GENERATIONS“Speaking their Language”

Presentation By:

Gonzalo Huerta

Dean of Instruction for Applied Sciences

Imperial Valley College

March 6, 2009

Mexican Baby Boomer

Biker Dean

How is a Generation Defined?

• Each cohort has its own “Generational Personality”– Shared life experiences of formative years– Similar attitudes, values, and life approaches

• Similar learning and work styles shaped by– Headlines of the times– Politics– Economics– People– Places– Conditions– Events

US Generations(Debates on dates and titles)

• GI Generation………...……..• Greatest Generation….........• Jazz Age……………….........• Silent Generation……….......• Matures (Traditionalists).......• Baby Boomers…….………... • Generation X………………...• Generation Y………………..• Millennials…...………….......• Net Generation……………...

1900-1924

1911-1924

1918-1929

1925-1945

1909-1945

1945-1964

1965-1980

1970-1990

1980-2000

1994-2001

Training Styles(What they like)

• Baby Boomers– Variety of formats– Team building– Seminars and workshops

 • Generation X

– To learn by doing– Opportunity to practice skills– Computer-based learning– Immediate feedback

 • Millennials

– Learning anytime and anywhere– Clear orientation– Cross-training 

TEAM

LEARN

COMPUTER

Classroom and Workplace Expectations

• Baby Boomers– Process-oriented– Personable– Like agreement and harmony– Avoid conflicts

 • Generation X

– Frank and honest– Evaluate ideas on merit, not on years of experience– Welcome change as opportunity– Like freedom to do it their way– Admire competence, but don’t work well under micromanagers– Prefer to set up their own schedules and work terms

 • Millennials

– Can be positive and engaging– Technology is a way of life– Embrace new technological ideas and implement them easily– Expect to learn and work in an environment that is fair and where diversity is the norm

Classroom and Work Environment

• Baby Boomers– Equal rights, humane, and democratic– Personal growth– Team oriented– Rewards that include money, titles, and recognition

• Generation X– Fast paced environment– Functional with loose boundaries around leadership– Balanced personal-work perspective– Flexible and informal

• Millennials– Collaborative, creative, and positive learning and work culture– Comfortable in a place with more supervision and structure– Like to be rewarded for their achievements– Technology savvy– Prefer frequent feedback

Work Ethics

• Baby Boomers– “No one wants to pay their dues anymore.”

• Generation X– “It is just a job.”

• Millennials– “Let’s get it done here and now.”

Communication Behaviors and Tips

• Matures (Traditionalists)– Do not expect them to share their thoughts immediately– Focus on words rather than body language and inferences– Face-to-face or written communication is preferred– Do not waste their time or make them think it is being wasted

• Baby Boomers– “Show me” generation, so show them– Body language is important when communicating– Answer questions thoroughly and expect to be pressed for details– Present options, and answer why,– Demonstrate flexibility in your thinking

Communication Behaviors and Tips (continued)

• Generation X– “Prove it to me” generation, so prove it to them– Use e-mail as the primary communication tool, informal communication style– Talk in short sound bites to keep their attention and answer why– Ask them for their feedback and provide them with regular feedback– Share information with them and keep them in the loop

• Millennials – Provide positive reinforcement– Use action words and challenge them at every opportunity– They will resent if you talk down to them– Prefer e-mail communication– Provide them with regular feedback– Rule # 6: Do not take yourself too seriously

“Build a Legacy”Matures’ (Traditionalists’) Career Goals

• Expect to build lifetime career with one employer or in a single field

• That loyalty and desire to

leave a legacy has guided

career steps for them• Organizations make mistake when fail to recognize their

personal responsibility toward workplace

“Build a Stellar Career” Baby Boomers’ Career Goals

• Always want to excel in their careers

and to earn at peak capacity• Less likely to job-hop, but employers can no longer

assume they’ll wait forever for top positions• Developing challenging career paths may be best

solution. (Does not mean more work. Think opportunity or visibility.)

“Build a Portable Career” Generation X Career Goals

• Feel that their careers need to keep

moving forward or they die• Have switched from job security to career security• Want to keep building a repertoire of skills and

experiences that are portable• Greatest fear is that they might become stagnant

“Build Parallel Careers” Millennials’ Career Goals

• Being coached by their parents to build extensive portfolios for college admission

• Understand importance of balancing

hobbies, sports, volunteer activities, and work• Multi-taskers looking for parallel careers

– Why decide whether to be a waitress, a hostess, or a cashier when you can be all three?

• Cross-training is a great retention strategy which reduces expense of turnover

Who Has Better Values?

• No one has better values!

• They only have different values!

Bridging the Gap

• Know who you are talking to• Learn to accept and appreciate another’s perspective• Discuss expectations right away• Inquire about immediate tasks (How does going to A get you to B?)

• Look at ways to cut bureaucracy and red tape• Don’t be put off by overt ambition• Keep up with technology

As a Manager…

• Focus on goals– Because of value-driven differences, workers can easily lose sight of objectives– Distinguish between lively debate and stalemate– Help resolve problems without dampening enthusiasm or disparaging opinions

• Make everyone feel included– Keep an open mind– Encourage each generation to mentor the other

• Break the bonds of tradition– Expect resistance when changing the status quo– Older employees may want to proceed with caution– Younger ones will want to move ahead without worrying about the risks

As a Manager...(continued)

• Invest in talent– Help employees develop skills to succeed within the company and in their careers– Work toward giving everyone an equal footing– Subsidize further education that is not job related

• Show employees the future– Tell them where the organization is going, how they fit in, and how to prepare– This can help them thru “dark times” or temptations for competitors

• Little changes make a big difference– Employees of all ages place a high value of balancing their work and personal lives– Build it and they will come and stay

Nearly all generation-gap experts agree that dating yourself

in a speaking situationcan be disastrous.

Major Events & Pop CultureMatures (Traditionalists)

• Born: 1922 – 1945• Population: 44.2 million

• Events: Pearl Harbor Bombing

WWII

Great Depression

The New Deal

Korean War

• Icons: Readers Digest, Blondie, Golden Age of Radio• Music: Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra,

Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Charlie Parker

Major Events & Pop CultureBaby Boomers

• Born: 1946 – 1964• Population: 76.8 million

• Events: John F. Kennedy’s Assassination

Vietnam War

Civil Rights Movement

Women’s Liberation

Moon Landing

• Icons: Television, Doonesbury, Peace Symbol, Fallout Shelters, Discos• Music: Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, the Rolling Stones,

the Beach Boys, the Supremes

Major Events & Pop CultureGeneration X

• Born: 1965 – 1978• Population: 52.4 million

• Events: John Lennon’s Murder

The Challenger Disaster

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Operation Desert Storm

• Icons: Personal Computer, the Simpsons, Music Videos, Tattoos• Music: The Cure, U2, Madonna, Guns N Roses, Metallica,

Nirvana, Green Day, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Major Events & Pop CultureMillenials

• Born: 1979 – Present• Population: 77.6 million and counting

• Events: Oklahoma City Bombing

OJ Simpson Trial

Columbine School Shootings

Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal

• Icons: Internet, PlayStation, Beanie Babies, Body Piercing• Music: ‘NSync, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna,

Beyoncé, 50 Cent, The Strokes, The Killers

Questions