Transcript Generations at Work

Generations at Work
in your workplace!
Who are those that were born
between 1922 and 2000AD?
Cynthia A. Jennings
WBL Coordinator
The Generations
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The Veterans – Born 1922-1943
Baby Boomers – Born 1943-1960
Gen Xers – Born 1960-1980
Nexters – Born 1980- 2000
and now the Millennials!!!!
The Veterans
Core Values:
 Dedication/Sacrifice
 Hard Work
 Conformity
 Law and Order
 Respect for Authority
 Adherence to rules
 Patience
The Baby Boomers
Core Values:
 Optimism
 Team Orientation
 Health and Wellness
 Personal Gratification
 Work
 Involvement
The Gen Xers
Core Values:
 Diversity
 Thinking Globally
 Balance
 Technoliteracy
 Fun
 Self-reliance
 Pragmatism
The Nexters
Core Values:
 Optimism
 Civic Duty
 Confidence
 Achievement
 Sociability
 Morality
 Diversity
Generational Mind Set
The Veterans:
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Like consistency and
uniformity
Like things on a grand scale
Are conformers
Believe in logic, not magic
Are disciplined
Are past oriented and history
absorbed
Have always believed in law
and order
Spending style is conservative
The Baby Boomers:
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They believe in growth and
expansion
They think of themselves as
stars in the show
They tend to be optimistic
In school and at home , the
boomers learned about
teamwork
The Boomers have always
been cool!
They have pursued their own
personal gratification,
uncompromisingly at a high
price to themselves and others
Generational Mind Set
The Gen Xers:
The Nexters:
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Are self-reliant
Seeking a sense of family
They want balance
They have a nontraditional
orientation about time and
space
They like informality
Their approach to authority is
casual
They are skeptical
They are attracted to the edge
They are technologically savvy
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On the go
Passion and personality to take
on a cause
They think Mom and/or Dad
is cool!
More dependant on Mom
and Dad
Technology is “natural”
Eager to subscribe to a stricter
moral code
Manners have been reborn
Realistic about the present
Generations On the Job!
On the Job-Assets
The Veterans:
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Stable
Detail oriented
Thorough
Loyal
Hardworking
The Baby Boomers:
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Service Oriented
Driven
Willing to go the “extra mile”
Good at relationships
Want to please
The Gen Xers:
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Adaptable
Technoliterate
Independent
Creative
Unintimidated by authority
The Nexters:
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Collective action
Tenacity
Heroic Spirit
Technological savvy
Multitasking abilities
Generations at work
On the Job - Liabilities
The Veterans:
The Gen xers:
Poor people skills
Inexperienced
Impatient
Cynical
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Inept with ambiguity and change
Reluctant to buck the system
Uncomfortable with conflict
Reliant when they disagree
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The Baby Boomers:
The Nexters:
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Not normally budget minded
Uncomfortable with conflict
Reluctant to go against peers
May put process ahead of result
Overly sensitive to feedback
Self-centered
Judgmental of those who see things
differently
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Need for supervision and structure
Inexperience, particularly with
handling difficult people issues
Leadership Style
Veterans:
Direct
Command and Control Leadership
Baby Boomers:
Collegial Consensual
Gen Xers:
Thrive on change
Challenge others’ thinking
Nexters:
Resilient
Who were the Hero’s?
The Veterans
Superman, Winston Churchill, Babe Ruth, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Patton
The Baby Boomers
Gandhi, Martin Luther King, John and Jacqueline Kennedy, John Glenn
The Gen Xers
None
The Nexters
Michael Jordon, Princess Diana, Mother Theresa, Bill Gates, Tiger Woods
Understanding the “Team” idea!
The Veteran:
Teams with strong leaders who told them exactly what to do, how
and when.
The Baby Boomers:
Have difficulty speaking up within teams, avoiding any
difficulties at any cost, creating a community team where
everyone gets along
The Gen Xers:
Teams are less frequently brought together. Communication to the
team is done on email, over chat rooms, and by joining listserv’s
The Nexters:
Teams that are similar to the Boomers possess the ”can do” of the
Veterans and the technological savvy of the Gen Xers.
The “ACORN” Idea
Five major operating ideas which can get
Generations to work together!
“A”ccommodate employee differences
“C”reate workplace choices
“O”perate from a sophisticated management style
“R”espect competence and initiative
“N”ourish retention
“A”ccommodate
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Learn all they can about
employees
Work to meet specific
needs of each employee
Serve them according to
their unique preferences
Effort to accommodate:
 Personal schedules
 Work-Life balance issues
 Nontraditional lifestyles
Employee Differences
“C”reate workplace choices
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The workplace is shaped by the work
being done
An atmosphere that is relaxed and informal
A casual dress code
Height and width of the chain of command tends
to be foreshortened
“O”perate from a sophisticated
management style
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Managers are more polished
Managers are more direct
Managers display their flexibility by:
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the supervisory style not being fixed
the leadership style being situationally varied
depending more on positional power
knowing when to make policy exceptions
being thoughtful when matching individuals to a
team or a team or individual to an assignment
“R”espect competence and initiative
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Treat your employees with respect
Involve people that are interested in doing
their best
Hire the best employees and give them the best
job opportunities
“N”ourish retention
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Offer lots of training
Encourage and support lateral movement
Provide variety and new challenges for employees
Encourage employees to obtain new skills
“Sell the Benefits”
In order to retain the very best
employees!!!!
The Next Generation of Workers
are already being born
and working…together!
Power point designed by Cynthia A. Jennings
Information for this power point was supported by the book titled:
Generations at Work by Ron Zemke, Claire Raines,
and Bob Filipczak