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Intergenerational Engagement. A Meeting of the Minds VCM Annual Retreat April 4, 2008. Overview. Generations: The Challenge of a Lifetime for your Nonprofit (Peter Brinckerhoff) Do you understand generational differences? Can you address generational differences?
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Intergenerational Engagement A Meeting of the Minds VCM Annual Retreat April 4, 2008
Overview • Generations: The Challenge of a Lifetime for your Nonprofit (Peter Brinckerhoff) • Do you understand generational differences? • Can you address generational differences? • Are you being left in the dust by generational differences?
Five Generations • Greatest Generation (1901-1924) • Silent Generation (1925-1945) • Baby Boomers (1946-1962) • Gen X (1963-1980) • Gen@, Gen Y, Millenials (1981 – 2002)
Greatest Generation (84+) • Group size: 20 million • Greatest tech event: rural electrification, commercial radio • Emphasis: tradition; helping others; being part of a large-scale, valuable change
Silent Generation (63-83) • Group size: 30 million • Greatest tech event: private auto ownership; use of early office machines; mass industrialization • Emphasis: tradition, loyalty to a key issue, value of joint work ethic
Boomers (46-62) • Group size: 80 million • Greatest tech event: Television • Emphasis: their value to team, your need for them; their ability to improve services; young/cool workplace; public recognition; they can change the world
Gen X (28-45) • Group size: 45 million • Greatest tech event: PC and cable • Emphasis: their value to the work of the org; value of independent thinking; work-life balance
Gen@ (6-27) • Group size: 75 million • Greatest tech event: everything is on the internet • Emphasis: the good that they can do with their peers; challenge of doing good in the community and doing it well; need for new perspectives and ideas
Four Big Impacts • Boomers Coming in the Door • Boomers Going Out the Door • Whatever Happened to GenX and Gen@ • Unintended Consequences
A Balancing Act • Boomers are currently the focus of most products, services, systems • If we ignore GenX and Gen@, they’ll go on without (in spite of) us: • They move and act in groups (power in numbers) • They will check you out online first (what will they see?) • They will ask their peers second (what will they hear?) • Then they may come to you directly… • So what will our community look like when Boomers are gone?
Trends that Matter • Financial Stress • Technological Acceleration • Diversity of Population • Redefining the Family • MeBranding • Work-Life Balance
What is this “MeBranding?” • The desire to have services and products delivered in the exact, unique way that an individual wants them. • MeVolunteering • MeBenefits • MeServices • MeScheduling • Etc…
Six Big Actions • Include generational issues in planning • Mentor and discuss among generations • Target market by generation • Age down • Meet techspectations • Ask
From a Volunteer Standpoint • Organizations need to bridge the great divide of generations • Boomers and Gen@ are the focus, but very different • Most orgs are designed to meet needs of Boomers • To engage Gen@, consider these strategies: • Ramp up your web site • Create volunteer opps that suit them • Move in groups • Believe in opinions of peers • USE TIME EFFICIENTLY
Resources • Generations: The Challenge of Lifetime for your Nonprofit (Brinckerhoff) Also… • Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers and Nexters in Your Workplace (Zemke, Raines, Filipczak) • Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values and Defining Moments Shape Leaders (Bennis, Thomas)