APIPA 2010 1

MANAGING GENERATIONS IN THE

WORKPLACE

Jeanne H. Yamamura

CPA, MIM, PHD

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DISCLAIMER

• This is not you.

• You are unique and special.

• This is everybody else!

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NAME THIS TUNE

Wise men say only fools rush inbut I can't help falling in love with youShall I staywould it be a sinIf I can't help falling in love with you

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NAME THIS TUNE

I know I may be young

But I’ve got feelings too

And I need to do what I feel like doing

So let me go and just listen

All you people look at me like I’m a little girl

Well, did you ever think it would be OK for me to step into this world …

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NAME THIS TUNE

One soft infested summer Me and Terry became friends Trying in vain to breathe The fire we born in Catching rides to the outskirts Tying faith between our teeth Sleeping in that old abandoned beach house Getting wasted in the heat And hiding on the backstreets Hiding on the backstreets

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NAME THIS TUNE

That old black magic has me in its spellThat old black magic that you weave so wellThose icy fingers up and down my spineThe same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine

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THE GENERATIONS

• The Veterans / Traditionalists – Before 1946– 48 million (65 to ??) – most retired

• The Baby Boomers – 1946-1964– 78 million (46 to 64)

• Generation Xers – 1965-1976– 49 million (34 to 45)

• Millennials – After 1976 (to 1994)– 74 million (to 33) – many not yet in workplace

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GENERATIONS• Generation = Identifiable group that shares

birth years, age location, and critical life events at key development stages.– Common tastes, attitudes, and experiences

• Defining events = events that capture attention and emotions and affect generational psyche– Assassination of John F. Kennedy– Challenger explosion– 9/11

• Work values more influenced by generational experiences than age and maturation.

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WHY A PROBLEM NOW?• In past, generations in workplace were

separated– Older employees, mostly white and male= head

office– Middle-aged employees = middle management or

high-skilled, seniority protected positions– Youngest employees = factory floor, trainee

positions

• Generational mixing rare and occurred with formality and protocol– Senior management made decisions without

question or input from below– Doubts or concerns held by lower level staff voiced

only to each other and usually “off premises”

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WHY A PROBLEM NOW?• Physical separation has disappeared

– Organizations are more horizontal• Increasing number of middle management positions

eliminated

– Workplaces may be smaller and more compact

• Older employees still in workplace– Senior employees might be older than senior

employees were in past– May be supervised by someone much younger– The generational “mix” has changed

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WHY A PROBLEM NOW?

• Increased competition for more limited number of upward opportunities among different generations

• The generations have different– Values– Views– Ways of walking, talking, and thinking

• Potential for increased conflict due to misunderstanding

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THE VETERANS / TRADITIONALISTS

• Hold 75% of all U.S. financial assets

• Lee Iacocca, Mary Kay Ash, Warren Buffett

• Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald

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VETERANS – DEFINING EVENTS• 1927 – Lindbergh completes

first transatlantic flight• 1929 – stock market crash• 1930’s – Great Depression• 1932 – FDR elected• 1933 – Dust Bowl• 1937 – Hitler invades Austria• 1941 – Pearl Harbor – U.S.

enters WWII• 1944 – D Day in Normandy• 1945 – Victory in Europe and

Japan

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VETERANS – PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISTICS

• Core Values: Respect for Authority, Conformity, Discipline

• Family: Traditional, Nuclear

• Education: A Dream

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VETERANS – PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISTICS

• Communications Media: Rotary Phones, One-on-One, Write a Memo

• Dealing with Money: Put it away, Pay cash

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BABY BOOMERS

• Largest generation• Bill and Hillary Clinton, David

Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, Rush Limbaugh, Mick Jagger

• Rock & Roll, Elvis, Grateful Dead, Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix

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BABY BOOMERS – DEFINING EVENTS

• 1954 McCarthy HCUAA hearings begin• 1957 Civil Rights Act passed• 1962 John Glenn circles earth• 1963 Martin Luther King leads march on

Washington, DC• 1963 Kennedy assassinated• 1965 Troops to Vietnam• 1969 King and Robert Kennedy assassinated• 1969 Woodstock• 1970 Kent State shootings

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BABY BOOMERS – PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE

CHARACTERISTICS• Core Values:

Optimism, Involvement, Health and wellness, Personal growth

• Family: Disintegrating

• Education: A birthright

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BABY BOOMERS – PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE

CHARACTERISTICS• Communications

Media: Touch-tone Phones, Call me anytime

• Dealing with Money: Buy now, pay later

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GENERATION X• Grew up in the

shadow of the Boomers

• Brad Pitt, Jewel, Michael Jordan, Michael Dell

• Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson

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GENERATION X – DEFINING EVENTS

• 1976 Tandy and Apple market PCs• 1979 U.S. corporations begin massive

layoffs• 1980 John Lennon killed• 1986 Challenger disaster• 1989 Fall of Berlin Wall• 1991 Operation Desert Storm• 1992 Rodney King beating, LA riots

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GEN X – PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISTICS

• Core Values: Skepticism, Fun, Informality, Self-reliant

• Family: Latch-key kids

• Education: A way to get there

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GEN X – PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISTICS

• Communications Media: Cell phones, Call me only at work

• Dealing with Money: Cautious, Conservative, Save, save, save

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MILLENNIALS / GEN Y

• Coddled offspring of Boomers

• Macauley Culkin, Chelsea Clinton, LeAnn Rimes

• Britney Spears, Jewel, Eminem, Boyz II Men

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MILLENNIALS – DEFINING EVENTS

• Oklahoma City bombing

• Schoolyard shootings• Clinton/Lewinsky• Columbine High

massacre• 9/11

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MILLENNIALS – PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISTICS

• Core Values: Realism, Confidence, Extreme fun, Sociability, Civic duty

• Family: Merged families

• Education: An incredible expense

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MILLENNIALS – PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISTICS

• Communications Media: Internet, Picture phones, Email

• Dealing with Money: Earn to spend

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A LITTLE EXERCISE1. How many of you have kids 26 or under?

2. How many of you ever told them they were special and could change the world, fix the world's problems?

3. How many of you told them they can do anything if they put their minds to it?

4. How many of you gave them and encouraged them to use any of the following: computer, PDA, cell phone?

5. How many of you pushed your child to achieve the best and, if they didn’t, gave them or encouraged the giving of an award anyway

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YOU CREATED

Special, Confident, Tech savvy,

Achievement oriented Individuals

You raised them, now lead them!

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GENERATIONS IN THE WORKPLACE

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A FUN QUIZ!!

• Answer each of the following questions by selecting ONE answer.

• Keep track of your answers (A, B, C, or D)

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QUIZ – QUESTION #1

Attitude toward work assignment:

A. If they say “jump”, I say “how high.”

B. If they say “jump”, I think about doing it a better way, then I jump.

C. If they say “jump”, I want to know what’s in it for me.

D. If they say “jump”, I say “Why?”

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QUIZ – QUESTION #2Role of working women:A. Women should stay home and raise the

children.B. Women have come a long way. Some

women are even capable of holding high level positions within an organization.

C. Women should have the same opportunities as men in the workplace.

D. Is there a difference between men and women?

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QUIZ – QUESTION #3Perception of work life:A. I’ll work at the same company from cradle to grave.B. I’ll work at a company well into my 60’s, and then

maybe do something else.C. I’ll work at a job until something better comes along

– more money is always better but opportunity for quick advancement is best. I don’t want to jump through endless hoops to get promoted.

D. Work? I thought we were supposed to have fun and experience all we could. If it feels like work, I don’t want any part of it!

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QUIZ – QUESTION #4Attitudes toward working hours:A. Working long hours every day shows your

commitment to the organization. Your family will always be there, but the company may fail if I don’t work hard.

B. It’s hard to balance work and family, but work should come before family if a choice needs to be made.

C. I’ll work from 8-5, unless something very important comes up. Flexibility on the job is really important to me.

D. Standard working hours? If there’s nothing interesting to do at work I should be able to go home. Getting in early is also a problem.

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SCORING

• Give yourself 4 points for each A, 3 points for each B, 2 points for each C, and 1 point for each D.

• If you scored near 20, you think like the Veterans; 15-19 points like Baby Boomers; 10-14 points as Gen X; and 5-9 points like Millennials.

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VETERANS IN THE WORKPLACE

• Work ethic and values: Hard work, respect authority, sacrifice, duty before fun, adhere to rules, loyalty

• Work is: an obligation• Interactive style:

individual• Communications:

formal, memo

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VETERANS – HOW THEY PERFORM

• Dependable, loyal, detail-oriented, thorough, hard working

• Driven by rules and order• Strive to uphold culture

and traditions• Able to leave work at

work• Need more time for

orientation• Find technology

intimidating

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VETERANS – WHAT MOTIVATES THEM

• Use the personal touch.• Remember that traditional perks were

status symbols.• Motivating messages:

– Your experience is respected here– It’s valuable to the rest of us to hear what has

– and hasn’t – worked in the past.– Your perseverance is valued and will be

rewarded.

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VETERANS – HOW THEY LEARN

• Traditional classroom environment• Lectures and presentations by experts• Logical and unemotional language• Organized, well-researched

information, supported by facts, figures, details, and examples

• Easy to read font and format• OJT when respectful, nonthreatening,

and risk free

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VETERANS – HOW THEY LEAD

• Command and control

• Take charge

• Delegate

• Make decisions personally

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BABY BOOMERS IN THE WORKPLACE

• Work ethic and values: Workaholics, work efficiently, crusading causes, personal fulfillment, desire quality, question authority

• Work is: an exciting adventure

• Interactive style: team player, loves to have meetings

• Communications: in person

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BABY BOOMERS – HOW THEY PERFORM

• Service oriented, driven, willing to go the extra mile, good at relationship, want to please, good team players

• Have a strong need to prove themselves to others

• Not naturally “budget minded”• Overly sensitive to feedback• Can become political animals if turf

threatened• Work long hours

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BABY BOOMERS – WHAT MOTIVATES THEM

• Try the personal approach.• Give lots of public recognition.• Give them a chance to prove themselves and

their worth.• Reward their work ethic and long hours.• Motivating messages:

– You’re important to our success.– You are valued here.– Your contribution is unique and important.– You are needed.

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BABY BOOMERS – HOW THEY LEARN

• Respond well to variety of formats (books, videos, self-help guides, audiotapes)

• Preference for team-building exercises

• In classroom, more casual atmosphere and more participative, interactive format

• Training materials scannable with plenty of information, well-organized

• Dislike role-playing

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BABY BOOMERS – HOW THEY LEAD

• Prefer collegial, consensual style

• Passionate and concerned about participation and spirit at work

• Want to create a fair and level playing field

• Difficulty in practicing participative management style

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GEN X IN THE WORKPLACE

• Work ethic and values: Eliminate the task, self-reliance, want structure and direction, skeptical

• Work is: a difficult challenge, a contract

• Interactive style: entrepreneur

• Communications: direct, immediate

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GENERATION X – HOW THEY PERFORM

• Strive for balance, freedom, and flexibility• Strong dislike for corporate politics, fancy titles,

or rigid structures• Expect to have fun at work• Prefer independence and minimal supervision• Good at multitasking• Technoliterate, adaptable, and creative• May lack people skills

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GENERATION X – WHAT MOTIVATES THEM

• Give them lots of projects, allowing them to prioritize them

• Give lots of constructive feedback• Give them time to pursue other interests and have

fun at work• Give them the best technology you can afford• Motivating messages:

– Do it your way.– We’ve got the newest hardware and software.– Forget the rules.– We’re not very corporate.

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GENERATION X – HOW THEY LEARN

• Very comfortable learning from a computer (CD-ROM, interactive video, distance learning, internet courses)

• Standard classroom training with role playing

• Prefer most interactive and participative of materials

• Training materials – brief and scannable

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GENERATION X – HOW THEY LEAD

• Lead because they are good at it, not because of status or perks

• Tend to be fair, competent, straightforward leaders

• Want to create “campus culture” with informal, creative environment

• Can be brutally honest

• Not interested in “political stuff”

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MILLENNIALS IN THE WORKPLACE

• Work ethic and values: What’s next, multitasking, tenacity, entrepreneurial, tolerant, goal oriented

• Work is: a means to an end, fulfillment

• Interactive style: participative

• Communications: email/text, voice mail (in person when important)

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MILLENNIALS – HOW THEY PERFORM

• Optimistic and resilient• Hard work and goal setting• Belief in collective action• Respectful of authority but unafraid to approach

boss• Technologically savvy• Exceptional at multitasking• Need for supervision and structure• Difficulty handling problem customers • Drawn to organizations with career ladders and

standardized pay/benefits

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MILLENNIALS – HOW TO MOTIVATE THEM

• Use coaches or mentors instead of traditional supervisors

• OJT with supervised autonomy• Motivating messages:

– You’ll be working with other bright, creative people.

– You and your coworkers can help turn this company around.

– You can be a hero here.

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MILLENNIALS – HOW THEY LEARN

• Highly interactive

learning

• Team exercises

• Need coaches / mentors

rather than traditional supervisors

• OJT w/supervised autonomy

• Role playing for younger members

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MILLENIALS – HOW THEY LEAD

• Build relationships

• Know strengths and weaknesses of team members

• Help members to succeed

• Share ownership

• Lead by example

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RESOURCE MATERIAL

• Generations At Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace by Zemke, Raines, & Filipczak

• Managing Generation X and Work This Way by Tulgan

• Employing Generation Why? by Chester• Mixing and Managing Four Generations of

Employees by Hammill

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QUESTIONS?