Checking Out the Generations

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Checking Out the Generations

• Presenter Enid Berman
• ESBERMAN_at_aol.com
• An Infopeople Workshop
• Fall 2005-Spring 2006

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Intros

• Name
• Library
• Position
• One or two traits of your ideal work environment

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The Generations
Label Born Keyword

• Traditionalist 1900-1945 Loyal
• Boomer 1946-1964 Optimistic Competitive
• Gen Xer 1965-1980 Questioning
• Millenial 1981-1999 Realistic

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The Platinum Rule

• Do Unto Others as they Need
• and Want to be Done Unto

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Generational Personalities

• Your reality differs from those of other
  generations
• Reactions
• Biases
• Whats right and wrong

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Traditionalists Characteristics
Influences 2 World Wars, the military and the
Depression

• Hard working
• Patriotic
• Conformity
• In control
• Formal brick and mortar environment
• Top down approach
• chain of command
• Earn your own way by working hard

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Boomers Characteristics
Influence Television is window to the world

• Challenge authority
• change command
• Workaholic as badge of honor
• Want to make a difference
• judge themselves by professional accomplishments
• Put in lots of face time, want to be seen
• Want to be taken seriously, not frivolously

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Gen Xers Characteristics
Influence Personal computers, cell phones,
latchkey kids

• Independent, resourceful, self-starters
• Rely on themselves
• self command
• Work to live
• fun is part of the job
• Dont have to be seen to do a good job
• hate meetings about meetings
• Value autonomy - dont micro-manage

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Millennials Characteristics

• Influence Internet
• Smart, practical, techno-savvy, confident,
  pragmatic
• Major concern is safety
• Realities are both virtual tangible
• True multi-taskers
• Dont command - collaborate

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Cuspers

• Traditionalist/Boomer 1940-45
• Boomers/Gen Xers 1960-65
• Gen Xers/Millennials 1975-80
• make the best managers and facilitators

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Exercise 1How Do You React to Different
Generations?

• What makes it difficult to work with people from
  other generations in the library?

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Main Areas of Generational Conflict

• Motivation
• recognition and reward
• Work Life Balance
• career
• Communication

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Top Common Motivators For Everyone

• Earned Recognition
• Sense of Accomplishment
• Interest in the Work

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Motivation - Traditionalists

• Job well done self acknowledgment
• Job security changing jobs looks bad
• Recognition of loyalty, years on the job, and
  experience
• Appreciate a quiet word, pat on back
• Historians
• need to use their knowledge

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Motivation Boomers

• Career clocks
• Money, title, corner office, up-front parking
  space
• Work on exciting projects
• Do great things
• OK to change, if dont lose ground
• Learning/mentoring/retooling for retention

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Motivation - Gen Xers

• Freedom, balance, good schedule, time-off
• Educational sabbaticals to remain marketable
• Retirement/pension plans to go
• Job change is necessary to get ahead
• Show them theyre on a desired career path
• Technology is the hottest perk
• Portable pcs, company-funded computers equals
  flexibility

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Motivation - Millennials

• Work that has meaning for me
• Freedom to work anywhere with technology
  assistance
• Gift certificates, concert tickets
• Help to keep resume up-to-date
• Loyal to project, not company

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Exercise 2 Motivation Reward

• Answer questions 1 2
• Answer question 3 in
• Generational teams

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MORNING BREAK
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Work Life Balance

• Traditionalists Not a big problem
• Boomers Most crunched! Need
  help, sandwich generation
• Gen Xers Boundary-less environments
• Balance now, not at 65
• Millennials Need flexibility, work isnt
  everything

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Generational Career Beliefs

• Staying put
• Moving over
• Moving down
• Moving up
• Moving out

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Exercise 3 Work Life Balance

• Answer questions 1 2
• Answer question 3 in
• Generational teams

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• How do different work/life pressures play itself
  out in the workplace?
• What can you do about it?
• Break into triads

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Practice Scenario A

• Amy leaves at 5pm each day. Sometimes she leaves
  work half finished. Although there is no deadline
  urgency, her boss feels uncomfortable.
• Practice being Amy and her bosswhat would the
  conversation sound like?

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Practice Scenario B

• You (Larry) are a member of a project team.
  Another member, Gene, meets his commitments but
  it appears as though hes never actually in the
  office.
• This is bothering some of the other team
  members and yourself.
• How would you handle it?

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Lunch Break
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Communication

• What does and doesnt work
• Intergenerational styles
• Visual communication
• dress
• graphics to communicate
• Learning on the job

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What Doesnt Work

• Aggressive
• Intent Get needs met, no matter what
• Passive
• Dislikes conflict
• Aims to please, or not displease
• Passive/Aggressive
• Indirect and manipulative
• Uses sarcasm, humor, pouting, silent treatment

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Assertive Communication Works

• Direct
• Honest
• Respectful

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Giving and Receiving Feedback

• Traditionalists
• no news is good news
• information given on a need to know basis
• use annual appraisal tool which is less
  subjective and more quantitative
• Boomers
• interpersonal and lots of it, eye to eye
• truth will set you free
• dont require constant feedback
• formal appraisals with lots of documentation
• use politically correct verbiage

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Giving and Receiving Feedback

• Gen Xers
• monitor performance instantly
• honest, straight talk, not slick, no B.S.
• want regular feedback
• reinforce good work
• eliminate guesswork
• Millennials
• want immediate feedback
• whenever I want it
• no news is bad news

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Exercise 4Giving Receiving Feedback

• Answer in Generational Teams

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Afternoon Break
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Definition of Insanity

• Doing the same things over and over and over
  again and expecting different results

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Exercise 5Difficult Communications

• Explore a situation in the library setting where
  you miscommunicated based on generational
  differences

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Visual Communication

• What do you see?
• What do you think, based on what youre seeing?
• Initial impression

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Generational Differences Around Learning

• Traditionalists - Learn by doing
• Boomers - Mentor and mentee
• Gen Xers - Learn to stay marketable
• Millenials - Lifetime learners

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Learning on the Job - Traditionalists

• I learned the hard way, you can too
• Setting needs to be comfortable chairs, good
  lighting, bigger print on materials
• Food helps the brain
• No games, dont want to look stupid
• Essential to get them involved early

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Learning on the Job - Boomers

• Old Train em too much and theyll leave
• New Education as a retention tool
• Make it politically safe to disagree
• Look good in front of boss
• Have them share success stories
• Need life skills training
• time management, care giving, financial planning,
  investments

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Learning on the Job - Gen Xers

• The more I learn, the longer Ill stay
• Want to remain valuable/cutting edge
• Likes interaction, games, exercises
• Learn anytime, anywhere
• Need management training
• how to manage Boomers and Millennials
• Life skills training
• stress, balance, parenthood

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Learning on the Job - Millennials

• Learning is a way of life
• Skills needed for next phase of career, linked to
  career goals
• Fast paced
• Want fun included

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Intergenerational Teams

• Pros
• Cons

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When Youre the Boss

• Train for retention
• Use the Platinum rule
• Direct, honest, respectful communication

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If Youre a Gen Xer Boss

• Respect experience and incorporate it
• Need to have patience vs. right now
• Admit mistakes and learn from them
• Use Platinum Rule
• Be a team player
• Show loyalty
• Be aware of loss of face

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If Youre a Boomer Boss

• Dont judge by level of workaholism
• Reward results vs. face time
• Allow for flexibility
• virtual worksites
• Instill fun into the workplace
• Use your strength as a mentor
• Remember, moving up is only one way to succeed

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If Youre a Traditional Boss

• Build strong teams by using experience new
  approaches
• Expect job movement
• Train to keep staff marketable
• Give honest feedback often
• Ask staff how they want to be motivated

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Practice Scenario

• You are the boss and Gayle is one of your most
  productive employees. However, she appears to
  lack confidence since she needs constant
  feedback.
• How do you address this?

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Practice Scenario

• Your new boss has changed many systems and
  procedures. You are willing to change but feel
  that you are being second-guessed on every
  decision you make.
• It is de-motivating and youre feeling like why
  try?
• What do you do?

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Exercise 6Change Commitment

• Choose one behavior that will improve
  intergenerational relationships at work?

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• Now youre ready to check out the generations!
• Thank you for your participation
• Please fill out your evaluation forms