Our Cross-Generational Workplace Patricia Rossie-King Director of Human Resources

Differences & Conflicts: Values Ambitions Views about work ethic Mind-set Demographics

The Generations: The Veterans (Vets) The Baby Boomers (Boomers) Generation Xers (GenX) Generation Nexters (aka GenY, Gen@, or Millennials) 1925 – 1945 1946 – 1962 1963 – 1980 1981 – 2002 Vets - Influences of WWII; approx 30 mil Baby Boomers – largest generation in US history; approx 80 mil GenX – approx 45 mil Gen Nexters – 1st generation born into high-tech society; approx 75 mil

The Vets Core Values Law and order Intense patriotism Respect for authority Patience Duty before pleasure Loyalty Personality Prefer consistency & uniformity Like things on a grander scale Conformers Logical & disciplined Conservative spending Memories & influences of WWII; Generation grew up with a military draft, tension of Cold War, & experienced long period of social stability and family unity. Over 40% of the men in this generation served in the military; believe in top-down control and centralized decision making; favor stricter laws longer jail terms; America’s triumph over hard times Transportation less expensive & more available; grand epic movies (Gone with the Wind; The Bible) “Be a regular guy”; “do the right thing”; early families; 94% of omen had 3+ children; clearly defined roles of sexes. “Appropriate topics” of conversation; Silent frustration; based decisions on what worked in the past Lay away; Buy American; Most brand-loyal of consumers

Boomers Core Values Sense of entitlement Optimism Team orientation Personal gratification Health and wellness Endless youth Work! Personality Believe in growth & expansion Star of the show Optimistic Trend-setters 1st generation in almost 200 yrs to openly rebel against their government So many of them, they had to cooperate, share texts and desks Cherished by their parents who sacrificed and fought a war for the right to bear, raise, and indulge them Wild West glorified on TV and matinees “Hop-a-long Cassidy”, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Gunsmoke Symbol and fruit of Vets’ victories; new hospitals, elementary school, and high schools; High-expectation of this generation Infinite possibilities; The planet is theirs to shape Started fads

GenX Core Values Diversity Independence Self-reliance Desire for stability Informality Fun Personality Self-reliant Seek sense of family Non-traditional view about work Prefer informality Casual approach to authority Skeptical Technologically savvy Attention-deprived; ½ parents divorced or 2 income families ->latch-key kids; had freedom yet wanted more attention Create nuclear families at work or with friends Their parents wanted to live to work and they want to work to live and have more balance in their lives; expect to leave @ 5pm, rarely work OT and no weekends. As long as I get my work done, what does it matter how or when Attracted to places of work that combine having fun with work Unimpressed by authority; treat president like the maintenance worker or receptionist; “we all put our pants on one leg at a time” Careful with loyalty & commitment; withhold optimism for fear things won’t work out Technology “in their bones”’ microwave, VCR, video games

Nexters Core Values Optimism Civic duty Confidence Achievement Sociability Morality Diversity Personality Optimistic about future Realistic about present Can-do attitude of Vets Teamwork ethic of Boomers Technological savvy of GenX Educated Busiest kids, football, karate, ballet, soccer Aware of today’s dangers Will be best-educated generation ever & need to keep up with rapidly changing technology

Internal Generational Status

Vets at Work Uncomfortable with technology; dislike voice-mail Loyal; dependable “Honest day’s work for honest day’s pay” Not concerned with climbing corporate ladder Attracted to security & stability Conversation limited to work on hand and less on personal life. Satisfied with doing the job well; usually less stressed at the job. Went to work originally for big companies and government; Fill ranks of executives, senior officers, and board members. Don’t believe in socializing with the boss; keep work and family life separate; it was irregular to talk about ee’s personal life at work

Vets at Work As a Leader – Directive style. Expect them to take charge, delegate and make bulk of decisions. As a Team Member – Vets work under strong leaders. Managing a Vet – Earn their trust and respect their experience. Decision making is simple, clear, and evident without a lot of people involved They may apologize for an error, but without enthusiasm GenXers appreciate a take-charge mgr who allows them to leave their work at work Nexters attracted to this leadership style and may try to emulate it. Vets go for baseball & football, which have big teams w/ highly specialized rules and roles for each member; Boomers for basketball & soccer where team is small and whoever has ball is in charge; Xers ten toward solitary sports like rock climbing & roller-blading. Teams come apart when younger team leader does not enforce rules, policy and mutual agreements consistently.

Mentoring a Vet Use coach that is respected as a leader Coach tactfully and respectfully Establish rapport Some Vets have hard time accepting coaching from younger colleagues. Ask permission to coach; Discuss issue and get agreement on problem; Focus on long-term goals Acknowledge their background and experience “Your experience is respected here” “It’s valuable to the rest of us to hear what has - and hasn’t – worked in the past”.

Boomers at Work Driven & dedicated Define themselves through their jobs Work ethic = Worth ethic Key factor in job choice is opportunity Pursue learning at work Hold the majority of high-paying jobs Intense need to prove themselves Account for 53% of all workers. Achieve their identity by the work they perform They labor to prove they were worthy of the expectations that were placed on them since birth 50-60 hour workweeks “Thank God for Mondays”; very gung-ho about work

Boomers at Work As a Leader – consensual management style; fair treatment; may lack understanding, listening, motivating & delegating skills. As a Team Member – enjoys being on teams but a need to prove oneself Managing a Boomer – personal approach and recognition Concerned about creating a fair and level playing field for all; Want participation and spirit in the workplace May compromise what’s best for the team. Dislikes confrontation & not good with tackling problem directly. If they can’t be the mgr, they prefer to work for someone who cares for them and treats them as equals; wants to be involved in decisions.

Mentoring a Boomer Coach tactfully Be nice Find opportunities for agreement Respect Overly sensitive to feedback. If you’re blaming, they are not listening Assure them they’re doing well, but could be achieving more. Don’t call a Boomer “sir” ma’am”, “Mr.,” or “Ms.” “You’re important to our success” “We need you”

GenXers at Work Work is no guarantee of survival Need for flexibility Informal work environment Minimal supervision Clear work-life balance Multitasking; parallel-processing Many go into technology Work is just a job; Company can throw you out without warning Love Casual Fridays; Ideal job – 8-5, free wkends, healthcare coverage & more than min wage Non-traditional work ethic; “Slackers” label (Work = survival for Vets & =self-fulfillment for Boomers); Can accomplish a lot at work but still leave at 5pm Can handle diverse information at the same time Microsoft primarily populated by Xers

GenXers at Work As a Leader – fair, competent, & straightforward, though brutally honest As Team Member – drawn to teams that they choose but without strict rules; solitary efforts Managing a GenXer – fun, educational, non-micromanaging atmosphere, with variety of projects Don’t equate leadership with magic; take or given leadership role due to competency; it’s just a job Not interested in office politics Quest for sense of family draws them to teams w/out Boomer rules Each project piece taken by separate teams, then get together periodically to check process; most work done alone with min supervision Respect frankness & honesty as long as you don’t pretend a meaningless task is important.

Motivating a GenXer Give multiple projects with freedom to prioritize Constructive feedback Freedom and fun Leading-edge technology Overall employee incentives Like to feel that they have a control over their work; more control = better work Xers yearned for absentee parents’ attention so positive SINCERE feedback is important in retention Allow them to have fun at work Show that company is willing to invest in their work Resent when others visibly get more perks at work (office politics)

Nexters at Work Believe in hard work and goal setting Collective action Optimistic Trust centralized authority Dedicated Easily intimidated by difficult customers Most comfortable in large corporations Expect to work more than 40 hrs per week to achieve lifestyle they want. Most similar to Vets May need more supervision and structure

Managing Nexters Orientation Toss pre-conceived notions of gender roles Expand teams & appoint strong team leader Be sensitive for potential conflict between GenXers and Nexters Grow training department Establish mentor programs Create clear picture of work environment, expectations, and long-term goals Gender roles will continue to blur Nexters think Xers are pessimistic – “cheer up”; Xers think they are spoiled brats Match young workers with seasoned people who they may resonate with.

Work-Life Balance Typical Boomer Typical GenXer Family Work Family Life Life Work Typical Boomer Typical GenXer “Live to Work” “Work to Live” Live to Work vrs Work to Live!

Work-Life Balance Key focal point of intergenerational conflict Respect people’s decisions Work still needs to be done Be open and specific about work hours Pay attention to trends Boomers want a balance but don’t want to ask for it; GenXers demand it without embarrassment Don’t make someone feel guilty about leaving work to attend child’s game or missing it, working more hours, or working less hours Be flexible but you can’t accommodate everyone’s needs and wants; still need to attend meetings and project deadlines Be up front at the interview about the hours of the job. Find out what people want and what we can accommodate

Two Keys of a Successful Intergenerational Workforce Aggressive Communication More listening and discussing Address issues head-on Validate different points of views Difference Deployment Tactical use of employees Mix fresh perspective with wisdom of experience Look at differences as strengths Using ee’s with different backgrounds, experience, skills, and viewpoints No single template of hiring people “just like us”

Accommodate employee differences Create workplace choices A.C.O.R.N. Accommodate employee differences Create workplace choices Operate from a sophisticated style Respect competence and initiative Nourish retention 5 operating ideas to grow “oak”-strong organization. Learn about ee and work to meet their specific needs and serve them accordingly; don’t say” get with the times”; you need to use email” Create a relaxed and informal environment; use element of humor; shape workplace around work being done and customer being served & people who work there. Give the big picture, goals & measures and allow ee’s to do their work; give feedback, reward, and recognition where appropriate. Assume the best of your people rather than the works; we all have great things to offer Focus daily on retention; retaining ee’s = retaining our members; increase training, 1-to-1 coaching, interactive computer training; encourage regular lateral movement & expand assignments to develop a range of skills.

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