Why Can’t We All JUST GET ALONG?

PART I An Exploration into GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES in the Junior College Environment

Who We Are:

Presenters:

James Forkum

Dean and Athletic Director: Santa Rosa Junior College

Sherry Forkum

Director of Writing & English Professor: William Jessup University Principal Consultants: Advanced Knowledge Consulting gendiff.com

Presentation Agenda

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

Introduction Review the Generations Millennials Practical Applications Summary Questions and Answers

Outcomes

 Understanding of the Generational Divide and Importance in the Two-Year College Environment  Understanding the New Generation of Students  Knowledge of Millennial Characteristics (Technology)

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

► “4” in the Junior College Academic Setting ► Know Them to Understand Them ► Recruitment, Team-Building, Change, Motivation, and Maintaining/Increasing Productivity ► Retention

GENERATIONAL YEARS

► G. I. Generation – 1901-1924 (ages 83-106) ► Silent Generation – 1925-1942 (ages 65-82) ► Boomers – 1943-1960 (ages 47-64) ► Generation X – 1961-1981 (ages 26-46) ► Millennials – 1982-2002 (ages 5-25) ► Homeland – 2003 - (Ages 4 and under)

GENERATIONAL COMPARISONS

SILENT BOOMER GEN X MILLENNIAL

Size 52 Million 78 Million 70.2 Million 78-100 Million Other Names Traditionalists GI Generation Consciousness Generation Me Generation Themselves Modern “Lost” Generation Slacker Generation Anti-Heroes Generation Y Echo Boom Generation Next Digital Generation Parents Heroes Family Life Earliest marrying and babying generation Silent women divorces in record numbers Large numbers of women in the workforce later in the generational cycle Religious and/or spiritually oriented Health oriented Waiting until later in life to have children Have become “helicopter” parents Adult oriented from an early age “Anti-child” movement Less parental supervision than ever before Little peer interaction in childhood “Special” – eagerly anticipated Lowest parent to child ratio ever Universally protected Sheltered

SILENT

Continued…

BOOMER GEN X MILLENNIAL

Work Large increase in number of people in “helping professionals” in 1960s Workaholics Career focused Significant Life Events *Notes Depression Sexual revolution occurred while this generation was in mid life Korean War Generation of jealousies and role reversals Focused on previous generation while young and subsequent generation in adulthood Vietnam Sexual revolution Kent State Intense attention focused on this group for the entire Boomer lifespan Self-aware and self centered (largest number of self-help books) First to seek work/life balance Not constrained by time and/or place 3 out of 4 work more than 31 hours per week More discretionary income than any previous group Gulf War Berlin Wall comes down Challenger explosion Columbine September 11 Second Gulf War Mired in an age of death *AIDS *Homicides drug related deaths increased *Suicidal (at a near record rate of almost 5000/year in mid 1980s) Optimistic Conventional Racially diverse Pressured

Demography of the Future

► Paperless Learning Environment Psychologically people are tactile Like to hold, handle, open something ► Telecommuting/Virtual Classrooms Social need to work in groups Meet physically Interact

Important Facts

The Two-Year College Environment is no longer about age:    27% under age 26 preferred working with colleagues of similar age 32.7% preferred a mix of different ages 35.1% stated age does not matter at all

COHESIVENESS

 Intergenerational Conflict – hinders plans, products, and ideas from moving forward  Detrimental Effects – communication, working relationships, undermining

Cohesiveness Continued…

Team Conflicts – Boomers – view Gen Xers as too impatient, throw out tried and true Gen Xers – view Boomers as inflexible to change/ say the right thing to the right person Silents – view Boomers as self-absorbed, share too much information Boomers – view Traditionalists as rigid/dictatorial Gen Xers – view Millennials as too spoiled/self-absorbed Millennials – view Gen Xers as cynical/negative

“A team that allows choices and openly explores ideas, and whose members value learning, will better accommodate the needs and values of members of different generations.”

Constance Patterson, PhD

Is this the image that came to mind?

Wired/Wireless

► Cell Phones ► MP3 Players/iPods (iPhone) ► Texting ► Web Surfing ► MySpace/Facebook ► Finger on the pulse of the World ► Right Here/Right Now Generation

Learning Characteristics

 Teamwork Activities  Cooperative Grouping  Experiential Activities  Structure  Use of Technology (SIDs, TM)  Email/Instant Messaging are Natural Communication and Socialization Mechanisms

Suggestions for Success

► ► ► ► ► ► ► ► Tell the Truth Let Them Know: What They Do Matters Explain the “Why” and What Is In It For Them Learn Their Language, Communicate In Their Terms Make the Competitive Environment Fun Model The “Way” Build Relationships Challenge To Find Technological Solutions To Everyday Issues

Some Negatives

        Multi-tasking Poor Communication Skills (writing) Oral Communication Math Skills Mass Stimulation Lack of Critical Thinking/Problem Solving as an individual Plagiarism/Cheating (turnitin.com) Problem Discerning Truth (Wikipedia)

Strategies

► Awareness of new Technology ► Different methods of reporting information podcasts, blackboard, forums, use of PowerPoint, RSS (Really Simple Syndication), LCS (Lecture Capture System) ► Setting Parameters ► Websites ► Recruiting

Time for You

Questions and Answers If you care to have a copy of this PowerPoint, please drop us an email through our website at gendiff.com.