naba symposium - managing multiple generations, karl ahlrichs
DESCRIPTION
Simply put, much of what you think you know about the newest generation in the workforce is out of date. In this fast-paced update, Karl Ahlrichs will share some new and quite surprising information about the latest crop of employees that are arriving in our organizations, and impart his insight on generational challenges that may be causing problems. "Real world" experiences and direct advice on measuring and leveraging your biggest off balance sheet asset: peopleTRANSCRIPT
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Fresh Data & Scary FactsThe Art of Engaging Multiple Generations
Karl J. Ahlrichs, SPHR.Expertspeaks.com
September 26, 2014
you mustTAKE CONTROL
of the
generations in the workplace
what should you
know?
2
You needto know:
MarketingMotivation
Communication
Objectives
• Identify characteristics and gain a better understanding of the generations, with a particular focus on Millennials
• Accept personal responsibility in engaging each other in meaningful work and communication
• Provide tactics for overcoming generational differences
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“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”
George Orwell, Author
5
Great OutcomesGreat
CustomerService
Engaged Culture,Job Fit,
Total Compensation
High Performing Employees
Managing Smart
What does A CLIENTcare about?
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Important Facts about the generations
• The accounting function is at risk
• Baby boomers are not retiring. As of 2014, some will be (gasp) 68.
• On average, 10,000 Boomers will turn 65 today. Succession planning is key.
• A new generation is about to arrive.
Is this a competitive advantage?
Q: If WM is 10% better than your competition at keeping your high performers
no matter their age…
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So, What’s
New??
Generations Birth Years Age - 2014
Veterans 1925 - 1945 69 – 89
Old Boomers 1946 – 1954 60 - 68
Young Boomers 1955 - 1964 50 – 59
Generation X 1965 - 1976 38 – 49
Millennials/Y 1977- 1993 21 - 37
Gen Wireless 1992 - ? 20 -
Two surprises!
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Most Indifferent?
Boomers
Most Important?
Gen X
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Most Talked About?
Millennials
Most Scary?
Gen Wi-Fi
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On-the-Job Strengths
Trads Boomers Xers Millennial
Job Strength StableService
Oriented/Team Players
Adaptable and Techno-Literate
Multitaskers and Techno-
Savvy
Outlook Practical Optimistic Skeptical Hopeful
View of Authority
Respectful Love/HateUnimpressed
and Unintimidated
Polite
Leadership By Hierarchy By ConsensusBy
CompetenceBy Pulling Together
RelationshipsPersonal Sacrifice
Personal Gratification
Reluctant to Commit
Inclusive
On-the-Job Strengths
Trads Boomers Xers Millennial
Time on the job
Punched the clock
Visibility is key “Face Time”
As long as I get the job done, who
cares
It’s quitting time – I have a real life to live
DiversityEthnically
segregatedIntegration
beganIntegrated
No majority race
FeedbackNo news is good news
Once a year with
documentation
Interrupts and asks how they
are doing
Wants feedback at
the push of a button
Work/Life Balance
Needs help shifting
Balances everyone else
and themselves
Wants balance now
Need flexibility to balance activities
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Generational Challenges We Face in the Workplace
• Poor communication
• Decreased productivity, quality, & innovation
• Misunderstood attitudes, relationships & working environments
• Less engaged volunteers & coworkers
• Lack of motivation, initiative, and team work
On-the-Job Challenges
Traditionalists and Boomers generally do not question or challenge authority.
Xers and Millennials have
been taught to speak up.
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On-the-Job Challenges
• Xers and Millennials– Prefer electronic communication. – Do not like meetings. – Many have not developed listening skills.
• Traditionalists and Boomers – Prefer face-to-face communication. – Boomer bosses like to have at least one
meeting each week with employees.
2 Simple Truths1. All generations value belonging
to a group, high integrity leadership, and being rewarded
for getting it right
2. The best thing you can do to engage any employee at any
level is appear to listen to them
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Boomer FactsBoomers feel flexibility is “earned”
They separate time at work from family time, social activities and hobbies, etc. – “compartmentalizing”
There is an expectation of “face time” that tells others whether you’re working or not
Boomers believe in structured feedbackThey grew up working for the Silent Generation where
“no news is good news”Feedback is formal, annual reviews are normal
Gen X FactsGen Xers are committed to balance
They like the concept of flex-time but struggle with prioritizing
Like “One Minute Manager” structureLots of little meetings, casual interactions, work alone
and meet as needed, for as short as possible
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Millennial FactsGen Y expects flexibility immediately
as a cultural norm
They integrate working with play and social activities
They’d rather focus on results and efficiency while having more fun doing it
Millennial FactsHotels report 50% of business travel
are now Millennials36% are living with their parents
17% Unemployment rateIf employed, often dissatisfied with job
They often say they are unhappy in general.
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The Formula:
Happiness = Reality - Expectation
Success
Years
Boomer Expectations
RealityHappy!
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Success
Years
Millennial Expectations
RealityNotHappy!
The Echo Chamber
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Why did is Gen Wi-Fi scary?
What are high school students saying about ethics?
Let’s ask the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles, CA
Have you cheated on an exam at least once in the past year?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2012 2011 2010 2009
Yes!
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In the real world, successful people do what they have to do to win, even if others consider it cheating.
57%
57%
58%
58%
59%
59%
60%
60%
61%
61%
62%
2012 2011 2010 2009
Yes!
These will be your new hires.
Note to self: Schedule ethics classes, build
Integrity and ethics into every possibleinteraction with new hires
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Work on Feedback And Communication
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Pop Quiz
Which generation matches each style of feedback?– I want it once a year, with lots of documentation
– Feedback whenever I want it, at the push of a button
– Sorry to interrupt, but how am I doing?
“When Generations Collide at Work Quiz” at humanresources.about.com/od/conflictresolution/a/generationquiz.htm
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Video Games
Where did this come from?
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Motivating Millennials
• Give them information and lots of it
• Tell them why. “Because I said so” won’t work.
• Don’t micromanage them
• Surround them with Talented co-workers
• Give them the latest technology…and….
• Teach them social skills
• BE FLEXIBLE
tools do not give you
wisdom
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Your organization will only be
productive you are if you’re working on the
right things
What are the right things?
Know your people
Motivate by who they are
Communicate in their language
Most important: listening skills
Make integrity and ethics the baseline
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KeyLeadership
Issue:
UnderstandingMillennial
Motivators
Feedback• Boomers believe feedback should
be structured and only “when warranted” Imagine a basketball game…
• Time to re-read “The One Minute Manager”
46
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Differing Feedback• Gen Xers want feedback more
often – Their hands-off and independent approach may
leave others seeking feedback, too
• Millennials want instant feedback using multiple channels– They expect specific, timely feedback so
expectations are set and can be adhered to47
DifferingMethods
• Baby Boomers are all about face-time
– They may make decisions or proceed with action and worry about
communicating or explaining later
– They want time in person with clients and peers and will substitute phone calls but are not sure if e-mail is as
effective…48
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Differing Methods
• Gen Xers are looking to be in the know
– Likely to use e-mail as a primary communication medium and prefer working
with their door closed (independendent)
• Millennials want to hear from the top and to hear it when it happens– They want direct access to leadership and
they want you to text them the news the minute it hits!49
New skills needed:• Behavioral Psychology
• Strategic planning
• Communication
• Conflict Management
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Fact: Conflict Management is a key life skill
What do we need?• A plan to guide us
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What do we need?• Logic Model to evaluate progress
What do we need?• A crisis to add a sense of urgency
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What are the answers?• Manage for values alignment
Culture• High Performers want an
entrepreneurial culture
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Motivation to build and keep high performers
• How you treat your staff is how they treat your clients.
• High performing teams are the best answer, but are tough to build and maintain
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Secrets That Will Make a Difference
• Align with Operations and Lean Theory
• Forward Thinking Metrics
• Performance Management Improvement
• Get ready for migration of high performers
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Active Listening• The “Silver Bullet” for the new world
What makes one generation different from another?
Shared life experiences
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Events and Experiences that Shaped Generations
• Generation X– Fall of the Berlin Wall
– Challenger disaster
– Desert Storm
– Personal computers
– Working mothers
– MTV
– Divorce
– Energy crisis
• Millennials– Child-focused world
– School shootings
– 9/11
– Boston Marathon
– Internet
– Social networking
– Continual feedback
– Enron/WorldCom
– Iraq/Afghanistan
Traditionalists
• Born 1925 to 1945• 49 million people• Grew up with many rules and pressure to conform• Increased prosperity over their lifetime; however,
they remember the Depression• “Work First!”• Children should be seen and not heard• Expected lifetime career with one employer• Prefer communication in writing• Desire to leave a lasting legacy
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Common Values
• Traditionalists– Hard work
– Dedication and sacrifice
– Respect for rules
– Duty before pleasure
– Honor
– Conformity
– Loyalty
– Frugality
Baby Boomers
• Born 1946 to 1964
• 79 million
• “Live to Work!”
• Grew up with fewer rules and a more nurturing environment
• Lived in generally prosperous times, but experienced layoffs
• Women entered workforce in record numbers
• Spend “quality time” with children
• Excelling in their career is important
• Prefer telephone or face-to-face communication
• Desire challenge and opportunity
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Common Values
• Baby Boomers– Optimism
– Team orientation
– Personal gratification
– Involvement
– Personal growth
– Workaholics
– Competitors
Generation X
• Born 1965 to 1981
• 49 million
• Grew up as latchkey or day care children
• Turbulent economic times – downturn in 80s, upswing in 90s
• “Work to Live!”
• Friends with their child, want to spend quantity time
• Expect their career to keep moving forward or they will leave
• Prefer electronic communications
• Change from job security to career security
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Common Values
• Generation X– Diversity
– Techno-literacy
– Fun and informality
– Self-reliance
– Pragmatism – realists
– Results oriented
– Individualism
– Challenge the system
Millennials
• Born 1982 to 2000
• 75 million
• Attended day care, very involved “helicopter”parents
• Prosperity has increased over their lifetime
• “Live, then Work!”
• Achievement oriented
• Prefer instant or text messaging
• Want to build parallel careers – experts in multitasking
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Common Values
• Millennials– Optimistic
– Civic duty
– Confident
– Achievement oriented
– Respect for diversity
– Informal
– Tenacious
– Social consciousness
On-the-Job Strengths
Trads Boomers Xers Millennial
Job Strength StableService
Oriented/Team Players
Adaptable and Techno-Literate
Multitaskers and Techno-
Savvy
Outlook Practical Optimistic Skeptical Hopeful
View of Authority
Respectful Love/HateUnimpressed
and Unintimidated
Polite
Leadership By Hierarchy By ConsensusBy
CompetenceBy Pulling Together
RelationshipsPersonal Sacrifice
Personal Gratification
Reluctant to Commit
Inclusive
36
On-the-Job Strengths
Trads Boomers Xers Millennial
Time on the job
Punched the clock
Visibility is key “Face Time”
As long as I get the job done, who
cares
It’s quitting time – I have a real life to live
DiversityEthnically
segregatedIntegration
beganIntegrated
No majority race
FeedbackNo news is good news
Once a year with
documentation
Interrupts and asks how they
are doing
Wants feedback at
the push of a button
Work/Life Balance
Needs help shifting
Balances everyone else
and themselves
Wants balance now
Need flexibility to balance activities
Generational Challenges We Face in the Workplace
• Poor communication
• Decreased productivity, quality, & innovation
• Misunderstood attitudes, relationships & working environments
• Less engaged volunteers & coworkers
• Lack of motivation, initiative, and team work
37
On-the-Job Challenges
Traditionalists and Boomers generally do not question or challenge authority.
Xers and Millennials have
been taught to speak up.
On-the-Job Challenges
• Xers and Millennials– Prefer electronic communication. – Do not like meetings. – Many have not developed listening skills.
• Traditionalists and Boomers – Prefer face-to-face communication. – Boomer bosses like to have at least one
meeting each week with employees.
38
Bridging the Generation Gaps
“We have absolutely nothing in common!”
What bugs you?
Drives you crazy?
Bridging the Generation Gaps
• For Managers– Focus on goals
– Make everyone feel included
– Break the bonds of tradition
– Show employees the future
– Encourage balance
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Bridging the Generation Gaps
Getting along with Boomers
– Show respect
– Choose face-to-face conversations
– Give people your full attention
– Learn the corporate history
Bridging the Generation Gaps
• Getting along with Xers
– Get to the point
– Use email
– Give them space
– Get over the notion of dues paying
– Lighten up
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Bridging the Generation Gaps
• Remember that all generations want:– To be treated fairly
– Work that provides personal satisfaction
– Employers who understand personal lives are important
– Work that is valued by employers and customers
– A clear sense of purpose from employers
Bridging the Generation Gaps
Remember the Golden Rule?
“Treat others as you would like to be treated.”
Change it to the Platinum Rule
“Treat others as they would like to be treated”
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Action Plan
• What changes will you make based upon what you have learned today?
–Relationships
–Work environment
–Rules
vs.Aging Organizations
Growing Organizations
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The greatest gift you can ever give another
is the example of your own life working, and working well.