1. Bridging The Generation Gap
Jeffrey Lindsey, PhD, CFO, PM, EFO

2. Pre-Test

3. The High School Class of 2009
The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1991. 
They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan Era and probably did not  know he had ever been shot.               
They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged.
They were 9 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War. 

4. Overview of Generations

5. The Generations Generation Age Influence Traits Millennium/
Generation Y
Pre-school –
Early 20’s
* Fall of the Berlin Wall
* Expansion of technology
* Mixed economy
* Natural disasters
* Violence
* Drugs and Gangs
* Independence
* Globally concerned
* Health conscious
* Cyber literate
Generation X
Late 20’s –
Late 30’s
* Sesame street, MTV
* End of Cold War
* Rise of personal computing
* Divorce
* AIDS, crack cocaine
* Missing children on milk cartons and missing parents at home
* Technosavvy
* Diverse
* Independent
* Skeptical
* Entrepreneurial
Baby boomers
Early 40’s –
late 50’s
* Booming birthrate
* Economic prosperity
* Expansion of suburbia
* Vietnam, Watergate
* Human rights movement
* Sex, drugs, rock’n roll
* Idealistic
* Competitive
* Question authority
* “Me” generation
Traditionalists
Early 60’s –
early 90’s
* The Great Depression
* The New Deal
*World War II
* The G.I. Bill
* Patriotic
* Loyal
* Fiscally conservative
* Faith in institutions

6. Are you a CUSP?

7. The High School Class of 2009
They are too young to remember the first space shuttle blowing up.
Tianamen Square means nothing to them.
Bottle caps have always been screw off and plastic.
Atari predates them, as do vinyl albums.         
The statement "You sound like a broken record" means nothing to them. 
They have never owned a record player.  

8. Traditionalists
Born between
75 million births
37 year span

9. Baby Boomers
Born between
80 million births
19 year span

10. The High School Class of 2009
They have always had cable.    
There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea what BETA was.  
They cannot fathom not having a remote control.        
They don't know what a cloth baby diaper is, or know about the "Help me, I've fallen and I can't get up" commercial.  
They were born the year after the Walkmen was introduced by Sony.  
Roller skating has always meant inline for them.   

11. Generation X
Born between 1965 – 1981
46 million births
17 year span

12. Generation X Sesame street, MTV End of Cold War
Rise of personal computing
Divorce
AIDS, crack cocaine
Missing children on milk cartons and missing parents at home

13. Generation X Less loyal Independent Crave attention Home Priorities
Experience
View of world
Expectations

14. Generation X Best learn: Motivated
Best to use materials with fewer words than those designed for older generations, they don’t read as much as their older, are attracted to pages that provide lots of visual stimulation – headlines, subheads, graphics, and lists
Motivated
Time off, meeting own goals, recognition from boss, skills training, stock options, mentoring, fun

15. The High School Class of 2009
No idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran.  
Can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.           
Don't know who Mork was or where he was from. (The correct answer, by the way, is Ork)  
They never heard: "Where's the beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel,“ or "De plane, de plane!"  
Do not care who shot J.R. and have no idea who J.R. was.  
Kansas, Chicago, Boston, America, and Alabama are bands, not places.         
There has always been MTV.  
They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter. 

16. Generation Y
Born between
76 million births
19 year span

17. Generation Y (1976-96) Self-reliant
Stability, heritage, volunteerism, escapism
Tolerant and accepting of diverse lifestyles
More than 40% must take remedial math or English after high school
Vocational experience limited
Reading, writing, ES technical knowledge needed

18. Millennium Fall of the Berlin Wall Expansion of technology
Mixed economy
Natural disasters
Violence
Drugs and Gangs

19. Millennium Independence Globally concerned Health conscious
Cyber literate

20. Generation Y Best learn: Motivated
Materials that suit them are lively and varied; they will become bored with learning/training that is not highly active and interactive. Printed materials should have the same multiple focal points as the materials targeted at Xers.
Motivated
Time off, portable skills, training, meeting own goals, stock options, mentoring, money

21. Generation Z
2001 – 2012
23 million and growing rapidly

22. Clashpoints Around Career Goals
Traditionalists…”Build a legacy”
Baby Boomers…”Build a stellar career”
Generation Xers…”Build a portable career”
Millennials…”Build parallel careers”

23. Clashpoint Around Job Changing
Traditionalists…”Job changing carries a stigma”
Baby Boomers…”Job changing puts you behind”
Generation Xers…”Job changing is necessary”
Millennials…”Job changing is part of my daily routine”

24. Rewarding the Generations
Traditionalists…”The satisfaction of a job well done”
Baby Boomers…”Money, title, recognition, the corner office”
Generation Xers…”Freedom is the ultimate reward”
Millennials…”Work that has meaning for me”

25. Clashpoint Around Feedback
Traditionalists…”No news is good news”
Baby Boomers…”Feedback once a year, with lots of documentation!”
Generation Xers…”Sorry to interrupt, but how am I doing?”
Millennials…”Feedback whenever I want it at the push of a button”

26. Clashpoint Around Training
Traditionalists…”I learned it the hard way; you can too!”
Baby Boomers…”Train ’em too much and they’ll leave”
Generation Xers…”The more they learn, the more they stay”
Millennials…”Continuous learning is a way of life”

27. Recruiting Generations
Create cross-mentors of Gen Xers, Boomers and Yers
When recruiting, focus on how the job benefits the applicant, not just the organization.
Manage people as individuals.
Set up programs for flexible or semi-retired work.
Set up continuous learning programs to retain workers.
Challenge each generation with appropriate responsibilities.

28. Training Xers andY’s

29. Pedagogical Implications
Provide an opportunity for team assignments.
Provide an opportunity to select or define some aspect of the assignment 
Demonstrate concern about vocational growth 
Demonstrate interest in their personal life 
Develop a reputation for fairness 
Discuss issues frankly; ask for opinions and solutions 

30. Four Areas to Remember
Personal
Interactive
Stimulating
Practical

31. Personal Want to be recognized as individuals Want relevant examples
Want a voice in class decisions
Want a relationship with professor

32. Interactive Value group interaction
Class as a social, as well as educational experience
Need nonjudgmental sounding board

33. Stimulating Not passive recipients of information
Must be engaged to comprehend/retain information
Want a variety of learning experiences
Used to being entertained

34. Practical Course work needs to be relevant to “Real World”
Want to learn marketable skills
Want information to be current

35. Managing and Training Generation X & Y
Accept them
Care
Hands off, be there
Talk, talk, talk
High input
Mentoring
Exert authority from reason
Learn to move faster in making change
Convey the meaning of assignments
Be explicit about your expectations

36. Post Test

37. Bibliography Generation Gap – http://library.thinkquest.org
BridgeWorks –
Adams, S.J. (2000, January). Generation X. Professional Safety 26-29
Salopek, J.J. (2000, February). The Young and the Rest of Us. Training & Development 26 –30
Alch, M.L. (2000, February). Get Ready for the Net Generation. Training & Development 32 – 34
Ruch, W. (2000, April). How to Keep Gen X Employees from Becoming X-Employees. Training & Development 40-43

38. Questions

39. Contact Information
Jeffrey T. Lindsey, Ph.D., PM, CFO, EFO
Author - Brady Publishing
Chief Learning Officer, Health & Safety Institute
Adjunct Professor, The George Washington University & St. Petersburg College