Transcript Welcome! Executive Directors’ Meeting and Training

How Intergenerational Differences
Impact and Inform Our Work
Leah Aldridge, Jessica Napier, and Harkmore Lee
CALCASA
Today’s Agenda
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Overview of workshop
Group Agreements
Learning Objectives
A Historical Perspective
“My Generation”
Morning Break (@10:00 am)
“Hearing Each other”
Strategies
Comments & Questions
Group Agreements
ALL IDEAS AND POINTS OF VIEW HAVE VALUE
You may hear something you do not agree with or you think is "silly" or "wrong."
Please remember that one of the goals of this meeting is to share ideas. All
ideas have value in this setting. Also share YOUR ideas and thoughts and avoid
editorials of another colleague’s comments.
SAFE SPACE
What is shared and discussed with one another should “stay here” – apart from
ideas and solutions that will help your own work and agency.
USE COMMON CONVERSATIONAL COURTESY
Please don't interrupt; use appropriate language, avoid third party/ side bar
discussions, etc.
Group Agreements
HUMOR IS WELCOME
BUT humor should never be at someone else's expense.
HONOR TIME
We have an ambitious agenda, so it will be important to follow the time
guidelines for the next two days.
CELL PHONE / TEXTING / E-MAIL COURTESY
Please turn cell phones, or any other communication item with an on/off switch
to “silent. If you need to respond, kindly step outside
BE COMFORTABLE
Please feel free to take personal breaks as needed
ANY OTHERS AGREEMENTS TO ADD?
Learning Objective
• To gain a greater awareness and
understanding of how historical events
and other demographic factors in the
U.S. have influenced and shaped the
attitudes and behaviors of generations
of Americans, especially in the
workplace.
A Historical Perspective
 There have been hundreds of research studies conducted over the past
20 years regarding how certain historical events or trends have
influenced a certain population or “generation” of Americans.
 This topic has been very well-researched and documented. So much so
that there are organizations and businesses dedicated specifically
around the study of generations (e.g. the Center for Generational
Studies)
 The generations or “cohorts” have been typically defined by year of
birth and certain common characteristics. As such, each generation has
been assigned certain names: WWII (Traditionalists), Baby Boomers,
Generation X, and Generation Y (Millennials)
 It is recognized that the characteristics and traits described for each
cohort is a generalization and applies to the U.S. population.
“The Generations”
• World War II Generation (Traditionalists) born 1945 and before, 48-50 million
• Baby Boom Generation - born 1946-1964,
nearly 80 million
• Generation X - born 1965-1977, 45 million
• Generation Y (Millennials) - born 1978-1995,
78 million
A Historical Perspective
 First time in our history that we have these four
different generations working together side-by-side.
 The impact of this confluence of generations in the
workplace has been tremendous, affecting
everything from hiring practices to strategic
development of businesses and organizations.
 We need to understand how this demographics
trend is impacting our work in the rape crisis
movement.
Here is the challenge:
"Managing multigenerational workforces is an art
in itself. Young workers want to make a quick
impact, the middle generation needs to believe in
the mission, and older employees don't like
ambivalence. Your move."
Harvard Business School "Working Knowledge“ newsletter,
April 2006: "Can you manage different generations?"
How each generation was influenced
and defined:
 Number of births
 National Events
 Education
 Technology
 Entertainment and Music
 Famous People
 Other social trends
Traditionalists
Born 1925-1945
Baby Boomers
Born 1946-1964
Generation X
Born 1965-1977
Millennials
Born 1978 -1995
Famous People
Bob Dole, Elizabeth Taylor
Bill Clinton, Meryl Streep
Barak Obama, Jennifer Lopez
Ashton Kutcher, Serena Williams
# born
48 – 50 million
80 million
45 million
78 million
Other Generational
Names
Veterans, Silent, Moral Authority,
Radio Babies, The Forgotten
Generation
“Me” Generation, Moral
Authority
Gen X, Xers, The Doer, Post
Boomers,
Generation Y, Gen Y,
Generation Next,
Echo Boomers
Influencers
WWII, Korean War, Great
Depression, New Deal, Rise on
Corporations, Space Age
Raised by parents that just survived
the Great Depression.
Experienced hard times while
growing up which were followed by
times of prosperity.
Civil Rights, Vietnam War,
Sexual Revolution, Cold
War/Russia, Space Travel
Highest divorce rate and 2nd
marriages in history.
Post War Babies who grew up
to be radicals of the 70’s and
yuppies of the 80’s.
“The American Dream” was
promised to them as children
and they pursue it. As a result
they are seen as being
greedy, materialistic and
ambitious.
Watergate, Energy Crisis, Dual
Income families and single parents,
First Generation of Latchkey Kids,
Y2K, Energy Crisis, Activism, Corp.
Downsizing, End of Cold War, Mom’s
work, Increase divorce rate.
Their perceptions are shaped by
growing up having to take care of
themselves early and watching their
politicians lie and their parents get laid
off.
The first generation that will NOT do
as well financially as their parents did.
Digital Media, child focused
world, school
shootings, terrorist attacks,
AIDS, 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Traditional; Nuclear
Disintegrating “Cleaver
Family” ; Mom stayed home
Latch-key kids ; Women widely
expected to work outside the home
The first “day care” generation Dual
Income families
Merged families ; newly defined
“families”
A dream
A birthright
A way to get there
An incredible expense
Family Experience
Education
Typically grew up as children of
divorce.
Came of age in a period of
economic expansion.
They hope to be the next great
generation & to turn around all
the “wrong” they see in the world
today.
These historical events and demographic
trends have also influence how each
generation values work and
behaves in the workplace...
Characteristics
Traditionalists
Born 1925-1945
Baby Boomers
Born 1946-1964
Generation X
Born 1965-1977
Millennials
Born 1978 or after
Age Span
66 to 86 years old
47 to 65 years old
34 to 46 years old
33 or younger
Traits
Conservative
Believe in Discipline
Respect for authority
Loyal
Patriotic
Idealistic
Break the rules
Time stressed
Politically correct
Pragmatic
Self-sufficient
Skeptical
Flexible
Media/Info/Tech savvy
Entrepreneurial
Confident
Well-educated
Self-sufficient
Tolerant
Team builders
Socially/politically
conscious
Defining Events
Great depression
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
Woodstock
Watergate
Missing children
Latch Key Kids
Computers in school
School shootings
Terrorism
Corporate scandals
To Them Work Is
If you want a roof and
food….
Exciting adventure
Difficult challenge
To make a difference
Work Ethic
Loyal/dedicated
Driven
Balanced
Eager but anxious
Employment Goals
Retirement
Second career
Work/life balance
Unrealistic
Education
A dream
Birthright
Way to get to an end
A given
Communication
Face to face
Telephone
Email
IM/Text messaging
Time at Work is
defined
Punch clock
Visibility
Why does it matter if I get it
done today?
Is it 5 PM?
life.
Most need in the
workplace
Continued involvement
past 65
Recognition!
More information
Praise and fun; or is
that fun and praise?
I have a
Veterans
Boomers
Gen Xers
Millennials
Career Goals
Build a legacy
Build a stellar
career
Build a portable
career
Build parallel
careers
Rewards
Satisfaction of a job
well done
Money, title,
recognition, corner
office
Freedom is the
ultimate reward
Work that has
meaning for me
Work-Life
Balance
Support me in shifting
the balance
Help me balance
everyone else and
find meaning
myself
Give me balance
now! Not when I’m
65
Work isn’t
everything. Need
flexibility to balance
my other activities
Job
Changing
Carries a stigma
Puts you behind
Is necessary
Is part of the daily
routine
The more they
learn, the more
they’ll stay
Continuous learning
is a way of life
Training
I learned the hard way, Train ‘em too much
you can too!
and they’ll leave
Source: When Generations Collide
Generational Work Characteristics
Traditionalists
Boomers
Xers
Millennials
Practical
Always at work
Optimistic
Want recognition
Sense of entitlement
Skeptical
Confidence and
independence
Hopeful and optimistic
Unwillingness to commit
Patient, loyal and
hardworking
Difficulty with change
Teamwork and
cooperation
Do not accept change
Objective sense of
right and wrong
Self-reliant and
techno literate
Adaptable to
change
Immediate
gratification
Meaningful Work
Moral mindset
Social activism
Subjective view of reality
Respectful of authority
Ambitious
Physical health
Risk-taking
Want recognition
Value diversity and
change
Globally connected
Rule followers
Rewards later
Prefer Structure
Workaholic –”Thank
God Its’ Monday”
Balance work and
life
Technology savvy
Immediate responsibility
Group Exercise:
1)
Identify your generation
2)
Go to your generation group in one of the corners of
the room
3)
Discuss your thoughts on the traits and characteristics
of your generation described by these studies. Do you
agree or disagree with them?
4)
Do you believe these generational traits have impacted
your workplace? If so, how? What have been your
frustrations or challenges?
BREAK
Next Exercise
Strategies in Communicating Across
the Generations
1) Traditionalists Generation (Born 1925-1945)
 Majority (95%) of them have retired
 Possess intellectual capital and institutional knowledge
 Have strong work values and ethic
 See themselves as vigorous, contributing members of
the workforce
 Silent stoicism (not much feedback given or expected)
Managing the Traditionalists Generation
 Offer opportunities for them to mentor
 Offer opportunities to continue working
 Allow them to volunteer if they do not want to
continue working
 Show them that you value their expertise and
contributions
2) Baby Boomers
(Born 1946-1964)
 The “Me” generation
 More hours equals better performance; now
regret
 They are the managers that are running our
organizations today
 Career oriented
 “Love the good life”
 Love job performance feedback
Managing the Baby Boomers
 Help them explore their next set of workplace
options, and demonstrate how your
organization can continue to use their talents.
 Walk the talk on work-life balance by
redesigning their jobs to accommodate multiple
life demands.
 Encourage them to enrich their present job and
grow in place if they need to slow their career
pace.
3) Generation X (Born 1965-1977)
 The next generation of leaders
 The most well educated generation
 Goal-oriented
 Free Agents vs. Company Loyalist
 Thrive on independence
 Want to be challenged
 Led dot.com boom
Managing the Generation X
 Talk to them about their reputation, not just job
tasks; they want your candid perspective and
feedback
 Acknowledge their ability to work independently
and encourage them to leverage their
entrepreneurial abilities.
 Help them get the most out of every job position by
discussing what the job can do for them and what
they can learn from it.
4) Generation Y / Millennials (Born 1978 - 1995)
 Value independence but need supervision
 Look for new challenges
 Challenge the status quo
 We’re all in this together
 Want the opportunity to make an impact
 Fear boredom more than anything else
Managing the Millennials
 Demonstrate the stability and long-term value of your
organization, and also show how your organization is
flexible and filled with learning opportunities for them.
 Provide work schedules that help them build careers
and families at the same time.
 Make groups and teams part of their job.
Follow-up questions:
What impact has this issues had on:
1)
Service delivery
2)
The expectations of survivors you are
serving?
3)
Staff policies and performance evals
Struggle of E.D.s to maintain rules and legal
obligations while also getting the most
productivity and effectiveness out of your staff
and board volunteers.
3 strategies to manage by:
1) Communication
2) Delegation
1) Communication
• What do your employees want from a work environment?
– Forget exit surveys; why do people stay?
– What do you want from your work environment?
• Talk about people’s differences amongst your team
• Develop an action plan specific to your team
• Talk about conflict – do not let it fester
• Recognize there also may be cultural factors that may also add to
the challenges of generations communicating and working with
one another.
2) Delegation
• Boomers want teamwork, Xer’s want independence, Y’s
want more responsibility.
• Delegation can be the answer to everyone’s needs
• Prepare Xer’s for the next role, challenge Y’s, give
Boomers some much needed balance.
• Requires accountability and feedback
Other suggestions:
•
•
•
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Think skills, not age: Positions traditionally filled by young people who are on their
way up the corporate ladder may also be ideal for older workers "downshifting" in
their work lives.
Strategize by cohort: Tailor your managerial approach, and encourage the
organization to craft roles, compensation, and benefits targeted at the needs of
each group.
Communicate like a marketer: Delve into the motivators of each cohort, and use
these to hone your communications—from one-on-one coaching to department or
company newsletters.
Facilitate mentoring: Mentoring roles can provide fresh challenges to middle and
older cohort workers, stimulating their productivity while also ensuring knowledge
transfer and building institutional memory.
Eric J. McNulty is the managing director of Harvard Business School Publishing's
conference division. In his article, “It's Time to Rethink What You Think You Know
About Managing People," (Harvard Management Update, Vol. 11, No. 2, February
2006), he offered the following tips for managing multiple generations.
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QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS