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From Gaga to Springsteen Managing the Generation Gap at Work

From Gaga to Springsteen Managing the Generation Gap at Work. Breakout Session 611 David Sotolongo RTI International July 20, 2010 4:00 – 5:15 pm. 1. Let’s tune in to WIFM. What are the primary differences among the 3 generations in the work force? Who’s at fault, if anyone?

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From Gaga to Springsteen Managing the Generation Gap at Work

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  1. From Gaga to SpringsteenManaging the Generation Gap at Work Breakout Session 611 David Sotolongo RTI International July 20, 2010 4:00 – 5:15 pm 1

  2. Let’s tune in to WIFM. What are the primary differences among the 3 generations in the work force? Who’s at fault, if anyone? How can Boomers adapt? Who is Lady GaGa anyway?

  3. Let’s Meet our Generations… • Baby Boomers: 1946 to 1964 • 80 million (40% of workers) • Springsteen and Jaggar • Star Wars and Annie Hall • Woodstock and Disco?!

  4. Let’s Meet our Generations… • Generation X: 1965 to 1980 • 40 million (36% of workers) • Nirvana, Pearl Jam • Say Anything, Wayne’s World • Google, YouTube, MySpace • Dot.com

  5. Let’s Meet our Generations… • Generation Y/ Millennials): 1981 to 2001 • 72 million (16% of workers) • Black Eyed Peas, Lady GaGa • Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Paranormal Activity • Facebook • Twitter • Are Boomers ruining all of the social networks?

  6. The myth of the “Gen Y/ Millennial Slackers” “The companies that succeed over the next two decades will be the ones that can most inspire (Gen) Y. This is the most educated and technologically savvy generation ever.” • Jobfox CEO, Rob McGovern

  7. Which Generation Are You? • Boomer? • Gen X? • Gen Y/Millennial?

  8. Those spoiled, bratty boomers  Grew up in an era of unprecedented prosperity Rebellious in youth, but traditional in the workforce Spend less time with their kids More “senior moments”; thus, KGB and ask.com

  9. Test for the Boomers • 404 • 411 • 9 • 99 • BRB • GANB • HBB • ILICISCOMK • KPC • NIMJD • PAL • PICNIC • RMLB • RU/18 • RU BRD? • WRUD? TAB?

  10. Boomers Are Trying to Hold On to Old Management Methods Praise is earned, not guaranteed Work your way to the top Respect the chain of command Wait your turn Balance work and family life by keeping them separate – but still work too much! Clueless about the “service industry gap” Don’t understand that phone calls and emails are “so last century, dude …”

  11. Gen Y/Millennials Come from a Very Different Background Feedback is expected … constantly Often came from over-protective, helicopter parents More comfortable communicating via technology than face to face (either at work or socially) Work day is 24/7 – but so is their social life Look at organizational structures as flat, not hierarchical Never knew a world that didn’t have remote controls IWIWIWI and IWIHIWI

  12. Gen X’ers Are Caught In- Between • Grew up in an era of feminism and working moms • Suffered the post-Boomer recession, which led to more cynicism • Comfortable communicating via technology or face to face • Tend to have a more structured view of work/family • Independent, resilient, and very creative • In the end, tend to be more like Millennials than Boomers

  13. Balancing Work and Home Lives • Integrators (Gen X/Y) • Telecommute • Laptops, cell phones, PDAs, TM, IM, Twitter • Can flex between work and home easily • Facebook at work and at home • Separators (Boomers) • Keep work at work • Don’t tend to use technology as much • Can’t alternate quickly between the two spheres

  14. BOOMERS: How do you connect with your friends? • Call them on the phone • Email them • Facebook updates • Text message/Tweet

  15. GEN X/Y: How do you connect with your friends? • Call them on the phone • Email them • Facebook updates • Text message/Tweet

  16. The Legacy of the American Boomers … Work, Work, Work! Americans did not use 438 million vacation days in 2007 Companies who are in the European Union must offer workers at least 20 days off per year – sometimes more In Portugal, workers get 22 vacation days plus 13 holidays

  17. BOOMERS: How Much Vacation Did You Take Last Year? • 4 or more weeks • 3 to 4 weeks • 1 to 2 weeks • Less than 1 week

  18. GEN X/Y: How Much Vacation Did You Take Last Year? • 4 or more weeks • 3 to 4 weeks • 1 to 2 weeks • Less than 1 week

  19. How Much Do You Telecommute? • All the time • Around half the time • 1 or 2 days a week • Never – I like the free coffee at work

  20. Overachievement Has Seen Its Day Come and Go • David McClelland discovered the three primary drivers for motivation: • Achievement • Affiliation • Power (influence) • All three are present in everyone • McClelland and others argued achievement was the key to successful leadership • Created an interesting experiment to prove the point • Jack Welsh personified this leadership style (GE)

  21. The End Justifies the Means The achievement drive soon became the overachievement drive Cutting corners, cheating, whatever it took Nationally, it worked – stock market took off, productivity soared, innovation rose But the slow erosion of ethics took hold, and soon we got…

  22. Meet the Old Boss

  23. Tell-tale Signs Your Boss Is an Overachiever Gives little positive feedback Impatient with under-performers Micromanages! Sets the pace and expects everyone to follow Totally goal-driven; people are secondary to the achievement of the goal

  24. Personal Power vs. Socialized Power Personalized Power • Controls • Manipulates and coerces • Looks out for their own interests Socialized Power • Persuades • Involves others; democratic • Focuses on the team

  25. Does Your Boss Use Personalized or Social Power? • Personalized Power • Social Power • Sitting right next to me, so I am not answering

  26. The Legacy of McClelland and Welsh • The power of this leadership strategy created a “Survivor Tribunal” mentality: • Ranking your employees • Cutting the “weakest” from the tribe • Grow or die • Immediate goals more important than long-term ones

  27. Old Rules vs. New Rules • Be the big, bad, dog • Be #1 in your market • Shareholders are in charge • Rank your staff, form your “A Team” • Be charismatic • Admire our might • Be agile and flexible • Find your niche (Good to Great) • The customers are in charge • Hire passionate people • Be courageous • Admire our soul

  28. Old Boss vs. New Boss • Pushes people • Dictates • Manages • Angry • Coercive • Cares about numbers • Motivates people • Persuades • Leads • Passionate • Collaborative • Cares about people

  29. Becoming the New Boss Won’t Be Easy Keep all leadership styles in your hip pocket, but know how to use them wisely Understand the differences in generation gaps Adapt to new technology and communication styles Let go of the old Boomer leadership principles and embrace new ones

  30. Create a Great Place to Work Allow new ideas into your policies Provide enough freedom for staff to make decisions Set the bar reasonably high and hold people accountable Reward staff continuously for excellent performance Be clear about expectations Stress the success of the team Be family friendly, all the time – to women and men! See www.greatplacetowork.com (US) and www.greatplacetowork.co.uk (UK)

  31. If you have a “boomer” boss who uses personalized power, try these out … Find out where your boss shops and buy exactly the same outfits. Always wear them one day after your boss does. Repeat every idea your boss expresses in a baby voice while moving your hand like a chattering mouth. Finish all your sentences with, “in accordance with prophecy.” Use a large hunting knife to point at your visual aids. In your next Progress Report, write: My Secret Agenda 1. Trample the weak 2. Triumph alone 3. Invade Iran

  32. I Thought This Presentation Was … • OMG LOL, he’s my BFF • It was okay • Sorry – I was asleep – what was the question again? • Is it happy hour YET?

  33. Bibliography and Sources of Inspiration Workplace Wars (Ladies Home Journal, May 2009) Leadership Run Amok: The Destructive Potential of Overachievers. Scott Spreier, Mary Fontaine, and Ruth Malloy (Harvard Business Review, June 1, 2006) What Leaders Really Do. John Kotter (Harvard Business Review, December 2001) Tearing Up the Jack Welsh Playbook. Betsy Morris (Fortune, CNNMoney.com, July 11, 2006) Great Xpectations of So-Called Slackers (Time.com, June 9, 1997) Are Baby Boomers Killing Facebook and Twitter? (PC World, May 2009) Gen Y in the Workforce (Harvard Business Review, February 2009) Are You a Micromanager? (Federal Computer Week, October 20, 2008) What Would Shakespeare Tweet? (USA Today, June 10, 2009) Managing by Remote Control (Raleigh News and Observer, November 30, 2008) Email Lives – But Do We Need It? (Federal Computer Week, July 13, 2009) Are You a Micromanager? (Federal Computer Week, October 20, 2008) 10 Trends – A Study of Senior Executives’ Views on the Future (Center for Creative Leadership, White Paper) What Gen Y Really Wants (Time Magazine, July 5, 2005) A Nation Transformed by Women (The Progress Report, October 19, 2009) No Rest for the Worked – Americans Prefer to be on the Job Rather than Taking Vacations (Philadelphia Inquirer, February 17, 2008) Service Gap Fuels Shopping Tensions (Philadelphia Inquirer, December 25, 2007) A Bad Boss Can Hurt Your Heart, Study Says (Boston Globe, November 30, 2008 Facebook – What is it Good for? (Federal Computer Week, April 20, 2009) Generation X: The Ignored Generation? (Time.com, April 16, 2008)

  34. My Millennials …

  35. Questions? Complaints?

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