work place generations

Generations at Work

Jim Marteney Los Angeles Valley college

Information in part from

http://www.committment.com/getalong.html Marci M. B. Tarrant. [http://www1.va.gov/diversity/docs/ GENERATIONALDIFFERENCESDIVERSITY.ppt]

Virginia Green, Instructor at LAVC Jeff Van Syckle, Broome Community College

Generations

“A generational group, often referred to as a cohort, includes those who share historical or social life experiences, the effects of which are relatively stable over the course of their lives. These life experiences tend to distinguish one generation from another. Jurkiewicz & Brown, 1998

Generations

“A cohort develops a personality that influences a person’s feelings toward authority and organizations, what they desire from work, and how they plan to satisfy those desires.” Kupperschmidt, 2000 & Smola & Sutton, 2002

Each Generation . . .

Consists of approximately a 20-year span (not all demographers and generation researchers agree on the exact start/stop dates)

Has a unique set of values Reacts to the generation before them Looks at their generation as the

standard of comparison Looks at the next generation

skeptically: these kids today . . . .

http://www.cpcc.edu/planning/studies_reports/ActiveFiles/millennial%20comm%20college.ppt

Generations in the Workplace

This is the first time in American history that we have had four different generations working side-by-side in the workplace.

They have different values, different ideas, different ways of getting things done, and different ways of communicating in the workplace.

Generations in the Workplace

Veterans (Matures) – born from 1922 – 1945 (5% of the national workforce. 65 – 87)

Baby Boomers – born from 1946 – 1964 (45% of the national workforce. 46 – 64)

Generation X – born from 1965 – 1981 (40% of the national workforce. 29 – 45)

NeoMillenials (Nexters) – born from 1982 – 2000 (10% of the national workforce. 10 – 28)

Generations

http://www.eiu.edu/~arc/ - Eastern Illinois U.

Birth Cohorts20-22 years

GI’s (WWII)1901-1921

Silent Generation1922-1945

Baby Boomer1944-1964

Generation X1964-1981

Millennials1982- 2000

What generation?

More likely to live in two-income household.

Have children at home Have a basic feeling of security More likely than others to focus on

education Have the higher level of education 88.8% of this generation completed

high schoolhttp://www.eiu.edu/~arc/ - Eastern Illinois U.

Baby Boomers

What generation?

This group grew up during the post Watergate era and the energy crisis.

They were in many cases children of divorce and nontraditional family units

Many were latchkey kids who were raised on electronic media (television, Atari 2600s)


Generation X

Rina Vizer

A Politics for Generation X

What generation?

This group was born at a time when it was considered natural & appropriate for families to have large numbers of children

This generation wed early; started divorce epidemic

This generation are about 95% retired at this point

This group was born during an era of depression and war


Veterans (Matures)

What generation?

Sheltered They have experienced a positive

economy while moving through their school years

This generation grew up on kid safety rules, lockdown of public schools, sweeping national youth safety movement

Technological sophisticationhttp://www.eiu.edu/~arc/ - Eastern Illinois U.

Millennials (Nexters)

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

The Trophy Generation

Millennials (Nexters)

Who are the Millennials?

Born in or after 1982 Presently 80 million (largest generation) The oldest entered college Fall of 2000 Life expectancy of 75 years 3 most popular names

Males FemalesMichael JenniferJason JessicaChristopher Ashley


Notable events . . .

9-11 Columbine Oklahoma City Bombing Princess Di’s death Clinton Impeachment Trial O.J. Simpson Trial Rodney King riots Lewinsky scandal

The Millennial Generation:The Next Generation in College Enrollment

Research by Dr. Terri Manning, Bobbie Everett & Cheryl Roberts of Central Piedmont Community College

Two Responses to This Research1. The Millennials are spoiled rotten

brats whose parents have given them everything.

2. This generation is extremely talented and will bring technology and teamwork skills to the workforce.

Millennials This generation is civic-minded, much like

the GI Generation. They are collectively optimistic, long-term

planners, high achievers with lower rates of violent crime, teen pregnancy, smoking and alcohol use than ever before.

This generation believes that they have the potential to be great.

We are looking to them to provide us with a new definition of citizenship.

Manning, Everett, & Roberts. Central Piedmont Community College.

Millennials – Demographic Trends The Baby Boomers chose to become older

parents in the 1980s while Gen X moms reverted back to the earlier birth-age norm, which meant that two generations were having babies.

In 1989, 29 percent of the 4.4 million live births were to women aged 30 and older.

Millennials have older largely Baby Boomer parents: Average age of mothers

at birth at an all time high of 27 in 1997.


Smaller families: Only children will comprise about 10% of the population.

More parental education: 1 in 4 has at least one parent with a college degree.

Kids born in the late 90’s are the first in American history whose mothers are better educated than their fathers by a small margin.


Millennials – Demographic Trends

Millennials have become the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in US History.

Nearly 35% of Millennials are nonwhite or Latino.

21% of this generation has at least one parent who is an immigrant.


Millennials – Changing Diversity

Boomers rebelled against the parenting practices of their parents.

They made conscious decisions not to say because I told you so or because I’m the parent and you’re the child.

Strict discipline was the order of the day for boomers.

Boomers became friends with their children.


Baby Boomers as Parents

They explained things to their children, (actions, consequences, options, etc.) – they wanted them to learn to make informed decisions.

They allowed their children to have input into family decisions, educational options and discipline issues.

The popularity of computer software/games that changed the ending based on the decisions children made (Role Playing Games).


Baby Boomers as Parents

Millennials have become a master set of negotiators who are capable of rational thought and decision-making skills at young ages.

They will negotiate with anyone including their teachers; some call this arguing.

More and more students challenge me and the material. They either see it as opinion, and nothing else, or they see it as … propaganda. (Central Piedmont Community College Instructor)


The Result . . .

Comparing Generations

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

“Why can’t we all just get along?”*

Do you know how to get along with your Veteran boss, who values sacrifice, dedication and conformity? Is your Boomer boss, who values optimism and personal gratification really starting to bug you?

Is your self-reliant, skeptical and risk-taking Generation Xer co-worker hard to understand?

Jack Nicholson from “Mars Attacks”

The problem . . .

Dilbert's tenacity aside, real people don't last long working for and with people they don't feel some kinship with or empathy towards.

The problem . . .

The most common intergenerational problems concern managing and motivating others

It's hard to motivate, coach and give assignments to someone you don't, or don't think, you understand.

The problem . . .

Trust is an important commodity in the workplace. Competence and common understandings are important to building and maintaining trust.

We don't work well with people we don't trust to do the “right thing,” however we define that.

Today's workplace

In today's workplace, people who are products of different socializing experiences come together much more frequently and under very different circumstances.

Younger people supervising older people, for instance, is much more common today than it was 10 years ago. It's as uncomfortable for both, as women supervising men was uncomfortable for both parties 15 years ago.

Today's workplace

In the workplace of the 60s, 70s, even the 80s, people “knew their place.” There are no norms of “place” to “know” today.

The rules are being rewritten everyday - on the job, on the spot, in our temporary team-oriented, horizontally restructured world of work.

Your “Veteran” boss

Veterans appreciate formality and order. Take a cue from their interpretation of “casual day” dress.

Male Vet managers don't always know how to treat women in the workplace (as opposed to private life) and aren't comfortable with extremes of dress or language.

One-on-one meetings with a female subordinate can make them nervous.

Your “Veteran” boss Don't expect to have a casual,

comfortable, kidding and joking relationship with a Vet. And don't assume something is amiss if the Vet boss seems private and more guarded than others in the workplace. It's just their “way.”

Ask them what their experience tells them about situations and customers you are involved with. They are street savvy, politically connected, and came into a business world that put a premium on close customer relations.

Your “Veteran” boss

Think of them as potent, workplace grandparents. They like to share what they know and how they came to know it. But take their “suggestions” seriously. Suggestions are often orders in a velvet glove.

Expect them to be honest and straightforward - but tactful. They are seldom hurtfully blunt or rude.

Your “Boomer” boss Boomer bosses are very positive,

sometimes to the point of over confidence and exuberance. They like important, seemingly risky projects. Be advised that when a risky project falters, they will be looking for someone - that someone not being themselves - to blame the failure on.

They like being the star of the show; to have the big idea, and get credit for it. Ask them to "share their concept of the project" and they will beam and spell out their vision in great, broad strokes.

Your “Boomer” boss

They like to build consensus around their plan - and hold lots of meetings to do so. They believe in team building and horizontal authority. And being the head or heart of the team.

They are also good at acknowledging the contributions of their teammates to higher ups.

Your “Boomer” boss

Caution: Watch their response to your face-to-face updates. If they seem impatient, back off and just do paper or e-mail updates. You don't want to be seen as over-dependent. They hate that. It reflects poorly on their selection decision.

Your “Generation X” boss

X-ers are very self reliant, and often choose to be seen as self-sufficient.

They can seem aloof in their chosen isolation. They sometimes lack interpersonal skills - and some see niceties as artifice.

Directness pays when dealing with an Xer.


They respect technology and variety in assignments

They work to live - not the other way around - so don't expect late hours or very many weekends. They resent that.

Expect to be on your own for development though they expect there to be a lot of learning for themselves on the job. They don't think about that for subordinates


They aren't into teams or meetings, unless they call them. Some, because of their aloofness, can seem ruthless. A few are.

And self-centered. If you expect credit for your work, you'll have to put that on the table.

A few Xers see other peoples' work, like information on the internet, manna from heaven. Free to be used as they see fit.

Sergey Brin & Larry Page – Google co-founders

NeoMillenial (Nexter) coworkers

Nexters tend to hang with a group of pals. It can seem exclusionary. And it can look like kids on the corner - while that's fun, it can be seen as immaturity to some. Don't expect to be included, or especially put-off by the behavior.

Dealing with difficult people is a fact of life. And an inevitability. Some of your Nexter colleagues will lack good interpersonal skills. You might have to bail them out with tough clients.

NeoMillenial (Nexter) coworkers

Advancement may require more patience than they expect. They need help seeing that repeated tasks aren't an insult, that's the way the work world functions; a lot of repetition.

Share what you know about the workplace with them. A little group intelligence can go a long way. They will appreciate it.

Conflicting views – conflicting comfort zones

Veterans are most comfortable with top-down, command and control systems that have leadership and authority clearly defined.


Boomers like loose structures that have temporary teams and task forces and informal power centers.

Xers tend to see structure as inhibitive and think in terms of projects and resources. They equate structure with bureaucracy and are suspicious of it. There is a "them" and "us" atmosphere in some Xer heavy organizations


Millennials are really just learning organizational preferences. They are good networkers and are easy with technology. They respect authority and are drawn to competence.

Who are the Millennials?

Digital Natives “native speakers” of the digital

language of computers, video games and the internet

Digital Immigrants Those not born into the digital

world but later became fascinated by the technology.

----Marc Prensky

Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

Digital Natives

Today’s 21-year-olds Born, 1985 internet was 2 years old and Mario

launched Super Mario Brothers Grade school, World Wide Web invented Middle school, Palm Pilot launched High school, cell phones College, Napster and Blogger launched-1999 College, iPod and early social networking

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1884740,00.html

Digital Natives

Today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.

Marc Prensky

“Different kinds of experiences lead to different brain structures.”

Dr. Bruce D. Berry, Baylor College of Medicine

Students have never known life without the computer. It is an assumed part of life.

The Internet is a source of research, interactivity, and socializing (they prefer it over TV).

Doing is more important than knowing. Staying “connected” is essential. There is zero tolerance for delays.


“Information Age” Mindset

The Key to Working With Generations

Accepting Understanding Enjoying

But, not judging and criticizing

Attitudes

TV Generation“Boomers

PC Generation

“Gen XNet Gen

“Millennials

Web What is it? Web is a tool Web is oxygen

Community Personal ExtendedPersonal Virtual

Perspective Local Multi-national Global

Career One career Multiple careers

Multiplereinventions

Loyalty Corporation Self SoulAuthority Hierarchy Unimpressed Self as expert

Enjoy the Ride

Thank you

Millennials have become the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in US History.

Nearly 35% of Millennials are nonwhite or Latino.

21% of this generation has at least one parent who is an immigrant.


Millennials – Changing Diversity

Millennials This generation is civic-minded, much like

the GI Generation. They are collectively optimistic, long-term

planners, high achievers with lower rates of violent crime, teen pregnancy, smoking and alcohol use than ever before.

This generation believes that they have the potential to be great and they probably do. We are looking to them to provide us with a new definition of citizenship.



The Baby Boomers chose to become older parents in the 1980s while Gen X moms reverted back to the earlier birth-age norm, which meant that two generations were having babies.

In 1989, 29 percent of the 4.4 million live births were to women aged 30 and older.

Millennials have older largely Baby Boomer parents: Average age of mothers at birth at an all time high of 27 in 1997.


Smaller families: Only children will comprise about 10% of the population.

More parental education: 1 in 4 has at least one parent with a college degree.

Kids born in the late 90’s are the first in American history whose mothers are better educated than their fathers by a small margin.



References GenXers vs. boomers vs. matures: generational

comparisons of public employee motivation. Carole L. Jurkiewicz and Roger G. Brown. Review of Public Personnel Administration 18.4 (Fall 1998): p18(2).

Tips to help you recruit, manage, and keep Generation X employees. Betty R. Kupperschmidt. Nursing Management 31.3 (March 2000): p58. (916 words)

Generational differences: revisiting generational work values for the new millennium. Karen Wey Smola, Charlotte D. Sutton. Journal of Organizational Behavior. 23:4, (June 2002): Pp: 363-382

work place generations

Documents