Generations at Work

1
Generations at Work
Susan Luck, State Training Manager Department of
Human Resource Management

• Moving at the Speed of Right
• Forum 06

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
2
Objectives

• Identify the four different generation groups
• Recognize personality traits of each group
• Management issues between the generations
• Developing, motivating and mentoring

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
3
Generational Diversity

• In any large organization, you will find
  departments and work teams where at least four
  distinct generations are working side by side.
• When you deal with customers, there may be
  additional generations to consider.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
4
What are the Generations?

• A generation is a group of people defined by age
  boundaries
• Born during a certain era
• Share similar experiences during their formative
  years
• Develop similar values and attitudes in some
  areas including work.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
5
Disclaimer

• These generalities are based on shared
  experiences of a generation.
• Other influences define each of us
• Nature vs. nurture
• Family life
• Religion
• Values

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
6
Generations

• Traditionalists 1920 to 1940
• Age now 66 86
• Boomers 1941 to 1960
• Age now 46 65
• Generation X 1961 to 1980
• Age 26 45
• Millennials 1981 to present

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
7
Activity

• Write down who YOUR childhood hero or a celebrity
  was

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
8
Traditionalists
Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
9
Traditionalist Defining Moments People

• Great Depression, The New Deal, World War II, GI
  Bill of Rights, Patriotism, FDR, Korean War
• Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, Woody Allen, Martin
  Luther King Jr., Sandra Day OConnor, Elvis
  Presley

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
10
Traditionalist -- Characteristics

• Dedication
• Sacrifice
• Hard work
• Conformity
• Law and order
• Respect for authority

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
11
Traditionalist -- Characteristics

• Patience
• Delayed reward
• Duty before pleasure
• Adherence to rules
• Honor
• Communications prefer face to face

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
12
Traditionalist Characteristics

• Many have retired or if still working have senior
  positions with considerable power.
• Only account for 5 percent of the workforce
  today.
• Strongly influenced by family and religion.
• Education was viewed as a dream leisure time was
  seen as a reward for hard work.
• Focus on stability experienced tremendous
  upheaval in their lives.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
13
Traditionalist On The Job

• Assets
• Detail oriented
• Hard working
• Loyal
• Thorough
• Stable

• Liabilities
• Reluctant to buck the system
• Overly resistant to change

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
14
Boomer
Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
15
Boomer Defining Moments People

• Vietnam, Inner Directed, Woodstock, Womens
  Liberation, Civil Rights, Kent State, Mid-Life
  Issues, JFK assasination
• Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Spike Lee, Steven
  Spielberg, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
16
Boomer -- Characteristics

• Optimistic about life and the future
• Personal Gratification desire for
  self-gratification
• Longing for personal spiritual growth
• Work/ Job for life
• American Dream

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
17
Boomer -- Characteristics

• Self-absorbed center of attention
• Team Orientation preference for teamwork
• Health and Wellness
• Youth
• Involvement
• Company Loyalty

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
18
Boomer Characteristics

• Actual boom in births occurred between 1946 and
  1964.
• Time of prosperity (1950s)
• Time of social upheaval (1960s 1970s)
• Largest part of workforce (45)

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
19
Boomer On The Job

• Assets
• Driven
• Willing to go the extra mile
• Want to please
• Good team players

• Liabilities
• Not naturally budget minded
• Uncomfortable with conflict
• May put process ahead of result
• Overly sensitive to feedback
• Judgmental of others seeing things differently
• Self-centered

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
20
Generation X
Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
21
Generation X Defining Moments People

• Watergate, Latchkey, Desert Storm, Down Sizing,
  Increased Violence, Broken Homes, MTV, Hi-Tech,
  Diverse, Hope (Is there any?) Berlin Wall,
  Challenger
• Tom Cruise, Jodie Foster, Kurt Cobain, Deion
  Sanders, Michael Jordan, Winonna Ryder, Michael
  Dell

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
22
Generation X - Characteristics

• Self-reliant
• Balance
• Informality
• Techno-literacy
• Flexibility
• Meaning

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
23
Generation X - Characteristics

• Fun
• Pragmatism
• Clear direction
• Fast Track
• Communications preferred is electronically

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
24
Generation X Characteristics

• Nobody talked about generational differences in
  the workplace until Generation X came along.
• Entered the workforce after the first wave of
  corporate downsizing affected Xers approach to
  company loyalty and contributed to their
  entrepreneurial spirit.
• Latch-key kids, more divorced parents.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
25
Generation X Characteristics

• Their parents lived to work, Xers work to live.
• Work/ Life balance is a hallmark of this
  generation.
• Organizational hierarchy, titles and authority
  are not that important to Xers.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
26
Generation X On The Job

• Assets
• Adaptable
• Techno-literate
• Independent
• Not intimidated by authority
• Creative

• Liabilities
• Impatient
• Poor people skills
• Inexperienced
• Cynical
• Pessimistic

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
27
Millennials
Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
28
Millennials Defining Moments People

• Technology, child focus, Okalahoma City bombing,
  school violence, movie heroes (kids fix it),
  busy, collaboration, innovation, early
  responsibility, 9/11 and Iraq war
• Jessica McClure, the Olsen Twins, Prince William,
  Anna Kournikova, Lizzie McGuire

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
29
Millennials -- Characteristics

• Honor
• Civic duty
• Team-oriented
• Morality/ Integrity
• Diversity
• Technology

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
30
Millennials -- Characteristics

• Charity Volunteerism
• Feedback
• Work/ Life Balance
• The Boss is the company
• Communications electronically is preferred

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
31
Millennials -- Characteristics

• Newest generation in the workforce
• We are still learning about them
• Greatly affected by 9/11
• Technology is a defining characteristic learned
  to click before they learned to read
• Accept and value diversity

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
32
Millennials -- Characteristics

• Connect strongly to their grandparents
  generations (Matures and early Boomers)
• Have an unprecedented worldly awareness gleaned
  from a great deal of exposure to reality media.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
33
Millennials On The Job

• Assets
• Collective action
• Optimism
• Tenacity
• Heroic spirit
• Multitasking capabilities
• Technological savvy

• Liabilities
• Need for supervision and structure
• Inexperience, particularly with handling
  difficult people issues
• Not good on situational ethics

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
34
Pulling Together

• Can do attitude of the Traditionalist
• Teamwork of the Boomer
• Teamwork of the Generation X

• May be the ideal generation!

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
35
Summary
Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
36
Summary
Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
37
Summary
Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
38
Management Between the Generations

• Boomers and Gen Xers
• Dominate the workplace population
• Largely different values
• Boomers more typically supervise Xers
• Clash over a variety of topics
• Interest-based differences sometimes lead into
  negative generational stereotypes

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
39
Management Between the Generations

• Millennials Meeting Expectations
• Provide challenging work
• Give greater responsibility each time they prove
  themselves
• Get to know them
• Get to know their capabilities/ talents
• Develop them in their job assignments
• Allow flexibility with work schedule

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
40
Management Between the Generations

• Millennials Meeting Expectations
• Have fun at work
• Work more as a team not as regimented hierarchy
  structure
• Treat them as peers
• Respect them for who/ what they are
• Continue to provide feedback
• Praise them for good work

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
41
NOW WHAT !!!!!!!!!

• Responding to these generational differences and
  conflicts requires the same skills needed to deal
  with other diversity issues
• Awareness
• Communication
• Ability to manage conflict effectively

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
42
Conclusions

• We must be explicit of what our organization
  values and what actions are acceptable.
• Dont expect the recruits to view the world as
  you do.
• We must all learn patience.
• We all need to value our differences these will
  lead to improvement.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
43
More Conclusions

• We must all multi-communicate (per our policy of
  course!)
• When possible mentoring will help pass
  information to the newer employees and give new
  skills to the older ones.
• Knowledge Management we need to capture
  experiences of outgoing generations to compliment
  decision-making of the newer generations.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
44
Even More Conclusions

• Millennials stay or leave their boss -- not the
  organization.
• All employees must trust their boss.
• The bosses job as role model is crucial.

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School
45
Reference List

• Einhause, Jim Chesterfield University
  Generations in the Workforce
• Lancaster, L., Stillman, D. (2002). When
  generations collide. New York, NY Harper
  Collins
• State Police

Source Chesterfield County Fire Department
Supervisor's School