Bridging the Gap: Managing Generational Differences

Bridging the Gap: Managing Generational Differences V.G. Young School for County Commissioners Courts Tom Marrs, Ph.D. College Station, Texas 77843 Phone: 979.777.5463 E mail: 30boxbirds@gmail.com

Why are we talking about this?

― SOCRATES

Lenses…Not Labels (15-19 year generation gap) • Greatest: 1910-1927 (war, automobile, industrial) • Silent: 1928-1945 (depression, war) • Baby Boomers: 1946-1964(post war, cold war) • Generation X (Gen Y): 1965-1980 (Vietnam, birth control) • Millennials: 1981 to 1996 (internet explosion) • iGen/Gen Z/: 1997-2014 (smart phone, 9/11, recession) (Pew Research official generation chart)

Traditionalists-Age 75 and older • Around 23 Million of them • Well under 1/3 of these are still employed in any capacity. • Surprising number of jobs, fewer careers.

Boomers-Age (oldest are 74) • Around 73 Million of them • About 8% when aged 25-35 lived at home with their parents (Pew Research). • 68% will work part-time for interest or enjoyment • 32% will work for needed income • 42%want to be self-employed • Fewer jobs, more careers

Generation X-Age (oldest are 54) • Around 67 Million of them • Although about 75% of people in this group earn more than boomers when they were the same age, only 36% have more wealth than their parents due to debt, according to a 2014 report by the Pew Charitable Trusts • About 10% when age 25-35 lived at home with their parents according to Pew • 43% have a college education, 10% graduate degree • Most effective managers compared to boomers or millennials

Millennials-Age (oldest are 39) • Around 83.1 Million of them, 40% of workforce now, 75% by 2025 • About 15% age 25-35 live/lived at home with their parents according to Pew (2016) • According to a 2015 Census study, earnings for young adults who work full time are about $2,000 (adjusted) less than earnings for young adults in 1980. The analysis also found that millennials are more likely to have a college degree than Gen X-ers did in 1980, yet there are also higher numbers of millennials living in poverty vs. their counterparts in 1980.

Millennials • 38% are looking to change jobs • 43% are open to offers • 18% expect to stay with current employer long-term • 61% believe you should be promoted every 2-3 years if your evaluations are good. • Average WAY more careers, and more jobs

iGen (oldest are 24) • SHORT attention span—information flow • Multi-tasking maniacs • Financially conscious-came to be in recession. 67% said they would go to a website to get a coupon V. 46% of millennials • Early starter—16 to 18 straight into work no college • Gamify, no reading

iGen • Entrepreneurial-72% say they want to start a business someday. • Higher Expectations than Millennials-not fast, something’s wrong • Individuality—social media • More global-58% of adults 35+ worldwide say kids have more in common with global peers than within their own country.

Finding ways to communicate is critical to success.

Mistakes To Avoid to Keep Millennials • Chart an unclear career path • Be highly inflexible • Don’t fail to reinforce the link between their role and a larger purpose • Disqualify just because of lack of skills or experience—”pay your dues”

Generational differences are often based on four essential activities: • Choosing where and when to work • Communicating among team members • Getting together • Finding information or learning new things From: Tamara J. Erickson, Harvard Business Review

Mistakes To Avoid in Hiring • Don’t write vague job descriptions or make vague offers. • Chart an unclear career path • Refuse schedule flexibility • Entice them only with money • Disqualify just because of lack of skills or experience • Use an excessively complicated hiring process • Fail to provide post-interview feedback • Keep them away from social media

Tips for Supervisors of Millennials • Provide structure • Provide leadership and guidance • Encourage self-assuredness and positive self-image • Take advantage of comfort with teams • Listen • Boring is bad. Challenge and change is good. • They multi-task on a scale you have never seen. • Take advantage of their electronic literacy. • Capitalize on their affinity for networking • Provide good work-life balance • Be employee-centric.

So What Does This Mean In Reality? Quit trying to MANAGE different generations, and LEAD them.

15% 21% 14% 29%

BRAVE Leadership • B ehaviors • R elationships • A ttitudes • V alues • E nvironment

Behaviors • You and them • Work and personal • Face to face and electronic • Inspiring and enabling

Relationships • Say you respect them • Act with respect • Reverse Mentoring Program

Attitude • Can-do attitude • Don’t squash ambitions • Don’t put up artificial boundaries (work and personal time)

Values • Happiness is good • Pursuit of the 3 goods: Good for others, Good at doing it, Good for me • Values aren’t there, commitment is low

Environment • Praised and inflated sense of self worth • Structured activities: Play dates, instructions from adults • Constant flow of information • Lacking practical skills, but can learn

Questions/Discussion

Bridging the Gap: Managing Generational Differences