with chuck underwood. how generations happen 3 truths 1. formative years mold core values. 2. five...

with

Chuck Underwood

How Generations Happen

3 Truths

1. Formative years mold core values.

2. Five living generations.

3. Generational values guide decisions.

GenX

Birth Years: 1965 – 1981

Current Age: 27 to 43

# born: 58,541,842

Formative Years: ’70s, ’80s, ’90s

GenX

“We’re not what

you thought.”

(1997)

GenX

“all about survival”

Divorce

Time-poor parents

Permissiveness

Mobile Society

GenX

“a rising tide of mediocrity…

that threatens our very future…”

A Nation At Risk1983

GenX

“… disturbing inadequacies in

the way the educational process

is conducted”

A Nation At Risk1983

GenX

Core Values

Independence

Self-reliance

Distance from older generations

Marriage is disposable

Us-Against-Them

GenX

Media Isolation

Radio

Television

GenX

From media togetherness to media isolation

GenX

THE COMPUTER GENERATION

GenX

Self-focused

Peer-focused

Appreciate parents’ hard work

GenX

African-American X’ers

Post-Civil-Rights

Careers

Suburbs

Black/white gap shrinking

GenX

The Cosby Show

1984 to 1992

GenX

A Different World

1987 to 1993

GenX

1986

MLK Holiday

GenX

“Their mothers used drugs, and now it’s the children who suffer”

(1991)

GenX

Strong female generation

Males seek identity, masculinity

GenX

Fight Club (1999)

GenX

TV spot - Secret Deodorant

GenX

TV spot – Best Buy

GenX

X’er Men: Female Denigration

Television programming

Advertising

Music

Video games

GenX

TV spot – Miller Lite

GenX

TV spot – Hummer

GenX

Formative Years

Unimpressed with authority

Cynical towards older generations

Distrustful of major institutions

Disempowerment

Disengagement

GenX

“How can we repair all the damage

we inherited?”

Winona Ryder

Reality Bites

GenX

Today

Save the neighborhood

No ideology / pragmatic

Make marriage work

Be there for children

GenX

“Why more young moms are opting out of the rat race”

GenX

Xers In The Workplace

Creative, entrepreneurial

Self-reliant

Survival of the fittest

Technologically savvy

Time-efficient

GenX

Xers In The Workplace

Individualistic, results-oriented

Self-focused rather than team

Don’t expect/promise loyalty

“Career free agents”

GenX

Xers In The Workplace

Comfortable with change

At ease with co-worker diversity

Open-minded

GenX

Xers In The Workplace

Career gender benders

Willing to work hard

Want to make money, succeed

Seek work/play balance

GenX

Xers In The Workplace

Might be skeptical of elders

Might be skeptical of large organizations

View jobs as steppingstones, temporary

GenX

Xers In The Workplace

Like start-ups, small firms

Might choose city first, then job

Might not socialize with co-workers

GenX

Xers In The Workplace

Don’t buy “pay-your-dues”

Demanding: want it fast

Seek skill-building opportunities

Seek respect and input

What’s in it for me?

GenX

Recruiting X’ers

Describe assignment in detail

Explain time demand !

Can you describe career path?

Be tech-forward

Enhance their skill-set

Reward individualism, creativity

GenX

Managing X’ers

Offer mentoring

Give individual and specific feedback

Don’t dominate – let them in !

Build their “toolbox”

Quantify their performance

GenX

Managing X’ers

Be alert for: attitude towards ethics

Be alert for: self-focus

Be alert for: cynicism, pessimism,

distrust

GenX

Managing X’ers

Flexible schedules for parenting?

Number of single dads growing

Enhance maternity/paternity leave ?

Help them deal with time-poorness

GenX

Managing X’ers

Teach accountability

Teach business courtesy

Teach interpersonal skills

Teach them about other generations

GenX

Managing X’ers

Judge by merit, not seniority

Create fun atmosphere

Let them discover solutions their way

GenX

Millennials

Birth Years: 1982 – Present

Current Age: birth to 26

# Born: 80,000,000+

Formative Years: 1980s to 2010s

Millennials

Optimistic and enthusiastic

Respectful of authority

Focused on education

Close relationship with parents

Millennials

TV spot – Coca Cola

Millennials

Grade pressure

Time pressure

Adult-supervised

Millennials

Team players

Community-active

Declining teen social pathologies

Millennials

“The September 11th Generation”

Millennials

“Katrina”

Millennials

High School Community Service

1984: 900,000 Students

2003: 6,200,000 Students

Millennials

“Today’s teens are helping others in record numbers.”

Millennials

TEEN SOCIAL PATHOLOGIES DECLINE WITH MILLENNIALS

Millennials

Spirituality Rising

“Young people want to know something bigger than themselves.”

Marcus Robinson, college senior

TIME

Millennials

Problems

Drug Use: Down, But Not Out

Sex Bombardment By Many Media

Adult-World Ethical Failures

Millennials

“More college women regularly get drunk.”

Millennials

Sex bombardment by commercial media

Millennials

Adult world ethical & moral failures

Millennials

“Schools react to recent spate of scandals”

Millennials

Concerns

Over-parented?

Non-creative, non-risk-taking?

Over-stressed?

Millennials

“Parents who hover too much…”

Millennials

“My role models, confidantes, weekend buddies”

Millennials

Grade Pressure

Not creative?

Not risk-taking?

Not independent thinking?

Millennials

“Nearly 1 in 2 undergraduates will become severely depressed at some time during college…”

Millennials

Growing rich–poor separation

Millennials

“At every level of education, they’re falling behind.”

Millennials

“Girls Are On A Tear.”

“Boys are falling behind.”

Millennials

Nurtured

Feel Like A Generation

Millennials

DO NOT CALL US

Generation Y

Echo Boomers

“Those names are upsetting. Nobody I know wants to use them.”

Leslie Milner, Millennial

Millennials Rising

Millennials

“An Army Of One”

Millennials

TV Spot – U. S. Army

Millennials

“Extended Adolescence”

Live at home

Job Sampling

Have fun

Postpone marriage, parenthood

Millennials

• College debt

• Credit card debt

• Job insecurity

• Will work 80+ yrs.

• What’s the rush?

Millennials

Millennials At Work

Disciplined – good with deadlines

Comfortable with elders

Like team/group environment

Like – and need - clear goals, structure

Optimistic, good spirit

Millennials

Millennials At Work

Tech-savvy

Want to do job well

Will become competitive career’ists

But seek “work-life integration”

Millennials

Millennials At Work

Job security sounds pretty good

Old-line organizations appeal

Prefer diverse workforce

Not loyal – yet

Millennials

Millennials At Work

Seek relevant, meaningful work NOW

Want in on creative decisions

Flawed sense of entitlement

Unrealistic expectations

Crave variety and change

Millennials

Millennials At Work

Often distracted by technology

Seek highest authority, might ignore chain of command

Require lots of personal attention

Millennials

Recruiting Millennials

Internships can be effective

Stress organization’s stability

Diversity-friendly

Commitment to individual

Stress civic involvement

Millennials

Managing Millennials

Strong orientation to ensure good start

Fast immersion into the process

Give structure and clear rules

Millennials

Managing Millennials

Teach realistic expectations

Soft? Might need “protection”

Reward them with more responsibility

Help them develop clear career path

Millennials

Managing Millennials

Offer variety

Constant, specific feedback

Criticize them with kid gloves

Use their “we” approach

Millennials

Managing Millennials

Personalize their work

Teach generational differences

Establish clear rules on tech use

Establish clear rules on dress code

Millennials

Pro - labor?

Pro - union?

Anti - CEO?

Millennials

Executive Excess ?

Millennials

EPIDEMIC OF EXECUTIVE CORRUPTION

Millennials

“That sucks.”

Generational Strategy

1. Understand each generation’s unique formative years…

2. Understand each generation’s unique core values…

3. “Connect” with each generation in the workplace, marketplace, and living room.

Nine Hours

Amazon.com

Contact Chuck

The Generational Imperative, Inc.

Cincinnati

513 – 221 - 1973chuck@genimperative.com

www.genimperative.com