Transcript Mixing it up across generations

Mixing it up across generations
Kathy Weinsaft
Wyoming Association of Rural Water
Systems
So what are we talking about?
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The oldest generation, those born
before 1943 are often referred to as
the Silent Generation, Traditionals,
or the Schwarzkopf generation
They are 65 +
Baby Boom Generation
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The Baby Boom generation began
after 1943 and experts label this
generation in two waves
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The Woodstock Generation -1946 to
1953 (55-62)
The Young Boomers-1954 to 1964 (4454)
Generation X and Generation Y
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The Generation Xers were born
between 1965 and 1977 (31-43)
Generation Yers, were born between
1978 and 1989 (19-30)
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Referred to as the Millennials, Nexters,
Echo Boomers
What’s next?
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Generation Z
Marketers are actively redefining
the next generation or those born in
1990 to present (18 and younger)
This generation is entering post
high school education and the
workplace
The M & M’s of the Workplace
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Like M & M’s we are all different, but alike
M & M’s are different colors but taste the
same
The 4 distinct generations in the
workplace are all different ages but have
many similar work characteristics
Generational issues are not simply about
being part of or identifying with a
particular cohort
The Generations
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Generational issues also mirror the
critical issues organizations face as
every employee of every age group
joins the workplace revolution
Age-related issues are not simply
matters of “young versus old”
What are they
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They are issues of adapting to and
embracing the historic paradigm
shifts that have redefined the
employer-employee relationship and
the meaning of loyalty, working life
and career
Why should you care?
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The problems you need to solve will
take a team
You need to help move your
workplace from the past to that of
the future more quickly, creatively
and collaboratively
Well only if you want to get
anything done, that is!
What do we really know?
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Generation X & Y are becoming the
dominant players in the workforce
Old-fashioned workplace values and
norms as we know them are
disappearing
The next generation
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Has no attachment to the oldfashioned career path and work
patterns
Managers will have to discard
traditional notions of authority, rules
and red tape and become more
highly engaged in one-one-one
coaching and negotiating
What do we know…?
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Managers will have to abandon the
one-size-fits- all approach to
employer-employee relations in
order to drive productivity, quality
and innovation
Hiring will become an art-regardless
of age-for every role at every level
Workers
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The most successful workers will
have to accept the fact that their
career belongs to them
Workers will have to take
responsibility for their own success
and fend for themselves the best
they can
Workers
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Workers will have to focus on
learning marketable skills, building
relationships with decision makers,
and sell their way into career
opportunities that define success in
their own terms
After today’s session…
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You should be able to:
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Identify the four generations in the
workplace
Describe the characteristics of each
generation
Discuss effective techniques to drive
the success of the workplace
Describe what has changed for each
generation in terms of their needs and
expectations
Session objectives….
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Discuss management
recommendations for managers of
multigenerational teams
Describe best practices to
implement as the workplace
changes
Discuss opportunities to attract,
retain and motivate the best talent
of all generations
Level of Distraction
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Generation diversity is still driving
some people to distraction
In today’s workplace we hear a
continuance of the following
scenarios:
Gen Yers (19-30)
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“They have an unrealistic sense of
entitlement when they come to
work. They want higher-ranking
positions than their experience and
education dictate. They may be
great Little Leaguers, but they have
no idea what it means to play in the
Big Leagues.”
Baby Boomers (44-62)
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“They think they’re great change
leaders but they’re stuck in the
status quo. They don’t know how
to be flexible.”
Gen Xers (31-43)
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“Gen Xers don’t want to follow our
management career path. They
aren’t willing to commit the time.
All they want to do is leave at 6
p.m. to have dinner with their
family.”
Older generation (65+)
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“Older generations don’t work as
smart as we younger people do.
They don’t want to learn technology
and they tell us to slow down. If we
can get results in six hours, why do
we have to hang around for eight?”
Does any of this sound familiar?
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Research has shown that in every
conceivable industry, managers tell
us that they are still tackling agerelated challenges every day
Does any of this sound familiar?
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Some report that the Gen Y (19-30)
new hires inform them of 17 things
wrong with their organization before
attending orientation
Others are finding it difficult to
manage people old enough to be
their parents or grandparents
Does any of this sound familiar?
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Finally, many struggle with
adjusting their communication style
to fit all workers (face-to-face,
email, texting, instant messaging…)
Imagine this…
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With Gen X and Y (19-43) in 2005,
the scale tipped in the workplace
once and for all. Together
Generation X & Y make up the
majority of the workforce
Imagine this
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While the percentage of Gen Xers
(31-43) in the workforce has
remained constant since 2001 at
approximately 29.5% that of Gen
Yers (19-30) has naturally
increased, with Gen Y becoming the
fastest growing segment
Imagine this…
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Between now and 2011, roughly 10
million more Gen Yers (19-30) will
join the workforce, not including
immigrant members
Imagine this…
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By 2011, Generation Y (19-30) will
outnumber Generation X (31-43)
and the next generation (18 and
below) will be nipping at the heels
of Generation Y
Imagine this…
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The Baby Boomers (44-62) in the
US alone, approximately 330
Woodstockers (55-62) turn 60 every
hour
That’s an additional 7,920
sixtysomethings every day, every
year for the next decade
Imagine this….
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Even as Boomers (44-62) remain
dominant players in many
organizations, millions have left
organizations and millions more will
leave long before traditional
retirement age
Imagine this
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Some Boomers have simply “cashed-out”
and are laughing all the way to the golf
course
However, some were downsized,
restructured and reengineered out of
jobs-these talented individuals have
become free agents, leveraging their skills
as temps, consultants, independent
contractors or freelancers
Imagine this….
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Some Boomers (44-62) have
followed their entrepreneurial
impulses and started their own
businesses
Some are taking early retirement
whether they can afford it or not
and finding new workplaces that
endorse their desire for flexibility
Finally
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Boomers are redefining aging and
retirement in ways that will
challenge organizations for the next
decade
Imagine this…
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The Senior Generation (the
Schwarzkopfers) number more than one
million in the workplace of today-these
are individuals that are 75 years +
There are millions more between the ages
of 65-74, collectively representing a vast
store of skills, knowledge, wisdom,
institutional memory, relationships and
old-fashioned work ethic
Imagine this…
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The oldest part of this cohort will
continue to stream out of the
workforce and virtually disappear by
2011
Finally, imagine this…
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Roughly two experienced workers
currently leave the workforce for
everyone inexperienced worker who
enters it
By 2011 the number of prime-ageworkers-the 35-45 year-olds from whom
organizations draw the majority of their
midlevel managers, will decrease by more
than 10%, leaving organizations with a
shrinking pool of leadership candidates
Challenges…
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With the slow population growth
between 1966 and 1985, there
aren’t enough Gen Xers(31-43) or
Yers(19-30) to take the place of the
members of the older generations
who will retire during the next 5
years
Challenges…
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Given these statistics and
projections, the pressure is on to
seize every opportunity to increase
effectiveness with this
multigenerational workforce
Talent is still the name of the game
Challenges
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Every skilled worker of every age
will be needed in every successful
enterprise
The expressions “you’re too young”
or “you’re to old” are moot points
and need to be eliminated entirely
from all hiring criteria
Challenges
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The mind-set of too old or too young
needs to be replaced with:
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“can they do the work that needs to be done
today”
“can they learn the skills necessary to become
up to date knowledge workers”
“can they add value to the workplace and to
their own lives?”
“do they have the willingness to leverage their
talents and expertise in collaborative and
innovative efforts?”
Defining the generations
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Everyday people rebel at being put into
any age-group category at all
Research shows that people don’t relate
to their age group, that it stereotypes
The truth is that generations are in the
eye of the age holder, viewed from as
many different perspectives as there are
unique individuals in the world
What does this all say?
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It alerts us to the sense of urgency about
generational diversity in the workplace
It alerts us to seize every opportunity to
turn that diversity into one of your
biggest assets
It will help you maximize the strengths of
your age-diverse team members
It will help you offer practical answers to
questions that people across the country
ask every day
What do managers ask?
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Research shows that managers
across the globe, ask the following:
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What is the “generation mix” today?
How do you bridge the understanding
gap among generations to clear
obstacles to more productive
relationships?
How do you maximize everyone’s
unique talents so all team members
focus on what matters
What else to managers ask?
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What other core competencies and
best practices will help you more
effectively lead a collaborative Gen
Mix team?
What urgent multigenerational
challenges demand your immediate
attention?
Remember though…
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With all of this, generational issues
are not simply about being part of
or identifying with a particular
cohort
How do we manage 4 distinct
generations?
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First, what shapes a generation is
infinitely complex
The defining of generations and
their members have kept
researchers busy for decades
It is the defining of generations that
allows us the framework to
effectively “manage the mix”
The “Schwarzkopfers” (65+)
Known as “betweeners” as they
were born too late to participate in
the mettle testing event of WWII
and too early to become flower
children
Great leaders of the 60’s such as
Martin Luther Kin, Jr., Caesar
Chavez and Gloria Steinhem
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The “Schwarzkopfers” (65+)
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They still hold some of the most
important positions in business and
politics
We never had a US President from
their ranks
The “Schwarzkopfers” (65+)
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Began their work careers in the
1950s, job security made sense
Followed the old-fashioned career
path, making many sacrifices in
exchange for promised rewards that
vested in the long term
Famous “Schwarzkopfers” (65+)
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Elvis Presley
James Dean
Bob Dylan
Andy Warhol
Ralph Nader
The “Schwarzkopfers” (65+)
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Have little patience with anyone
unwilling to make sacrifices for the
organization
Find it vaguely insulting that their
young colleagues won’t happily do
all the grunt work, be last in line for
every perk, and make no demands
The “Schwarzkopfers” (65+)
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Believe in tried and true ways of
guided principles and “if it’s not
broken, don’t fix it” mentality
Embodied the loyalty, commitment
and an “honest day’s work for an
honest day’s pay” ethic
The “Schwarzkopfers” (65+)
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More patient with mediating
conflicts through processing and
gathering opinions than their
colleagues
Despite their reputation some have
become true change masters of the
workforce
The Baby Boomers (44-62)
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Known as a 2-wave generation-the
Woodstockers (55-62) and the
Young Boomers (44-54)
The Woodstockers experienced
three major assassinations
Young Boomers see themselves as
another “betweener” generation
The Baby Boomers (44-62)
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Reaped high disappointments of the
70’s-Watergate, Iranian hostage
crisis and a faltering economy
Young boomers never had a war of
their own-too young for Vietnam
and too old for Desert Storm
Generation X (31-43)
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A generation of “latchkey” kids
Born during one of the most
blatantly anti-child phases in US
history
Their parents had the highest rate
of divorce and abortion, highest
number of dual-income families and
most permissive parenting habits
Generation X (31-43)
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Experienced terrors down the street
not from abroad
Experienced a faltering economy
that plunged them into the highest
child-poverty rates
Generation X (31-43)
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First generation to be told that they
would not be as well off financially
as their parents
They were wary of traditional
institutions such as churches,
corporations and political parties
Generation Y (19-30)
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Children of Baby Bommers and the
optimistic younger siblings of Gen
Xers
The first true cohort of “Global
Citizenship”
They are told by parents, teachers
that they can make a difference in
the world
Generation Y (19-30)
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The most socially conscious
generation since the 1960’s
A generation of “giving back” and
techno savvy
A generation out in record numbers
working for social causes from the
environment to poverty, from local
community programs to breast
cancer research
Generation Y (19-30)
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Experienced a world of terrorismOklahoma City, 9/11, Columbine
and other school shootings
Designer drugs, violence packed
video games, TV, music and movies
are a part of their everyday lives
What does a manager do?
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How does a manager successfully
manage “the mix” today
4 distinct generations in one
workforce
How many communication styles
does a manager need today
How many different management
styles does a manager need today
Managing the Schwarzkopfers
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This generation tells us that two
things standout as most important
in their work lives
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The work itself
The people they work with
Managing the Schwarzkopfers
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Work must be satisfying in and of
itself, make a contribution to the
organization and reflect their skills
and expertise
A manager of this generation should
capitalize on the strengths of this
most experienced generation by
following these five basic
management practices:
Managing the Schwarzkopfers
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Ask about the work itself-and offer
learning experiences
Make it clear no ”coasting” allowed
Address the new standard of
customization
Encourage “making the call”
Create knowledge transfer
programs
Managing the oldest generation
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Ask about the work itself and offer
learning experiences
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Have a one-on-one conversation and
find out what work they would like to
be doing more of or less of
Ask if they could redefine their job to
make it more satisfying what would it
look like
Ask what new skills they would like to
learn to enhance their job performance
Managing the oldest generation
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Make it clear: no “coasting” allowed
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A common complaint from managers is that
Schwarzkopfers are sitting back, producing
little and biding their time until retirement
Challenge the “coasters” by finding out what’s
behind the lethargy
Reignite the fire by offering ambitious goals
and new opportunities
Hold them accountable every step of the way
Managing the oldest generation
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Address the new standard of
customization
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Remind this generation that the new
standard in the workplace is
customization
The one size fits all paradigm of
solutions and strategies that worked
well in the past is history
Managing the oldest generation
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Engage your “Schwarzkopfers in
determining which policies and
procedures, guidelines, and
processes need to be updated
Managing the oldest generation
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Encourage “making the call”
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This generation has amassed years of
experience under a command-andcontrol management style
Encourage them to use their own
judgment, assure them that you will
stand behind them
Managing the oldest generation
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This generation wants to work with
strong leaders and doesn’t mind
having a “boss” as long as that
person respects their input and
involves them in decision making
A young manager will have to
convince this generation that they
have what it takes to earn their
respect
Managing the oldest generation
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Create knowledge transfer
programs
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Over one million of this generation will
be exiting the workplace every year
until 2011
This is a generation with the greatest
legacy of experience, knowledge and
wisdom
Managing the oldest generation
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Establish a “go-to” list of
Schwarzkopfers experts whom
young workers can contact when
they need immediate information
Establish teams of Schwarzkopfers
who do similar work and engage
them in generating answers to the
most frequently asked questions
Plan for their departure today
Managing the boomers
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Ask Boomers of all ages what’s
important to them at work, and
you’ll hear three things
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Respect for their contributions
Respect for their skills, knowledge and
wisdom
Respect for what they can still offer
organizations before they “retire”
Managing the boomers
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Boomers have been around for
decades and have earned high
levels of credibility
As managers, don’t overlook the
expertise of this generation as you
attempt to engage the Xers and
Yers
Managing the boomers
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Balance your enthusiasm for new
workers and at the same time show
respect for the contributions of your
Boomer staff
Managing the boomers
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Boomers expect the following from
managers:
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Honor their historical memory
Give them recognition
Let them try out new ideas
Help bridge the team-individual divide
Coach and challenge
Managing the boomers
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Honor their historical memory
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Don’t discount their words of wisdom such as
reminding their Y counterparts that faster isn’t
always better
Encourage Boomers to make the distinction
between we’re doing this because we’ve
always done it this way” and “we’re doing this
because it’s a safety issue
Ensure they convey that history to their
younger generation coleauge
Managing the boomers
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Give them recognition
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Honor their opinions, skills, knowledge,
potential and contributions
Recognition has always been a Boomer
imperative
Remember that everything from “atta-boys” to
spot bonuses, from a high-visibility assignment
to a paid day off for extraordinary
performance, find appropriate ways to honor
these long-term contributors
Managing the boomers
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Let them try out new ideas
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Offer Boomers the flexibility and
authority to experiment and support
them if they fail
Tap into the Boomer entrepreneurial
impulse
With their experiences in the trenches,
their perspectives can lead to
important innovations
Managing the boomers
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Help bridge the team-individual
divide
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Many boomers are driven by conflicting
impulses-the urge to compete to get
ahead of the pack and the desire to
lead or participate on a productive
team
Managing the boomers
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Help bridge the team-individual
divide
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You must help them decide which is the
greater priority, distinguishing
themselves or doing what’s best for the
team
Convince them to focus on the team in
the short term which will distinguish
themselves in the long term
Managing the boomers
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Coach and Challenge
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Become a coach who facilitates goals,
not dictates them, and who challenges
boomers to grow
Remember that self-improvement is a
major aspiration of this cohort
Managing the boomers
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Coach and challenge
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Offer coaching style feedback on a
consistent basis so they know what
they are doing well and what needs to
be improved-provide guidelines for
improvement with specific goals and
deadlines
Be sure to discuss new projects
Boomers would like to explore, new
skills they want to learn and leadership
opportunities they would like to pursue
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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As a manager, you must ask these
two questions
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What matters most to Gen X in the
workplace
What motivates them enough to stay
with an organization
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Your challenge as a manager is to turn
these into best practices
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Opportunities to amass marketable skills and
experience
Career development opportunities
Flexible work arrangements
Access to coaching-style managers and wise
mentors
Access to decision makers
Increasing spheres of responsibility
Compensation commensurate with contribution
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Opportunities to amass marketable
skills and experience
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Xers have always had the attitude that
their security lay in their own ability to
amass the kind of skills and
experiences that would make them
valuable contributors to any workplace
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Opportunities to amass marketable
skills and experience
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Their drive to take responsibility for
their ongoing learning is shared by
other generations who know job
security has taken on new meaning
Any organization that wants to attract
and retain star Gen Xers must become
known for its obsession with training
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Career development opportunities
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Be an organization that not only
commits to training but also to
developing people
Development is an important
opportunity for this prime-age worker
of today
Offer high-producing Xers the
opportunity to advance their careers in
ways that make sense to them
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Flexible work arrangements
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This concept includes schedules, assignments,
locations and coworkers
After training in marketable skills and
development opportunities, flexibility in all
areas is high on the list of “must-haves”
Telecommuting and condensed schedules are
important to this generation
A new study has reported that job-sharing is
an important “flexible” work arrangement that
Xers appreciate
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Access to coaching-style managers and
wise mentors
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This generation is so fiercely independent that
people sometimes assume they have no
interest in access to teachers and mentors at
work
Most Xers place a high value on opportunities
to build lasting relationships with those in the
workplace who have grown wise through
experience
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Access to decision makers
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Xers not only want to participate in decision
making, they also want access to the people
making those decisions
Hierarchies and chain of command make no
sense when workers need information,
resources or answers fast
Xers are ready to run around any interference
to get what they need to get the job done even
if that means hopping over boxes on an
organization chart
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Increasing spheres of responsibility
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Xers want challenging work, but they
also want increasing spheres of
responsibility
Responsibility is the proving ground
that you trust them, have confidence in
them and recognize their growth and
development
Managing Generation X (31-43)
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Increasing spheres of responsibility
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This cohort needs increasing responsibility to
make them feel empowered
When options and opportunities for growth,
mobility, challenge, and responsibility dry up
so does an Xers motivation
Xers are the perfect lateral recruiting pool-they
are great mid-career job switchers as they
seek increased status, authority and rewards
Managing Generation Y (19-30)
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Yers have high expectations of their
managers
The quality of their relationship with
their immediate manager is a
critical factor in whether they stay
or leave a job
Managing Generation Y (19-30)
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Yers typically arrive at an
organization with three or four parttime jobs or internships under their
belts
They are much savvier at an earlier
age about what they want that
relationship to look and feel like
Managing Generation Y (19-30)
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As managers, Yers look for the
following in you as a manager:
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Openness to giving and receiving
feedback
Respect for the opinions of Yers
The interpersonal style of a colleague
rather than a boss
A pragmatic “let’s fix it” attitude
The ability to recognize individual as
well as team performance
Managing Generation Y (19-30)
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As a manager, ask yourself these 3
questions:
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How would your Gen Yers describe his
or her relationship with you?
Which of your management
characteristics and practices would they
value
Which would they consider ineffective
Managing Generation Y (19-30)
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Improving your relationships with
your Yers and meeting their
expectations are the foundations for
success with this cohort
Build these relationships and meet
those expectations by adopting
these eight best management
practices:
Managing Generation Y (19-30)
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Get to know Yers and their
individual capabilities
Establish coaching relationships
Treat Yers as colleagues
Be flexible enough to customize
schedules and assignments
Consistently provide constructive
feedback
Managing Generation Y (19-30)
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Tie rewards and incentives to
performance only
Help Yers meet their high
expectations of coworkers
Help Yers meet their high
expectations of themselves
Managing Generation Y (19-30)
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Get to know Yers and their individual
capabilities
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Devote time to each Yer on your team and get
to know his or her capabilities
Listen to your Yers
Ask about their dreams and aspirations
Show them you genuinely care about their
success in your organization and their life in
general
Go for a walk, take them to lunch, have coffee
Yers feel more comfortable in informal settings
than formal meetings
Managing Generation Y (19-30)

Establish Coaching Relationships
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Yers want managers who are teachers willing
to help them grow and improve
Since they are the “education is cool”
generation position yourself as a dynamic
source of learning
Provide resources, tools, and learning goals as
needed
Gen Yers learn best when they immediately
need knowledge or skill to succeed
Managing Generation Y (19-30)

Treat Yers as colleagues
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Treat Yers like vale adders, not as
interns or “know-nothing kids”
Do not be condescending when they
need answers
They want to feel like a colleague or an
associate, not a subordinate
Treating them respectfully and asking
for respect in return is key to a great
relationship
Managing Generation Y (19-30)

Be flexible enough to customize schedules
and assignments
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Develop enough stretch to customize
schedules and work assignments
Coach them closely by identifying goals,
deadlines and guidelines so expectations are
crystal clear
Empower them to be creative within those
boundaries
Position the best schedules and assignments as
rewards for high performance
Managing Generation Y (19-30)

Consistently provide constructive
feedback
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Don’t wait for annual performance evaluations
to tell Yers what they’re doing right or wrong
Do this daily-let them know what they’re doing
well today and let them know what they can
improve
Avoid harping on the negative and make it a
habit to accentuate the positive
Get your Yers on the right track immediately
Managing Generation Y (19-30)

Tie Rewards and incentives to
performance only
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Performance should be your main guide
for all rewards and incentives
Don’t wait too long to respond to good
performance
Make sure you deliver praise,
recognition and rewards as soon as
possible once the contribution has been
made
Managing Generation Y (19-30)

Help Yers meet their high
expectation of coworkers
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Yers view their colleagues as vast
reservoirs of knowledge and expertise
Identify star employees who are
experts in various competencies and
set up formal and informal mentoring
and coaching opportunities
Create a database of “go to” people
that Yers
Managing Generation Y (19-30)

Help Yers meet their high
expectations of themselves
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Yers want to make meaningful
contributions immediately
This admirable goal may take some
investment of your time
Remember that Yers may be highly
educated but that doesn’t mean they
the ins-and outs of your business
Managing Generation Y (19-30)

Help Yers meet their high
expectations of themselves
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Work with them on work ethic,
customer service skills, time
management
Remember, Gen Yers are the highestmaintenance workforce in history
So, what does this all say?
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Members of multigenerational teams find
that under the strata of age diversity lies
a bedrock of unifying needs
Fiftysomethings want the same things a
Gen Xer and Gen Yer want, respect,
creative challenges, the opportunity to
add value, increasing responsibility,
recognition for their contributions, and
flexibility
So, what does this all say?
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The only difference is that the Xer
and Yer want it at the beginning of
their career, not later
We are all responsible for our
careers, lives and families-we must
all develop a healthy sense of
WIIFM as we contribute the best
work alongside the best people of
all ages every day!
Summary
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The most successful people in the
21st century will be true “Gen
Mixers”
These will be people of all ages who
bring to work their enthusiasm,
talents, skills, expertise, wisdom
and voracious desire to learn and to
teach
Summary
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They may or may not remember the
generation characteristics of the past
They may or may not be latchkey or
techno-savvy workers
They will be 100% responsible for how
they create their lives, take care of
themselves and their families, and use
their experience to collaborate on getting
the best work done every day