helping people be better at work. we’re living thirty years longer than we did a hundred years...
TRANSCRIPT
Helping People be Better at Work
“Generations in the Workplace”
Dealing with the Issues and the Risk
We’re living thirty years longer than we did a hundred years ago. For the first time in our
nation’s history, America has 5 living generations, each with their own unique
formative years and, thus, with their own core values and attitudes.
1 2 3 4 5
There are four generations in the workplace:
1. Traditionalists 2. Boomers3. Xers4. Millennials
Each one has very different attitudes towards their career, bosses, fellow workers, and lifestyles.
Managing this amazing mix is becoming increasingly difficult.
But when managed properly, the output of such human diversity can be astonishing.
Between our birth and the age 20, we form most of the core values and beliefs that we will embrace our
entire lives.
What we witness, experience and are taught will largely dictate our belief system for life.
Hence, the term "formative years".
Our Perspective and Values…are shaped by the world around us during our
formative years
Gen Y
1981-2000
Gen X
1965-1980
Baby Boomer
1946-1964
Traditionalist
1920-1945
The Four Generations at Work
Ages: 63 to 88 Ages: 44 to 62 Ages: 28 to 43 Ages: 8 to 27
Traditional GenerationLifetime Experiences:
Great Depression New Deal World War I and II Korean War
TraditionalistsAttributes
Values
Turn-offs
Family
Diversity
Slogans
Disciplined, stable, patient, private
Conformity, respect for authority, clear sense of right and wrong
Traditional, nuclear, self sacrifice
Ethnically segregated
Vulgarity
Uncle Same Wants You!
Traditionalists At WorkCareer Choice
Career Mindset
Job Strength
View of Authority
View of Rules
Leadership
Feedback
Communi-cation
Father’s career
Work hard
Stable, knowledgeable, experienced
Love them!
Respectful
By Hierarchy
No news is good news
One-on-one, in private, memos, letters, anything formal
Traditionalists in the Workplace
Role confusion may lead to lack of engagement
Need to feel respected for
their contributions and
knowledge
Lack of technological
and team orientation
doesn’t mean they are
ineffective
Baby BoomersLifetime Experiences:
Civil Rights Sexual Revolution Space Travel Assassinations
Baby BoomersAttributes
Values
Turn-offs
Family
Diversity
Slogans
Adaptive, goal-oriented, positive attitude optimistic
Individual choices and freedom, community, prosperity, personal gratification and self improvement
Political incorrectness
“Me Generation” parenting style and now divorce – sandwich caretakers
Creators of integration
Be All You Can Be
Boomers At WorkCareer Choice
Career Mindset
Job Strength
View of Authority
View of Rules
Leadership
Feedback
Communi-cation
Popular careers, prestige and money
Driven, Live to work!
Service OrientatedTeam Players
Love/Hate
Buck them!
By Consensus
Once a year with documentation
Call or email anytime
Baby Boomers in the Workplace
Prefer face to face
interaction
Avoid conflict
Believe in group
decision making
Value personal
gratification
Seek high achievement
Generation XLifetime Experiences:
Fall of Berlin Wall Watergate Women’s Liberation Desert Storm Energy Crisis
Generation XAttributes
Values
Turn-offs
Family
Diversity
Slogans
Adaptable, independent, reliable, skeptical,technologically savvy
Fun!, informality, honesty “quality” time, “friends” and family
Clichés, hype, double speak,
Me-decade parents, latch-key kids, attention deprived, “over correct” with their own children.
First generation fully integrated
An Army of One
Gen X At WorkCareer Choice
Career Mindset
Job Strength
View of Authority
View of Rules
Leadership
Feedback
Communica-tion
My own career, marketablecommodity
Work to live ! Wantsflexibility
Independent, adaptable and techno literate
Unimpressed and Un-intimidated
By Competence
Question them
Interrupts and asks how they are doing
Call or email, but only at work during work hours – personal time is off limits
Generation X in the Workplace
Have a non-traditional
attitude toward work
Look for opportunities
for professional
growth
Don’t want to be micromanaged or
work in a rigid environment
Expect work/life balance
Generation Y
Lifetime Experiences:
School Shootings Oklahoma City Bombing Technology Child Focused World
Generation YAttributes
Values
Turn-offs
Family
Diversity
Slogans
Crave change and challenge, resilient, committed and loyal when dedicated to an idea, cause or product, global in perspective
Accept others of diverse backgrounds easily and openly
Inclusiveness, self-expression, marketing and branding self is important
Respect must be earned—not freely granted based on age, authority or title
Merged families/protected, child-centered upbringing
Army Strong
Gen Y At WorkCareer Choice
Career Mindset
Job Strength
View of Authority
View of Rules
Leadership
Feedback
Communi-cation
Careers? How many? Parallel careers
Live! Work! Do it all! Achieve Now!
Multi-Taskers and Techno Savvy
Relationship with boss is critical
Want to make their own choices
By Pulling Together
No news means bad news –feedback immediate and constant
Text message, instant message, email
Generation Y in the Workplace
Best educated generation
Are creative and socially expressive
Crave and seek out change and
innovation
Look for immediate response,
teamwork and recognition
Generational Conflict
Conflict can and will arise at work due to different perspectives on
1.Work Ethics2.Work/Life Balance
Seek first to understand differences Response to conflict comes
from core values
Managing Generations At Work
Accommodate employee differences
Create workplace choices
Operate for a sophisticated management
Respect competence and initiative
Nourish retention
What will it take for all generations to work well together?
New understanding or what employees
want from their workplace experience
Understanding of loyalty and how
to develop it (not through pay,
promotions and benefits
A new definition of
self
What will it Take for Change?
New behavior from leaders who realize younger workers enter the workforce seeking self-fulfillment and aren’t interested in “paying their dues” for an unspecified
amount of time for a vague reward
EAP as a Management Tool
Informal/suggested workplace referrals
Formal Workplace Consultations and
Referrals
Case Management
Workplace Referral Form
Workplace Consent Form
800-968-8143 www.firstsuneap.com
If you would like more in depth training at your workplace or if you have questions please call us!