Virginia Membership Forum Generational Leadership

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Virginia Membership ForumGenerational Leadership

• 4 Generations of Members
• Understanding Communication and Leadership Issues
• Ill. Michael Smith, 33 SGIG in SC
• January 2009

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Virginia Membership ForumOur Fraternal Bonds

• Brothers we have so much in common
• Our obligations to God and ourselves
• The mystic tie of the Fraternity
• Brotherly love of true Masons
• Passion for our philanthropies!
• Rich History in Virginia and the World

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Virginia Membership ForumGenerational Conflict

• Those old white heads run everything and wont
  listen to my ideas.
• We do it this way because thats the way we
  have always done it.
• If it aint broke dont fix it.
• Our meetings are so boring.
• Why cant we do things differently

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Virginia Membership ForumRecognizing Diversity

• Session Agenda
• 4 Generations of Members
• Pre-session Exercise ( Please Stand Up!)
• Generational Introduction
• Which group do I belong to?
• Who are they?
• Characteristics of each
• Working Together / Understanding each other
• Leading Together / Building a successful team!

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Virginia Membership ForumVirginia Generational
Diversity
Sources Express Business Solutions, US Census
and Grand Lodge of Virginia 2008
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Virginia Membership ForumMembership Analysis 2008
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Virginia Membership Forum Traditionals - Loyalty

• Core Need Membership / Responsibility
• Remember your first television?
• Survived difficulty (Depression, WWII)
• Value
• Stability
• Security
• Community
• Patriotism
• Reverence of God
• Like structure and form

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Virginia Membership Forum Baby Boomers -
Optimists

• Core Need Work ethic, Transformation
• Remember your first Color Television?
• Competition for work created work ethic
• Value
• Fairness to all
• Improving things
• Accomplishment of goals
• Like to find work-life balance as they age

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Virginia Membership Forum Generation X -
Skeptical

• Core Need Independence / Freedom
• Remember your first PersonalComputer?
• Most misunderstood generation due to skeptical
  nature ( Latchkey Kids )
• Tech savvy
• Like to get the job done and move on
• Flexible schedules

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Virginia Membership Forum Millennials Wired

• Core Need Respect Engagement
• Remember your first iPOD?
• First Generations to Teach Older Gen
• Like to be involved and respected
• Need to contribute to the team
• Like coaching/mentoring with the tools to do the
  job
• Tech savvy

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Virginia Membership Forum
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Virginia Membership ForumThe Art of Delegation

• How would you delegate to
• A Traditional?
• A Boomer?
• A Gen-Xer?
• A Millennial?
• How would they respond?

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Virginia Membership Forum Traditional
Relationships

• Stability Loyalty
• Core Membership and Responsibility
• Characteristic Structured (Military)
• Trust hierarchy, standards, and norms.
• Straight up and to the point with tasks
• Listen to them.
• Respect their experience!
• Share the task and results

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Virginia Membership ForumBaby Boomer
Relationships

• Transformational Optimistic
• Core Strong Work Ethic (Competition)
• Characteristic Idealistic - Fairness
• Build Trust Why do we do it this way?
• Like to restructure or improve things
• Aging and now want balance in how they spend time

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Virginia Membership ForumGen X Relationships

• Entrepreneurial Skeptical
• Core Need Independence (Cultural Shifts)
• Characteristic Resourceful Independent
• Let them do the task creatively and move on
• Like variety and stimulation
• Casual and relaxed environment
• Less structure

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Virginia Membership ForumMillennial Relationships

• Wired, Involved and Always On!
• Core Need Fast Response Engagement
• Characteristic Involvement (Information Age)
• First generation to teach older generations
• Must give quick response and feedback
• Get the job done quick with creativity
• Allow them to LeadListen to their suggestions
• Build Loyalty and Trust.

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Virginia Leadership ForumHow to Engage and Retain

• Traditionals
• Offer tasks geared to skills sets.
• Develop Roles and Responsibilities
• Stick to the Plan and Schedules
• Respectful Language Dislike Vulgarity
• Dress Appropriately (Provide Formality)
• RESPECT Experience LISTEN!

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Virginia Leadership ForumHow to Engage and Retain

• Boomers
• Value their experience! Listen to them
• Recognize their contributions
• Provide leadership opportunities
• Politically Correct environment
• ASK themDont TELL them
• Follow proper etiquette

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Virginia Membership ForumHow to Engage and Retain

• Gen Xers
• Quick feedback on their projects
• Allow them to multi-task
• Dont micromanage their work
• Provide technology and tools
• Offer a balance between work and social
  activities
• Listen to their ideas

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Virginia Membership ForumHow to Engage and Retain

• Millennials
• Provide Orientation and Training
• Assign Mentors or Coaches
• Respect their ideas. Dont Talk down to.
• Respond quickly to requests
• Provide latest tools and technology
• Recognize their work and their results.

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Virginia Membership ForumGenerational Leadership
Process

• Delegation
• Coaching Mentoring
• Membership Retention
• Education and Training Programs
• Philanthropy Programs
• Improved Communication Etiquette

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Virginia Leadership ForumCommunication Etiquette

• Respect each others time
• Ask Permission for time
• Return Calls and Email
• 24 hours time limit
• Resist Intolerance
• First seek to understand, only then to be
  understood S. Covey
• Identify your motivation

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Virginia Membership ForumCommunication Etiquette

• Assume formality with names
• Small recognition work to build teams.
• Connect with members
• Regular communication Use Technology!
• Keep them in the loop
• Be aware of your tone
• People get feelings hurt

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Virginia Membership ForumCommunication Etiquette

• Appreciation / Recognition
• Honor your Older Members
• Include your members conversations introductions

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Virginia Leadership ForumRelevance to Virginia
Freemasons

• Improved Masonic Education
• Increased Membership Retention
• Improved Member Communications
• Improved Teamwork
• Improved Mentoring of New Members
• Improved Understanding of Charities
• Improved Financial Communications

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Virginia Membership ForumCommunication Etiquette

• Remember Your words are important!
• Your words will always return to you to either
  haunt or bless you as they influence others
  - F. Hradowski
• A quarrel is an argument that has become
  infected with negative personal emotion.
• - F. Hradowski

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Virginia Membership ForumLeading Positive Change

• If you dont take change by the hand, it will
  take you by the throat!
• Sir Winston Churchill

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Virginia Membership ForumLeading Positive Change

• Watch carefully your thoughts, they will become
  your words.
• Watch your words, for they will become your
  actions.
• Watch your actions, for they will become your
  habits.
• Watch your habits, for they will define your
  character.
• My Brother, your character defines your destiny!
• - F. Hradowski.

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Virginia Membership ForumGenerational Strength

• Each Generation Strengthens Us !
• How well we work together will determine our
  survival!
• How well we understand each other will insure our
  success !

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Virginia Membership ForumOur Fraternal Bonds

• Brothers we have so much in common
• Our obligations to God and ourselves
• The mystic tie of the Fraternity
• Brotherly love of true Masons
• Passion for our philanthropies!
• Rich History in Virginia and the World