
• Duck and cover.

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Boomers - How They Were Raised

• Dr. Spock
• Throw away the schedule
• Love and nurture, pamper and cherish
• Stay-at-home moms

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Boomers - Personality

• Believe in Growth Expansion
• Think of themselves as the Stars of the Show
• Optimistic
• Team-Oriented

• Pursuit of Personal Gratification - No Matter the
  Cost
• Trendsetters - Cool
• Humane
• Interpersonal
• Trustworthy

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Boomers - Communication Turnoffs

• Brusqueness
• Unfriendliness
• Not showing interest
• Shows of power, one-upmanship
• Political incorrectness
• Sports and war metaphors

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Boomers - How to Manage

• Provide recognition opportunities.
• Establish rapport.
• Tie together concept, mission and values and
  apply to individual.

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Boomers - Bits Pieces

• Popular Names Tom Linda
• Notables Bill Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey,
  Bill Gates, Rush Limbaugh, Mick Jagger
• Media Beatles, Watching TV
• Music Rock -n- Roll, Elvis, Grateful Dead, Beach
  Boys, Hendrix, Supremes
• Heroes Gandhi, Martin Luther King, John
  Jacqueline Kennedy

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Boomers - Bits Pieces

• Markings
• Designer everything - Whatever is trendy
• BMWs
• Vintage Wines
• Spending Style Buy now, with plastic, and pay
  later

• What they read Business Week, People
• Their Humor Doonesbury
• Use of Time Time is a currency to be invested
  into their future

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Generation X 1965 - 1980

• Its no wonder Xers are angst-ridden and
  rudderless. They feel Americas greatness has
  passed. They got to the cocktail party twenty
  minutes late, and all thats left are those
  little wieners and a half-empty bottle of Zima.
• --Dennis Miller

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Generation X 1965 - 1980

• AKA MTV Generation
• Current Age 26 to 41
• Outlook skeptical
• Work ethic balanced
• View of authority unimpressed
• Leadership by competence
• Relationships reluctant to commit
• Perspective self
• of Active Workforce 40

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Generation X - Defining Events

• Berlin Wall
• Desert Storm
• Watergate
• MTV and Cable
• Single-parent Homes
• AIDS
• Challenger disaster

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Generation X - Compelling Messages

• Dont count on it.
• Remember heroesarent.
• Get real.
• Survive-stayin alive.
• Ask why? - Cynical

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Generation X - How They Were Raised

• Parenting by proxy
• Working moms
• Latchkey children
• Soaring divorce rates
• Autonomy and independence

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Generation X - Personality

• Self-reliant
• Seeking a sense of family
• Nontraditional orientation about time space
• Like informality
• Deeply segmented

• Skeptical
• Casual approach to authority
• Technologically savvy
• Like extremes
• Want balance in life

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Generation X - Communication Turnoffs

• Schmoozing
• Inefficient use of time
• Flashiness
• Hyperbole, acronyms, corporate speak
• Incompetence
• Bureaucracy
• Complex policies

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Generation X - How to Manage

• Show respect for their time by approaching them
  efficiently.
• Be straightforward in your approach, leading with
  the bottom line.
• Use results-based language.

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Generation X - Bits Pieces

• Popular Names Devon Li
• Notables Kurt Cobain, Jewel, Brad Pitt, Michael
  Jordan, Matt Groening, Michael Dell
• Media MTV, Seinfeld, Friends, CNN, Brady Bunch
• Music U2, Prince, Elton John, Duran Duran, Rap,
  Guns -n- Roses
• Heroes None

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Generation X - Bits Pieces

• Markings
• Tattoos, Nose Rings, Naval Rings
• Functional Clothing
• Spending Style Cautious, Conservative

• What they read Spin, Wired
• Their Humor The Far Side
• Use of Time Time is a currency that they are
  reluctant to give away

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Nexters 1981 - 1999

• When summoned, these youths transform
  themselves into thunder bolting evil fighters.
  Whatever they do - from displaying martial arts
  to piloting high-tech weaponry - they do as a
  choreographed groupwith strength in cooperation,
  energy in conformity, virtue in duty.
• --Neil Howe and Bill Strauss
• The Fourth Turning

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Nexters 1981 - 1999

• AKA Millennials, Ys, Internet Generation
• Current Age 7 to 25
• Outlook hopeful
• Work ethic ambitious, yet appear aimless
• View of authority relaxed, polite
• Leadership by achievers
• Relationships loyal
• Perspective civic
• of Active Workforce 10

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Nexters - Defining Events

• Terrorist Attacks of September 11th
• Violence in Schools - Columbine
• Princess Dianas Death
• Computers/Technology
• Multiculturalism

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Nexters - Defining Events
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Nexters - Compelling Messages

• Be smart you are special.
• Leave no one behind.
• Connect 24/7.
• Achieve now!
• Serve your community.
• All for one, one for all.

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Nexters - How They Were Raised

• Parent advocacy
• Put children first
• Soccer moms
• Supervision
• Strictness on drugs, drinking, and driving

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Nexters - Personality

• Multicultural
• Tolerant of everyones diversity
• Technologically advanced
• Think mom and dad are cool
• Passion personality to take on violence as a
  cause - advocates

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Nexters - Communication Turnoffs

• Cynicism
• Sarcasm
• Unfairness
• Condescension
• Dont put a damper on their enthusiasm

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Nexters - How to Manage

• Use a collaborative approach.
• Be positive.
• Show respect for achievements.
• Use technologically impressive presentations.
• Encouragement and mentoring.

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Nexters - Bits Pieces

• Popular Names Brandon Crystal
• Notables Macauley Culkin, Chelsea Clinton,
  Prince William Harry, LeAnn Rimes
• Media Family amusement, reality shows
• Music Alternative rap, Alanis Morrisette,
  Boy/Girl Bands
• Heroes Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Mia Hamm,
  Mark McGwire, Princess Diana

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Nexters - Bits Pieces

• Markings
• Pagers, cell phones, PDAs
• Retro clothing
• Spending Style Spend your parents money as fast
  as you can.

• What they read Goosebumps, Babysitters Club
• Their Humor Calvin Hobbes
• Use of Time Time is a currency that they are
  reluctant to give away

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Xers vs. Boomers

• Two groups that do not work well togetherwhats
  the problem?

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What They Say About Each Other

• Xers Say
• Self-righteous
• Workaholic
• Thrive on office politics
• Demand constant validation
• Take comfortable retirement for granted

• Boomers Say
• Slackers
• Whiners
• Dont want to pay their dues
• No work ethic
• Not committed
• Spend too much time on the Internet

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From an Xer.

• Some nights I lie awake in fear that my
  generation was handed a broom and told to sweep
  up after the baby boomers party.
• Douglas Coupland,
• San Diego Union-Tribune

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Generational Delineators

• View work
• Xer Job
• Boomer Career
• Relate to authority
• Xer Unfazed
• Boomer Impressed
• View entitlement
• Xer Judge on merit
• Boomer Experience counts

• Communicate
• Xer Blunt
• Boomer Diplomatic
• Feel about approval
• Xer Indifferent
• Boomer Seek validation
• Policies Procedures
• Xer Mistrust business practices
• Boomer Defend them

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From a Boomer

• I certainly didnt have those kinds of
  expectations when I graduated college, but it
  seems like a lot of kids today do - and they
  dont understand the amount of work it takes to
  get where they want to go.
• Jim Barnhart,
• Applied Materials

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GenerationsNow What?

• Communication, Culture, Balance and Teams

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Communication That Bridges Generation Gaps
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The Work Cultures
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Work Culture

• Review work/life balance
• Evaluate dress code
• Review policies procedures
• Review reward recognition programs
• Review top leadership styles
• Provide training

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Benefits of the Balanced Work Culture

• Lower turnover
• Increased morale
• Improved attendance
• Better safety
• Greater customer satisfaction

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One Work Culture for All

• Flexible, with lots of options for people to
  choose from.
• Open, with lots of communication about differing
  perspectives, including conversations about
  generations.
• Responsive, meets individuals needs and
  preferences.
• Positive, expects the best from everyone.
• Diverse, consciously seeks a variety of
  perspectives.
• Developmental, helps people to advance on their
  chosen career paths.
• Retention-oriented, focuses daily on keeping good
  people.

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Meeting Preferences

• Veterans usually prefer a streamlined process
  where only key individuals are involved in
  decision making.
• Baby Boomers typically feel the best way to get
  everyone involved is to have face-to-face
  meetings to work through issues.
• Generation X generally like to get to the
  results quickly many feel that meetings are
  inefficient and could be handled by email.
• Nexters characteristically want people to
  listen to their ideas in meetings.

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Six Steps for Mixing Generations

• Talk Get people talking about generations.
• Ask The best way to know a persons needs and
  preferences is to ask.
• Offer Choices Offer as many choices to suit the
  needs and preference of a diverse workforce.
• Be Flexible Understand and adapt your style to
  the preferences of others.
• Build on Strengths Make each person feel that
  he or she is valued.
• Perspectives - pursue differences.

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Leading Mixed Generation Teams

• Managers of Poor-Performing Teams
• Prescribe one way of doing things
• Expect team members to become carbon copies of
  themselves
• Focus on mistakes and problems
• Ignore positive contributions
• Stifle creativity and individualism

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Leading Mixed Generation Teams

• Managers of High-Performing Teams
• Encourage people to create new approaches to the
  work
• Avoid judging ideas until theyre fully explained
• Allow a variety of behaviors and attitudes unless
  they violate core values
• Emphasize and celebrate personal successes
• Encourage risk-taking and learning from mistakes

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Todays Best Managers

• Believe in employees
• Help employees achieve balance
• Develop career plans with employees
• Adapt to differences
• Appreciate diversity
• Change Agents
• Employees are looking for job satisfaction, not
• merely a paycheck, more than ever before.

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Additional Information References

• Generations at Work (Zemke, Raines, Filipczak)
• Connecting Generations (Raines)
• When Generations Collide (Lancaster Stillman)
• The Xers The Boomers (Raines Hunt)