Generations at Work

1. Susan Luck, State Training Manager Department of Human Resource Management Generations at Work “Moving at the Speed of Right” Forum 06’ Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

2. Objectives • Identify the four different generation groups • Recognize personality traits of each group • Management issues between the generations • Developing, motivating and mentoring Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

3. Generational Diversity • In any large organization, you will find departments and work teams where at least four distinct generations are working side by side. • When you deal with customers, there may be additional generations to consider. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

4. What are the Generations? • A generation is a group of people defined by age boundaries; • Born during a certain era; • Share similar experiences during their formative years; • Develop similar values and attitudes in some areas including work. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

5. Disclaimer • These generalities are based on shared experiences of a generation. • Other influences define each of us: • Nature vs. nurture • Family life • Religion • Values Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

6. Generations • Traditionalists – 1920 to 1940 • Age now 66 – 86 • Boomers – 1941 to 1960 • Age now 46 – 65 • Generation X – 1961 to 1980 • Age 26 – 45 • Millennials – 1981 to present • < 25 Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

7. Activity Write down who YOUR childhood hero or a celebrity was Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

8. Traditionalists Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

9. Traditionalist – Defining Moments & People • Great Depression, The New Deal, World War II, GI Bill of Rights, Patriotism, FDR, Korean War • Colin Powell, Jimmy Carter, Woody Allen, Martin Luther King Jr., Sandra Day O’Connor, Elvis Presley Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

10. Traditionalist -- Characteristics • Dedication • Sacrifice • Hard work • Conformity • Law and order • Respect for authority Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

11. Traditionalist -- Characteristics • Patience • Delayed reward • Duty before pleasure • Adherence to rules • Honor • Communications – prefer “face to face” Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

12. Traditionalist – Characteristics • Many have retired or if still working have senior positions with considerable power. • Only account for 5 percent of the workforce today. • Strongly influenced by family and religion. • Education was viewed as a dream; leisure time was seen as a reward for hard work. • Focus on stability – experienced tremendous upheaval in their lives. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

13. Assets Detail oriented Hard working Loyal Thorough Stable Liabilities Reluctant to buck the system Overly resistant to change Traditionalist – On The Job Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

14. Boomer Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

15. Boomer – Defining Moments & People • Vietnam, Inner Directed, Woodstock, Women’s Liberation, Civil Rights, Kent State, Mid-Life Issues, JFK assasination • Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

16. Boomer -- Characteristics • Optimistic about life and the future • Personal Gratification – desire for self-gratification • Longing for personal & spiritual growth • Work/ Job for life • American Dream Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

17. Boomer -- Characteristics • Self-absorbed – center of attention • Team Orientation – preference for teamwork • Health and Wellness • Youth • Involvement • Company Loyalty Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

18. Boomer – Characteristics • Actual “boom” in births occurred between 1946 and 1964. • Time of prosperity (1950’s) • Time of social upheaval (1960’s & 1970’s) • Largest part of workforce (45%) Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

19. Assets Driven Willing to “go the extra mile” Want to please Good team players Liabilities Not naturally “budget minded” Uncomfortable with conflict May put process ahead of result Overly sensitive to feedback Judgmental of others seeing things differently Self-centered Boomer – On The Job Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

20. Generation X Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

21. Generation X – Defining Moments & People • Watergate, Latchkey, Desert Storm, Down Sizing, Increased Violence, Broken Homes, MTV, Hi-Tech, Diverse, Hope (Is there any?) Berlin Wall, Challenger • Tom Cruise, Jodie Foster, Kurt Cobain, Deion Sanders, Michael Jordan, Winonna Ryder, Michael Dell Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

22. Generation X - Characteristics • Self-reliant • Balance • Informality • Techno-literacy • Flexibility • Meaning Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

23. Generation X - Characteristics • Fun • Pragmatism • Clear direction • Fast Track • Communications – preferred is electronically Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

24. Generation X – Characteristics • Nobody talked about “generational differences” in the workplace until Generation X came along. • Entered the workforce after the first wave of corporate downsizing – affected Xers’ approach to company loyalty and contributed to their entrepreneurial spirit. • Latch-key kids, more divorced parents. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

25. Generation X – Characteristics • Their parents lived to work, Xers work to live. • Work/ Life balance is a hallmark of this generation. • Organizational hierarchy, titles and authority are not that important to Xers. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

26. Assets Adaptable Techno-literate Independent Not intimidated by authority Creative Liabilities Impatient Poor people skills Inexperienced Cynical Pessimistic Generation X – On The Job Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

27. Millennials Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

28. Millennials – Defining Moments & People • Technology, child focus, Okalahoma City bombing, school violence, movie heroes (kids fix it), busy, collaboration, innovation, early responsibility, 9/11 and Iraq war • Jessica McClure, the Olsen Twins, Prince William, Anna Kournikova, Lizzie McGuire Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

29. Millennials -- Characteristics • Honor • Civic duty • Team-oriented • Morality/ Integrity • Diversity • Technology Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

30. Millennials -- Characteristics • Charity & Volunteerism • Feedback • Work/ Life Balance • “The Boss” is the company • Communications – electronically is preferred Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

31. Millennials -- Characteristics • Newest generation in the workforce • We are still learning about them • Greatly affected by 9/11 • Technology is a defining characteristic; learned to click before they learned to read • Accept and value diversity Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

32. Millennials -- Characteristics • Connect strongly to their grandparents’ generations (Matures and early Boomers) • Have an unprecedented worldly awareness gleaned from a great deal of exposure to reality media. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

33. Assets Collective action Optimism Tenacity Heroic spirit Multitasking capabilities Technological savvy Liabilities Need for supervision and structure Inexperience, particularly with handling difficult people issues Not good on situational ethics Millennials – On The Job Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

34. “Can do” attitude of the Traditionalist Teamwork of the Boomer Teamwork of the Generation X May be the ideal generation! Pulling Together Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

35. Summary Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

36. Summary Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

37. Summary Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

38. Management Between the Generations • Boomers and Gen Xers • Dominate the workplace population • Largely different values • Boomers more typically supervise Xers • Clash over a variety of topics • Interest-based differences sometimes lead into negative generational stereotypes Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

39. Management Between the Generations • Millennials – Meeting Expectations • Provide challenging work • Give greater responsibility each time they prove themselves • Get to know them • Get to know their capabilities/ talents • Develop them in their job assignments • Allow flexibility with work schedule Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

40. Management Between the Generations • Millennials – Meeting Expectations • Have fun at work • Work more as a team not as regimented hierarchy structure • Treat them as peers • Respect them for who/ what they are • Continue to provide feedback • Praise them for good work Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

41. NOW WHAT !!!!!!!!! • Responding to these generational differences and conflicts requires the same skills needed to deal with other diversity issues: • Awareness • Communication • Ability to manage conflict effectively Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

42. Conclusions • We must be explicit of what our organization values and what actions are acceptable. • Don’t expect the recruits to view the world as you do. • We must all learn patience. • We all need to value our differences – these will lead to improvement. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

43. More Conclusions • We must all multi-communicate (per our policy of course!) • When possible mentoring will help pass information to the newer employees and give new skills to the older ones. • Knowledge Management – we need to capture experiences of outgoing generations to compliment decision-making of the newer generations. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

44. Even More Conclusions • Millennials stay or leave their boss -- not the organization. • All employees must trust their boss. • The bosses job as “role model” is crucial. Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School

45. Reference List • Einhause, Jim; Chesterfield University Generations in the Workforce • Lancaster, L., & Stillman, D. (2002). When generations collide. New York, NY: Harper Collins • State Police Source: Chesterfield County Fire Department Supervisor's School