1. Generational Differences
Lisa Bourget – Marathon Travel

2. Session Overview Action item: Let’s Talk Takeaways
Understanding the Players on Your Team (who are the generations)
Let’s Talk Stereotypes
Power of Change
Closing Activity

3. Making it Personal Flip over action plan
Write down name of someone challenging in your life 20 years younger
Write down name of someone challenging in your life 20 years older

4. What’s Your IQ?
GQ Self-Assessment

5. The Players… Traditionalists (born 1900-1945)
Baby Boomers (born )
Generation X (born )
Millennial Generation (born )

6. Does This Topic Matter? “It’s an Economic Downturn and everyone is so easy to deal with…”
“Generational personalities” are carried with us throughout our lives
When hard times hit…everyone wants to play nice in the sand, right???
We entrench ourselves deeply into attitudes and behaviors that are ingrained in us!

7. What does the work force challenge mean to you:
Must fight harder to recruit and retain the best employees
McKinsey and Company “war for talent” study estimated over the next 30 years, demand for bright, talented 35 to 45 year olds will increase by 25%, supply predicted to decrease 15%
Prepare for mass exodus of know-how & experience and replacing it…
With smaller pool of talent that comes from different values and expectations
Challenges from “the gap”

8. Workplace Stats
The Boomer Cuspers are close to retirement – that means over 50% of the current workforce is about to exit.

9. Generation Gaps Employees that don’t feel they “fit” will…
____ ____ ____ ____ ____
What’s at your water cooler?
Few decades ago, 3 or 4 generations gathered and listened to “The Shadow” on the radio
Traditionalist: “Nothing decent on TV since Murder She Wrote went off the air”
Boomer: “…demise of thirty something”
X’er: “Melrose Place”
Millennium: “…waxing lyrical over My So Called Life.”
Translation: Communicational challenges and breakdown of bonds that hold companies together
It affects retention
What do your employees really have in common? That “link” really matters at the water cooler!!

10. Define Stereotypes
When defining stereotypes, what usually comes to mind? (sexual orientation, gender, age, race) – often we don’t think of generational discrimination

11. What do you see…
--Everyone has 60 seconds to write down immediate reactions/thoughts to individual on this slide and then 60 seconds for next one. (immediate/first reaction – and honestly – is important in this exercise)
Did any of these assumptions come up for young man:
Selfish, lazy, spoiled
Technology savvy, connected, online, wireless
Idealistic: change the world
Multi-taskers (iPod, cell phone, laptop, driving…)
Are they all like this?

12. Again… What were first reactions to this slide? Well put together?
Intelligent?
Sophisticated?
Savvy?

13. Stereotypes – by the media and you
The precocious Millennial kid
Tattooed Generation X slacker
Guilt-ridden, workaholic Boomer
Lifeless retired Traditionalist leaning back on the porch swing

14. Change – You Own It… There is only one way
Get to know who those generations really are
Understand why they are that way
Take this opportunity not to stereotype…but to learn something you didn’t know before

15. Stereotypes – by resentment
Xers resent Traditionalists (for being resistant to change and unwilling to hand over reins)
Boomers resent Xers for finding it so easy to change jobs whenever they feel like it and demanding balance in their lives
Traditionalists resent Millennials for entitlement mentality when Traditionalists had to work for everything they’ve gotten
Millennials resent Boomers for leaving the planet a mess

16. What forms our cultural personality?
Icons
Martin Luther King, Jr., Selma, Alabama, and image of empty bus (all icons of Selma bus boycott of 1965)
Assassination of Kennedy
D-Day
Challenger explosion
Attack of September 11
Conditions
Cold War
Great Depression (changed forever by fear of not being able to put food on the table)
Changes in divorce rate
Life stages…we have them in common (education, get a job, find a partner, have a family) – but different generations don’t approach them the same way

17. Traditionalists 1900-1945 Came of age before/during World War II
Core needs are group membership & responsibility
Childhood of struggle
Value: Stability, security, sense of community, patriotism and God
Trust hierarchy and authority
They are surprised when people go against authority
Based on military “command and control” style, they prefer actions with a focus on standards and norms
Talk about their leadership style – Chain of Command!!

18. Traditionalists
People – Joe DiMaggio; Dr. Spock; Alfred Hitchcock; Franklin D. Roosevelt; John Wayne; Bob Hope; Betty Crocker
Places: Sarajevo; Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Hiroshima, Iwo Jima. Back home – bread lines, Victory gardens, church pew, kitchen table with family tuned in to “The Maxwell House Radio Hour”
Things: were scarce; with 2 wars and the Great Depression, this generation did without. Symbols carried great weight – swastikas to Sputnik, flappers to flattops, drove roadsters to drive-ins, stacked a few 45’s on the record player and did the twist
What defining events shaped the character of this generation? (WW I, Roaring 20’s, Great Depression, Korean War)
Describe their character: God-fearing; patriotic
Generational Personality: LOYAL
How do you see it in the workplace? (long careers at same company; when going gets tough and rubber hits the road – they understand that “leaders need to lead and troops need to follow”)
Clash point: Chain of Command

19. Tips for Traditionalists!
Show respect for length of service and experience
Watch your language
Take time when discussing technology
Do your homework; prepare to be tested
Respect attention to formality
Don’t rush or pressure
Serve and honor them

20. Baby Boomers 1946-1964 The first workaholics
Paid dues under old hierarchical rules; now redefining themselves in light of global initiatives and business restructuring
Gifted at political correctness
Traditionally found their self worth in their work ethic
Now…desperate for healthy work/life balance
Why they were first workaholics – not because it was the right thing to do; but because it was necessary to advance up the ladder
Gifted at PC – have changed social order by saying the right thing, at the right time, to the right person
Their leadership style: Consensus! They want to ensure everyone has a voice. They lead most big businesses and have struggled to unravel challenges of working together, generationally speaking.

21. Baby Boomers
People: Martin Luther King Jr.; Richard Nixon; Beaver Cleaver; Rosa Parks; Osmond Family; John Belushi; Captain Kangaroo; Partridge Family and The Stones
Places: Watergate Hotel; Hanoi Hilton; Kent State; Laugh-in; Woodstock. Suburbs, bedroom, boardroom, delivery room, and eventually divorce courtroom.
Things: Television (4 million in 1952 to 50 million in 1960!); Bellbottoms, mood rings, Brooks Brothers suits and Rolex watches.
What defining events shaped the character of this generation? TV – brought home Vietnam, Watergate, women’s and human rights movements, recession
Describe their character: Competitive (while graced with blessings and privileges, they’ve had to fight for their spots at school and work due to population of their generation);
Generational Personality: Optimistic (postwar economy gave them a sense anything was possible)
How do you see it in the workplace? (long careers at same company; when going gets tough and rubber hits the road – they understand that “leaders need to lead and troops need to follow”)
Clash point: To get ahead, it would take “change of command” – they had idealism, education, and sheer numbers on their side to change it

22. Tips for Boomers!
Resist rushing and learn to value “people side” of business
Choose face-to-face conversation
Ask for their advice (and take notes to show you are listening)
Offer your support and partner to get job done (don’t wait to be asked)
Put priority on a business atmosphere and relationships formed there
Honor their experiences

23. Gen Xers
Count on technological acuity and business savvy to stay marketable
Extremely resourceful and independent generation
Get in…get the work done…move on to the next thing
Need freedom to act without hindrance
Energies focused on skillful performance, variety and stimulation in the workplace
Resourceful – don’t believe that any person or institution is going to “see them through”
They’ve taught businesses how comfortable it is to dress down and lighten up the job!
Leadership Style: Lead by Competence – when they start working for or with you, YOU must earn their respect, not the other way around.
Have you noticed??? What appears to be your appointment to interview a Gen X applicant turns out to be them interviewing YOU to see if you’re competent enough to work for!

24. Gen X’ers
People: Bill Clinton; Monica Lewinsky; Ayatollah Khomeni, Ted Bundy, Beavis and Butt-head, O.J. Simpson, Madonna
Places: Media expanded places – X’ers could travel more; Soviet Union, Somalia, Chernobyl, Scotland, international space station to internet
Things: Cable TV, satellite, VCRs, video games, fax machines, microwaves, pagers, cell phones, Palm Pilots…
Marked by skepticism – grew up seeing every major American institution called into question; from presidency to military to organized religion to corporate America – you name the institution and Gen Xer’s can name the crime. Add to that a U.S. divorce rate that tripled during birth years of Gen X, and you have a generation that distrusts the permanence of institutional and personal relationships.

25. Tips for Gen X’ers Stop micromanaging them
Initiate work/life balance initiatives
Teach new skills
Mentor them and ask questions. Talk with, not at, them.
When delegating, describe the outcomes (but leave the processes to the Gen Xer)
Provide immediate answers and feedback; they crave stimulation
Need help on something technical? Just ask!!
Value their need to keep learning in order to be marketable.

26. Millennium
They are always on – come of age in an era of instantaneous global communication, media saturation, and material excess.
Grew up in “decade of the child”
Intellectual authority in homes and at work
High-speed stimulus junkies (just enough skepticism – like the xers – to keep them asking healthy questions)
Just enough political savvy (like the Boomers – to know who’s who)
Just enough respect for character development (like Traditionalists – to incorporate the virtue of individual responsibility in their jobs)
Decade of the child – extraordinary research on children’s issues

27. Millennium
People: Prince William, Chelsea Clinton, Kurt Cobain, Barney, Britney, Backstreet Boys, Serena Williams
Places: Virtual and tangible – ranging from chat rooms to Dawson’s Creek, from to Oklahoma City, from cyberspace to outer space
Things:
Access to cell phones, pagers and computers since they were in diapers
Took PC’s for joyrides on information superhighway; through internet they have visited every corner of the globe
Choices – hang out at local mall or virtual mall!
They are realistic – about challenges of life for the modern kid
Never mind the missing child on the milk carton – how about the fear of a missing classmate from the next desk as the result of a gunshot wound?
Directly affected by personal threats stemming from violent outbreaks such as Columbine, readily available illegal drugs, and gangs.
Recent poll – they named personal safety as #1 workplace issue
They feel empowered to take positive action when things go wrong!
Predicted to truly be the next “Greatest Generation”

28. Tips for the “Always On”
Give them your web address; prepare for the improvement plan
Emphasize positives of doing right, rather than negatives of doing wrong
Be positive, simple, rational, factual, friendly
Respond quickly and move fast with this “instant gratification” generation
Mentor them and be realistic
Be prepared to offer VERY flexible scheduling
Remember…100% of Millennial college students have access to Internet. Can they find your Career Opportunities info quickly and send a job app? How fast will you respond? It better be within 1 day to recruit this generation!

29. Meet Edna!
Story from page 15 – tech support in stockings

30. Your Action Plan Sharing Time – who had “ah ha’s??”
What will you change the next time you:
Have a meeting
Need to ask a question
Need to change their direction
Closing – 5 minutes to prepare your action plan; stay tuned for Marc’s secret happy place!
Go back to your timeline and reflect on who that purple dot stands for. Ask for volunteers to share any of their Three Actions for Generational Insights.

31. Work as hard as you have to and get a life Work, but make a difference
View of Work
Boomer
Gen X
Gen Y
Work hard and get ahead
Work as hard as you have to and get a life
Work, but make a difference

32. Work Relationships Boomer Gen X Gen Y
Individual – do your own work, but play by the rules
‘Intrepreneur’
- do what needs to be done in the fastest way
Team player -
where everyone counts

33. I want status or recognition I want meaning and significance
Rewards
Boomer
Gen X
Gen Y
I want status or recognition
I want options
I want meaning and significance
Ta Da!

34. Give it to me by the rules It should always be on the screen
Feedback
Boomer
Gen X
Gen Y
Give it to me by the rules
Just say it, now.
It should always be on the screen

35. Prepare me to leave and I’ll stay
Training
Boomer
Gen X
Gen Y
As a reward
Prepare me to leave and I’ll stay
Duh?!

36. Career
Boomer
Gen X
Gen Y
Enjoyment
Portability
Integration

37. Grow… With Generational “Smarts”
Communicate “Smart”
Sell “Smart”
Market your business “Smart”
Build Relationships...“Smart”

38. Sources
“When Generations Collide” – Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman
Robert Lord, Training and Organizational Development Manager, Travel Guard
“Talking About Our Generations” – A Personal Guide to Mastering Generational Diversity in the Workplace; Express Personnel Services