Understanding Cultural Differences: Getting the Most Out of a

Diverse Workforce

What Do We Mean by “Diverse”?

• Different Ages / Generations

• Different Races / Ethnicities

• Different Religions / Faith

• Gender

• Physical / mental / emotional abilities

• Technology skills

Your Turn

What other ways can you see “diversity” in the workforce?

Generational Differences

Why is This Topic Important Now?

• For the 1st time in American history, we have four generations working side by side

• Business culture is experiencing friction

Why the Friction?

• Not just decades apart in age

• Lifetimes apart in technology

• Different values

• Differing expectations

Understanding Someone Different from You Means Understanding

Their Life

Their prioritiesTheir values

The experiences that define themTheir perspective

Try This Exercise!

• When asked to name how Kennedy died…

• Matures & Boomers– Gunshot in Dallas

• Gen X– Plane crash near Martha’s Vineyard

• Gen Y– “Kennedy who?”

Who is Ron Howard?

• Matures

• Boomers

• Gen X & Gen Y

Matures, Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y

Key emotional drivers and icons

Matures (age 71 and older)

• Iconic entertainer: Frank Sinatra• HHI: $40,400• Defining Idea: Duty• Style: Team player• Work is: an inevitable obligation• Education is: a dream• Reward because: you’ve earned it• Home stuff: Timex, milk and cookies• Money: put it away, pay cash• Family: traditional nuclear• Technology: slide rules and rotary phones

Boomers (age 52-70)

• Iconic entertainer: Mick Jagger• HHI: $59,800• Defining Idea: Individuality• Style: Self-absorbed• Work is: an exciting adventure• Education is: a birthright• Reward because: you deserve it• Home stuff: Casio, milk and Oreos• Money: buy now, pay later• Family: disintegrating• Technology: calculators, touchtone phones

Generation X (age 37-51)

• Iconic entertainer: Madonna• HHI: $49,500• Defining Idea: Diversity• Style: entrepreneur• Work is: a difficult challenge• Education is: a way to get there• Reward because: you need it• Home stuff: Swatch, milk and Snackwells• Money: cautious conservative: save, save• Family: latchkey kids• Technology: spreadsheets and cell phones

Generation Y (age 18-36)• Iconic entertainer: Beyoncé • HHI: control $160 B

in spending• Defining Idea: Authenticity• Style: Worldly• Work is: a chance to do some good• Education is: an incredible expense• Reward because you can share it• Home stuff: use phones to tell time, iPads,

Samsung, Wii, organic • Money: earn to spend• Family: merged families• Technology: all access,

text messaging

Differing Work & CommunicationStyles Can Create Conflict

What’s Behind Our Work & Communication Styles

• Parenting styles

• Information flow– Primary means of getting

information– Level of engagement and access

Parenting Styles - Matures

• Formality

• Respect for authority

• Disciplined

• “children should be seen and not heard”

Parenting Styles - Boomers

• Indulged as kids, empowered

Parenting Styles – Gen X

• Latchkey kids

• More than half come from divorced families and two working parents

• Self-starters, used to being alone

• Responsible & resourceful

• Slow to trust others

Parenting Styles – Gen Y

• “Helicopter parents”

• Parents as “friends”

• Self esteem is king – my child must feel special all the time

• Less accountability or responsibility

• Little or no experience with failure, frustration or pain

How Information Shaped Us

Matures

• Radio, newspapers as primary source of information

• No ability to ask questions directly• Content controlled: programming and

times• Routines formed around radio time or

newspaper reading• Information sought at the library or shared

through word of mouth• Trained to listen

Boomers• Television mostly a one-way

communication tool, with content controlled

• Evolved to reflect people so Boomers could “see themselves”– Vietnam protests led to political

change Boomers could see

• People had to visually work together to accomplish things:– Big rallies, big protests

• Face-to-face communication, not computer chats or conference calls

Gen X• Computers entered the

scene as Gen X was in school or entering workforce

• Ability to tape TV shows and watch them later

• Digital encyclopedias of pre-determined info

• Interactions with information became less controlled, more private

• Cell phones made everyone reachable

Gen Y• More information instantly in their

bedrooms than at the library

• Internet provided speed & access

• Digital world provides anonymity & freedom to express their opinions about everything

• New gaming systems each Christmas made them adaptable and comfortable with technology

• Phone calls gave way to texting

• Trained to multi-task, not focus

Work Style Strengths & Weaknesses

by Generation

Matures

• Strengths• Loyal & hardworking• Long tenures common• Company-centric, sacrifice• Adhere to rules• Understand / respect “chain of command”

• Weaknesses• Slow to adapt to technology• Less comfortable with women, minorities in

workforce• Frustrated by casual work environments

Boomers

• Strengths– Strong work ethic, workaholics– Work efficiently– Comfortable with corporate America– Comfortable with long hours and structure– Desire quality

• Weaknesses– Focused on acquisition, material wealth– Question authority– Self-absorbed, self-centered, narcissistic

Gen X• Strengths

– Self-reliant, independent– Value structure, direction– Great entrepreneurs

• Job security lies within themselves, not at their company

– Strong follow through• “get it done”, eliminate the task

• Weaknesses– Slow to trust others– Skeptical– Don’t like working in teams

Gen Y• Strengths

– Great team builders, collaborators– Inclusive, value different opinions & approaches– Highly teachable, very resourceful

• “every problem has a solution – you just have to find it”– Well traveled, global mindset, know people everywhere– Goal oriented– Masters at multi-tasking– Confident– Tolerant

• Weaknesses– Easily bored, distracted. Often have difficulty focusing– Parents as “agents”, calling bosses to discuss kid’s review

• Never had alarm clocks – mom woke them up– Lifetime of “participation awards” leads to entitlement and

expectations of being rewarded…for showing up to work

Strategies for Working Effectively with Someone Much Older or Younger than You

Recognize & Harness the Power of the…

• Dedication of the Matures

• Drive of the Boomers

• Competence of the X’ers

• Enthusiasm of Gen Y

First Things First: Educate Your Team

• Share your knowledge about generational differences– it boosts understanding,

respect and productivity

• Avoids judgments and allows for discussion of mutual frustrations

• Goal: build a team that is multigenerational

It Works – Better than You Think

• Pair Matures with Gen Y – Gen Y loves to ask why– Matures love to explain “why”

• Utilize Matures to explain the “why’s” to Gen Y – serve as mentors and increase productivity– Imperative to pass on your corporate knowledge as

your experienced “veterans” leave the workforce

Hot Buttons for Gen X & Y Workers

Recruiting and Retention

• Male-dominated industry

• “Male, pale and stale”

• Expect to see diversity in the workplace, “it’s progressive”

• Need to spotlight successful women / minorities in the company to recruit others

Workplace Flexibility is Key

• Value work/life balance

• “Judge me on what I do, not how I do it”

• 38% of those surveyed would walk away from a job opportunity if it didn’t provide adequate flexibility

Working with Gen Y

FeedbackProvide Structure

Paint the Big Picture

Provide Ongoing Feedback

• Provide immediate and constant feedback– Obsessed with feedback

• Challenge: keeping it constructive and not gratuitous

• Benefit: if they’re underperforming, it’s not a surprise

Provide Structure• Give ‘em teams

• They love ‘em and they will gravitate to this anyway, so you will want to maintain control

• They don’t like to make decisions alone– If you don’t provide a qualified

team for them, they will solicit the input of their roommates, girlfriends/boyfriends and friends

Short & Small Deadlines

• Give them lots of small deadlines – Large projects with long-term deadlines

lack the structure many need to stay on track

– “writing the term paper the night before” is what many are used to

• How? Provide clearly defined benchmarks, metrics and milestones so they know how they’re tracking

Paint the Big Picture

• Explain the why’s of what you’re asking them to do

• They do best when they understand the big picture

For Gen Y, How to Work with Everyone

Older than You

Position Yourself for Success

• Ask about their positions, roles– Everyone loves to talk about themselves

• Ask about their business pressures– What are the issues that concern them most?

• Listen to the responses carefully – it will help give context to your ideas and solutions

• Make it all about them

• You will shine if you focus on their needs

With Matures & Boomers• If you make a mistake, own it. Take complete

responsibility, learn from it and move on

• Never underestimate the power of your enthusiasm

• Invest in a watch. Using your phone to check the time makes it look like you have something better to do (check email, send a text)

• Live conversations are more effective than digital ones

Tips for Gen Y in Working with Others

• Matures– Follow up on everything. Put things in writing. E.g. email that

reads “Thanks for your time this morning. To recap our discussion, next steps are to place the order and this will be completed by end of day today.”

– Seek their opinion and consensus on direction

• Boomers– Suggest face–to-face status meetings on a regular basis– Frequent, but less formal updates are appreciated

• Boomers love to be “in the loop”

• Gen X– Work efficiently. Don’t waste time – get things done– Clarify boundaries upfront – “Is it OK if I call you/email you/text

you with a question over the weekend?”

Messages that Resonate• Matures

– Your experience is respected

• Boomers– You are valued & needed

• X’ers– Do it your way – forget the rules

• Gen Y– You will work with other

bright, creative people

Your Turn

Turn to your neighbor and identify one thing you learned today that

will help you work with your team or customers/prospects

Final Thoughts• Your business depends

on personal relationships

• Working with different age groups broadens perspective and leads to better decisions

• Better serving customers + fostering trust and loyalty = feeling the love

My Book Can Help!

#5 on the list of Bestselling Business Books of 2013

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For more information aboutconsumer trends, contact

Kelly McDonald at 214-880-1717 or kelly@mcdonaldmarketing.com