 Facilitator:  Merryn Rutledge, Ed. D., Principal, ReVisions LLC  Panelists  Becky Cohen, Internship Program & Special Projects Manager, VBSR  Tom Novak, business leader  Jessica Sabick, PHR, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation  Kerin Stackpole, Attorney, Paul Frank + Collins

 Multiple generations in the workplace for longer periods of time  We come to the workplace with different ◦ Work Experiences ◦ Educations ◦ Perspectives ◦ Life Experiences ◦ Influences ◦ Responsibilities

 Economic  Racial/Ethnic Diversity  Legal Protections ◦ Title VII ◦ Title IX ◦ ADA, FMLA, WC ◦ NLRA  Technology  Social Systems ◦ Community ◦ Family ◦ Marriage ◦ Church  Education  Interaction with the World  Workplace Practices

The WWII Generation Born – Approx. 70 Million Baby Boomers Born – Approx. 80 Million Generation X Born – Approx. 50 Million Generation Y/ Millennials Born – Approx. 76 Million

 4 Generations are working side by side  Different values, experiences, styles, and attitudes create ◦ Misunderstandings ◦ Frustrations ◦ Inefficient communication ◦ Lower productivity  Understanding and appreciating differences can help bridge the gap.

 Influences ◦ Great Depression, Roaring Twenties, ◦ World War II, Korean War, G.I. Bill  Some Common Characteristics ◦ Patriotic ◦ Respect for authority ◦ “waste not, want not,” ◦ Faith in institutions ◦ Military influenced top-down approach ◦ Loyal and committed

 Logic, Hard Work, Discipline and Order are important  Tend to Struggle with Change  Loyalty and longevity are valued  Believe that Legacy is Important  Not Native Technology Users

 Influences and Life Experiences ◦ TV, Vietnam, Suburban Sprawl, Watergate, civil rights movement, feminist movement, anti-war protests, drugs, rock ‘n roll ◦ Saw war as it happened and watched body counts rise in Vietnam in real time. ◦ Affected by the Draft  Some Common Characteristics ◦ Competitive ◦ Willing to Question Authority ◦ Optimistic ◦ Idealistic ◦ Hoping to Retire, but afraid they will never get the chance

 Often called the “Me” Generation  Money, Title, Recognition  Want to Build A Stellar Career  Told They Could “Have it All” ◦ Experiences of Men and Women in this generation are significantly different on this point.  Now, members of this generation are “in charge”  Entitlements are being challenged by the aging of this generation. Baby Boomers (46-65)

 Influences and Experiences ◦ Sesame Street, MTV, Game Boy, PC, divorce rate tripled in their lifetime, latch-key children, Title IX, Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas, 9/11  Some Common Characteristics ◦ eclectic, resourceful, self-reliant, distrustful of institutions, highly adaptive to change and technology, willing to change jobs for better opportunities or greater life balance.

 Possibly Most Misunderstood Generation  Seeking a balance between work and life – Freedom  Flexible and Motivated  Goal is to Build a Portable Career Generation X (30’s to mid 40’s)

 Influences and Life Experiences ◦ Rapid expansion of technology, climate change and natural disasters, social networking in cyberspace, school violence, cultural diversity, flexible and virtual work environments  Some Common Characteristics ◦ Globally focused, realistic, very cyber literate, “personal safety” is a critical concern, seeking flexibility to achieve life balance, “informational overload,” comfortable with being constantly “connected”

 Value Diversity/ Change ◦ Willing to make frequent changes to meet personal goals ◦ Willing to “try out” jobs to “rule out” what they do NOT want  Community Activism is Important  Want Work to be Meaningful and to Have a Say in How Work is Done  Raised “by a Village” (and used to having the entire “Village” involved)

 “Helicopter Parents” ◦ Less freedom given to this generation and more direct involvement by parents in their daily activities  Typically from smaller families  Education and Parenting methods based less on discipline and more on teaching  Good with Positive Feedback; Challenged by Negative Feedback

 Recognize that there can be conflicts between employees of different generations or cultural backgrounds around issues such as: ◦ Goals (why we work) ◦ Work Styles (work as work, work as fun, balance) ◦ Feedback (style, frequency and method) ◦ Rewards (money, title, time) ◦ Career Path (stability, flexibility, fluidity)

 What practices work?  Looking ahead, what are top challenges vis-à-vis Millennials and future generations?

 Shepard, S. Managing Millennials  millennials-wp.pdf  Rutledge, M. Articles on Millennials and Managing Diversity   Human Resources Tips for Managing Millennials  gementtips/a/millenials.htm