building a cross-generational workplace - a panel discussion
TRANSCRIPT
© 2011 IBM Corporation
Building a Cross-Generational Workplace, a panel discussion
Dennis Griess – Senior Managing Consultant
28 September 2011
© 20011 IBM Corporation 2
A workforce in transition provides challenges and opportunities A multi-generational workforce has different workplace behaviors
Older workers
(Age 50 +)
Mid-career workers
(Age 35 – 50)
New generation
(born after 1980)
Growing as % of workforce Shrinking as % of workforce Growing as % of workforce
Hold the wisdom and intellectual
capital of the organization
Essential source of professionals
and middle managers
Critical to long-term viability and
innovation
Traditional approach to
technology, collaboration,
organizational loyalty, and
rewards
DOCUMENT-CENTRIC
Tech savvy but not “native
speakers”; mixed approach to
collaboration, loyalty, and rewards
E-MAIL-CENTRIC
Technology is 2nd nature; more
interested in peer / interest groups
than organizational identity; think
work should be fun and fulfilling
WEB-CENTRIC
Capture their knowledge before they retire
Relieve their stress and increase their effectiveness
Attract and retain; harness their collaborative style
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Think of a number, how do you reach it?
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Think of a number, how do you reach it?
Why does Mr. Smiley look confused?
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Seem familiar?
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One executive’s back of the napkin view of the knowledge sharing gap
There are people who want to be coached and people who are willing to coach. The challenge: How to match them up?
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Traditionalist Boomer Gen X Gen Y
Training The hard way Too much and I’ll
leave Required to keep me Continuous & expected
Learning style Classroom Facilitated Independent Collaborative &
networked
Communication style Top down Guarded Hub & spoke Collaborative
Problem-solving Hierarchical Horizontal Independent Collaborative
Decision-making Seeks approval Team informed Independent Team decided
Leadership style Command & control Get out of the way Coach Partner
Feedback No news is good
news Once per year Weekly/daily On demand
Technology use Uncomfortable Unsure Unable to work without it Unfathomable if not
provided
Job changing Unwise Sets me back Necessary Part of my daily routine
Source: Lancaster, L.C. and Stillman, D. When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. Wheaton, IL.
Harper Business, 2003.
Each generation in the workplace comes with its own sets of experiences and expectations that can occasionally come in conflict with one another
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What are the caricatures?
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Contrarian view
Millennials: Study Says Maybe They’re Really Not So Different After All
(http://www.tlnt.com/2011/08/11/millennials-study-says-maybe-theyre-really-not-so-different-
after-all/)
– “The data refutes the „millennial malcontent‟ stereotype,” write authors Brenda Kowske
and Rena Rasch. As part of Kenexa‟s WorkTrends survey of some 30,000 workers in 28
countries, they asked a series of attitude questions, finding that 60 percent of Millennials
are “extremely satisfied” with where they work. That‟s well above the 54 percent of
Boomers and Gen Xers who said that.
– Millennials were also more satisfied with the recognition they receive, more satisfied with
their opportunities for growth and development, and as excited about their work and their
pay as Boomers and Gen Yers.
© 20011 IBM Corporation 10
Predicting future
labor supply and
demand Utilizing social networks to increase
the visibility and application
of knowledge across
the organization
Enabling individuals
to perform work
regardless of location
Facilitating collaboration across
traditional organizational boundaries
Driving the rapid development
of skills and capabilities to meet
changing business conditions
Evaluating employee
performance and
providing appropriate
feedback
Understanding the
demographics and capabilities
of the workforce
Core
Capabilities
Seven challenges to manage
© 20011 IBM Corporation 11
What strategies are you employing…
What are the most challenging aspects of your
workforce demographic? Do any of these
statements fit?
– Your customers can't relate to younger sales
people.
– Your younger buyers find your ways of
working outdated or unresponsive.
– Finding new talent
– Avoiding the “catch-train-release” cycle
Does your company have a knowledge gap or a
knowledge sharing gap?
– How are you addressing it
How do you treat the new (sometimes called
“social”) media?
– Google+
Connecting your experienced professionals with
your younger staff…
Are there some areas or functions that seem to
be more challenging than others?
– Sales
– Finance
– Engineering
What efforts have you tried to:
– Bridge gaps
– Recruit differently
– Change culture
– Grow your next generation leadership
What are you doing differently to meet the
information needs of your changing marketplace?
With the changes in the workforce, new
opportunities arise for voices from different
experiences, how do you handle diversity?
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Remember, things are always changing…
…but we can find ways to connect that we all understand
© 20011 IBM Corporation 13
Interesting Reading
Books:
Generation Blend: Managing Across the Technology Age Gap by Rob Salkowitz
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore
True Change: How Outsiders on the Inside Get Things Done in Organizations by Janice
Anne Klein
Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World by Don Tapscott
Blogs:
Can Millennials Really Change the Work Place, Tom Davenport
http://blogs.hbr.org/davenport/2008/12/can_millennials_really_change.html
The millennial organisation, Mark Gould
http://blog.tarn.org/2008/12/17/the-millennial-organisation/
Source: If applicable, describe source origin
Building a Cross-Generational Workplace