Why can’t we all just get along?

Why can’t we all just get along?
Thank you, Name of Person who introduces you). It is truly my pleasure to be here tonight with the Name of Organization As part of Vectren’s HR leadership team, my role was Director of Organizational and Performance Excellence. As part of this role, I was responsible for identifying and executing on strategy that drove excellence throughout our organization in the area of our colleagues. As with your organization, Vectren,recognized that our work force of nearly 2000 had four generations serving at one time. So “Bridging the Generation Gap” can be the glue that unites a workforce for competitive advantage and best-in-class service delivery. I plan to discuss the essential underpinnings of success in working in a fast-changing business and identify some of the expectations of the workforce. Adapted from , Oregon Department of Transportation, ASQ Presentation 5/19/09

Diversity: Bridging the Generational Gap
Why can’t we all just get along? For the first time ever, there are four distinctly different generations in the workplace. Differences in values, attitudes, work ethic, and vocabulary can create at best, misunderstanding, at worst, cultural mayhem. Diversity: Bridging the Generational Gap l Why can’t we all just get along? For the first time ever, there are four distinctly different generations in the workplace. Differences in values, attitudes, work ethic, and vocabulary can create at best, misunderstanding, at worst, cultural mayhem.

You may recognize some of these people in your organization. Loretta-I am not sure you will have speakers available for the audience to hear this, but it would be a great icebreaker.

The Workforce Generations
Gen Y: (15 – 30) Yrs. Gen X: (31 – 45) Yrs. Boomers: (45 – 63) Let’s look at the generations in our workplace. We have the MATURE GENERATION (Traditionalists) from 1925 to 1945. The BABY BOOMERS from 1946 to 1964. GENERATION X is from 1965 to 1980, and GENERATION Y or the Millenials from 1981 to 2000. Now by show of hands, how many people do we have tonight that are in the MATURE GENERATION Traditionalist? The BOOMER GENERATION? GENERATION Xers? GENERATION Ys? It looks like the largest generation represented here tonight is _________________! Yrs. Mature Gen: (64 – 83) Yrs.

Ok, so why is understanding the Generational Gap important, especially with organizations undergoing CHANGE? Ok, so why is understanding the Generational Gap important? Turn to the audience and ask them to respond. Take 2 to 3 inputs only……

Driving Change through the Organization
Insert Picture of Talent Management System How many of your are experiencing some type of change in your workplace today? Raise your hands. As an HR Leader part of my value proposition was DRIVING CHANGE THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION…. through our Integrated Talent Management System. This is not the only new technology we asked our employees to learn and use but also a new process. In a sense many of us have the role of a SYNCHRONIZER, especially where the workforce generations are concerned. You will see later in this presentation, why the integration of more technology may create a greater intensity among the generations. Workforce Generations

Clarity Communication Service Excellence Goals should drive EEO/AA and Valuing Diversity Alignment Commitment Community Workforce generations react to change in many different ways. So here are the four change prisms we will use to examine generational acceptance. As someone who is experiencing change in the workforce, we want CLARITY of the change at hand; we want the change to make since and have an understanding of why we must make the change. And depending on the generational workforce, we must ensure the path forward for change is clear. Second, COMMUNITY is important because in order for organizational change to happen our focus must be across the entire symphony orchestra rather than any one soloist in the organization. So understanding how change affects others is important. Thirdly for COMMITMENT, we do want the workforce committed, but during many change initiatives people simply comply with the change, but are not committed to the change. So we reach this dilemma of COMPLIANCE vs. COMMITMENT. And fourthly, COMMUNICATION is critical in communicating the change and ongoing progress. But the way incoming and outgoing communication is processed can be different according to the generational gaps in the workforce. C H A N G E

t If we can all just get along, then our organizations can realize….
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH INNOVATION ……..all accelerated by COLLABORATION.

Traditionalist (Silent –Mature)
75 million people Oldest Child Dedication /Sacrifice Duty before pleasure Respect & trust for authority Faith in religion & companies Why? Grew up in large families both cities and rural America Took personal responsibility for both work & the workplace So let’s get to know each of the generations. The TRADITIONALIST also known as the SILENT or MATURE generation, number in the range of about 75 million people in the US. They are known for their DEDICATION and SACRIFICE. Duty before pleasure Respect & trust for authority Faith in religion and in their companies AND WHY? Because they grew up in large families both cities and rural America, they took personal responsibility for both work and the workplace. As far as FORMATIVE EVENTS, or events that helped shape them as individuals, They witnessed the attack at PEARL HARBOR. They had strong leaders in Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower. They had a sense of having defended the world by winning WWII. Formative Events The Great Depression Leaders – Roosevelt/Eisenhower Won World War II

Conformers, Discipline
Personal and Lifestyle Characteristics by Generation Traditionalists ( ) Core Values Respect for authority Conformers, Discipline Family Traditional Nuclear Education A dream Communication Media Rotary phones One on one Write a memo Money Finances Put it away Pay cash And so the PERSONAL and LIFESTYLE characteristics vary for this generation. Core Values Respect for authority Conformers, Discipline Family Traditional Nuclear Education A dream, because most did not have a college education Communication Media Rotary phones One on one Write a memo Money Finances Put it away, perhaps on lay-away or you Pay cash, but no loans!

Boomers 1945-1963 80 million people Older Child Why? Formative Events
Outwardly, hard working More serious – live to work More expected of them Why? Grew up in post war America with economy of abundance With their size, they saw the world revolving around them Formative Events Salk vaccine (Polio), civil rights Kennedy elected, assassinated Vietnam War, Woodstock, Hippies woman’s rights 11

Personal and Lifestyle Characteristics by Generation Baby Boomers (1945-63)
Core Values Optimism Involvement Family Nuclear families Disintegrating by 1970’s Education A birthright Communication Media Touch tone phones Call me anytime Money Finances Buy now Pay later The PERSONAL and LIFESTYLE characteristics are in striking contrast for this generation. Core Values Optimism Involvement Family Nuclear families Disintegrating by 1970’s Education As a birthright Communication Media Touch tone phones Call me anytime Money Finances Buy now; Pay later

Gen X 1965-1980 46 million people Middle Child Why? Formative Events
Drive to differentiate selves Want involvement in decisions More independent, resilient Works to live; not live to work! Why? Grew up as a latch key kid Witnessed parents get downsized Numerous environmental factors have negatively influenced Xers, such as over 40 percent are from broken families, with 12 percent of elementary and 30 percent of middle school children growing up as latchkey kids. This is triple the rate of previous decades.[8] 3. During the years 1965 and 1977, the divorce rate doubled. Single parent homes became the norm, with more than 40 percent of today's young adults having spent time in a single-parent home by age 16 Formative Events Watergate scandal Challenger disaster Fall of Berlin Wall 13

A way to get to your dreams!
Personal and Lifestyle Characteristics by Generation Generation X ( ) Core Values Skepticism Fun and Informality Family Latchkey kids Education A way to get to your dreams! Communication Media Cell phones Call me at work Money Finances Cautious and conservative Save, save, save The PERSONAL and LIFESTYLE characteristics are different yet! Core Values Skepticism; Seek Fun and Informality Family Latchkey kids Education Seen as important as a way to get there Communication Media Cell phones Call me at work Money Finances Cautious and conservative Save, save, save

Gen Y (Millenials) 1981-2000 76 million people Youngest Child Why?
Everything is taken care of them by their helicopter parents Technologically savvy More fluid work style Used to having a voice Why? The Empowered generation Brought up in a consumer culture Gen Y is technology driven –This intense focus on technology has created a slew of new products, new advertising streams, new clubs “my space” new market challenges and even a new language… They text their “BFF” even if they are sitting right next to them. Personal COMMUNICATION and expression which was a hallmark of the boomers is now a text message.....However, technology had created efficiencies in communications… they communicate much more often but spend less time personally interacting Formative Events Virginia Tech Shootings Columbine HS massacre Over-scheduled lives 15

Gen Z (iGeneration) 2001 - ???? Youngest Child Why? Formative Events
Lives in the virtual world Limited public speaking skills Poor interpersonal skills Why? Prefer individual work vs. team work“ “Recession Kids” with little family resources Career and formal studies unimportant Shortage of professionals (i.e. doctors, lawyers, and scientists) Formative Events Green ecology movement, save the planet! Government debt may play a part in their future outlook 16

Clarity Communication Service Excellence Goals should drive EEO/AA and Valuing Diversity Alignment Commitment Community Now I would like to share with you some generational insight from a survey conducted on Workforce generations in the areas of: CLARITY of the change at hand COMMUNITY focus across the entire organization COMMITMENT of the workforce for change and COMMUNICATION of the ongoing progress. C H A N G E 17

Driving Change through the Organization:
Okay, so how do generational differences influence the Clarity message? Okay, so how do generational differences influence the Clarity message?

Making the Case for Change
Change Differentiator: Clarity Making the Case for Change CHANGE Leadership Each of us experiencing change where we work, want to have CLARITY of the message. We want to understand the need for change or at least the thought process and we want our leaders to know the right direction to lead us. For us and our organizations to be successful we need to be GOAL ORIENTED. Goal Orientation

Working with Different Generations of Employees
So with this CLARITY of message, let’s watch how the SILENT TRADITIONALIST Generation might typically use as their generational context! In Something to Talk About………………. CLARITY CONTEXT Dedication & sacrifice - For Clarity, need to appeal to dedication for change. Respect for authority Leader should present the change clearly and consistently. Duty before pleasure - Clarity should include a sense of duty and sacrifice Detail oriented -Make sure the expectations and outcome are clear Conformist - Dedication & sacrifice Respect for authority Duty before pleasure Detail oriented Conformist Clarity: Something to Talk About Links! Silent Traditionalist Generation

Change Differentiator: Clarity
This sense of Clarity shows up in Technical Jargon. In this particular survey, respondents were asked, “I am confident that I understand the technical jargon at work? Notice the relatively close percentages for Mature, Babyboomers and Gen X’ers, but it drops off sharply with Generation Y. Now this is quite possibly a factor of how long the staffs have been in the workforce, but again for organizational change to be successful, we must have clarity across the generational gap. Change Differentiator: Clarity ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

Change Differentiator: Clarity
There is a clear distinction in how Gen Y responded to this question. Change Differentiator: Clarity ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

How do generational differences influence the message of Community?
Driving Change through the Organization: How do generational differences influence the message of Community? How do generational differences influence the message of Community? ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

Stakeholder Inclusion
Change Differentiator : Community Change Advocacy CHANGE Engaged Opinions As change agents, we are playing to the full orchestra of the organization and not only to solely to the soloists across the generations. To be successful in change, we must foster a culture of CHANGE ADVOCACY. We must ENGAGE OPINIONS of those we seek to make the change. And we must instill a sense of STAKEHOLDER INCLUSION, not exclusion. Stakeholder Inclusion

Baby Boomers. We know this is the generation of HIGH EXPECTATIONS, so let’s make sure to ignite the fire of the expected change. They are the HARD WORKING generation, so make them change advocates by placing them in positions of responsibility. And, because of their OPTIMISM, they will tend toward seeing the glass is half full rather than half empty. X Generation Loyalty factor Work Life Balance Moving up Incentives Partnering Y Generation Communications IT Expectations Pervasive IT Social Stigmas Open vs. Privacy High expectations Hard working Personal gratification Health & wellness Optimism Baby Boomers

Change Differentiator: Community
For COMMUNITY, respondents were asked to react to “The GENERATION GAP HAS A NEGATIVE EFFECT AT MY WORK.” The Boomers were more in alignment with a response of the generation gap NOT having much of an effect on my work. Which tends to make you think they see less of a generation gap than do say the Generation Y group. Change Differentiator: Community ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

For COMMUNITY, respondents were asked “I PREFER WORKING INDIVIDUALLY TO WORKING IN A TEAM.” - The Boomers were the outliners with a norm of only 27% preferring to work individually. Which means that 73% preferred a team work community environment on the job. Change Differentiator: Community

And feeling RESPECTED BY THEIR BOSS, the Boomers came in at the highest percentage of 72% in this survey, which might translate to being on the same page when it comes to driving change through the organizational hierarchy. Change Differentiator: Community ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

Driving Change through the Organization:
Okay, so how does generational Commitment affect organizations in change? Okay, so how does generational Commitment affect organizations in change? Take 2 or 3 statements from the audience…… ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

Differentiating: Commitment Levers
Commitment vs. Compliance CHANGE Beliefs, Philosophies & Values The three ways we can differentiate COMMITMENT with organizations undergoing CHANGE is by Commitment vs. Compliance. Are staff committed to the change or are they merely going through the motions to comply with change? Beliefs, Philosophies and Values. All of which are very personalized and formed by personal, intrinsic baggage. Inclination for Staff to try and Protect themselves from the change. Inclination for Protection

So with the COMMITTMENT message of change, let’s learn about the X-GENERATION’s generational context! In Something to Talk About………………. COMMITTMENT CONTEXT Loyalty factor - The GEN Xer’s are loyal, so they might be loyal to the cause, especially if they think the change is for a worthy cause. Work Life Balance - Don’t ask the Gen Xer’s to stay over hours or do work on the weekends. To do so, disrupts their one of their cherished values, that of the family. Remember, the Boomer mom and dad’s didn’t raise this group. The Xer’s raised themselves because mon and dad where out working hard and coming home late. These are the latch key kids who now want time for their families. Moving up Incentives - The Xer’s like incentives; so figure out a way to provide incentives to get their attention. Partnering X Generation Loyalty factor Work Life Balance Moving up Incentives Partnering Y Generation Communications IT Expectations Pervasive IT Social Stigmas Open vs. Privacy High expectations Hard working Personal gratification Health & wellness Optimism Baby Boomers

Change Differentiator: Commitment
The Gen X when face with the statement, “I FEEL VERY MOTIVATED TO SEE MY ORGANIZATION SUCCEED.” In this survey, they were at 72%, but still less than the Boomers and even more so than the Traditionalist. Change Differentiator: Commitment ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

Change Differentiator: Commitment
When faced with “I FOCUS ON THE WORK PRODUCT RATHER THAN ON WHERE AND WHEN THE WORK IS PERFORMED”, The GEN Xer’s had the highest showing at 77% which can translate into commitment for the work product. Change Differentiator: Commitment ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

Commitment Survey Levers
ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey Commitment vs. Compliance: The general perception is that Generation Y wants a flexible schedule, and is reluctant to sit in an office all day. But the data shows the opposite! Generation X and Baby Boomer groups are more likely to focus on the work product independent of when and where the work is performed. The survey supports that older generations are more committed and feel stronger about their organization’s reputation and success. Generation X and Y seem less engaged with their organizations. For Commitment survey levers…… Commitment vs. Compliance: The general perception is that Generation Y wants a flexible schedule, and is reluctant to sit in an office all day. But the data shows the opposite! Generation X and Baby Boomer groups are more likely to focus on the work product independent of when and where the work is performed. The survey supports that older generations are more committed and feel stronger about their organization’s reputation and success. Generation X and Y seem less engaged with their organizations.

Commitment Survey Levers
ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey Beliefs, Philosophies & Values: Generation X and Y care most about the work environment, salary and work / life balance plus career opportunities. Mature and Baby Boomers care about the benefits package, work / life balance, salary and where they live and work. In a tight job market, younger generations have become risk adverse. Only 21% of Generation Y are willing to take more risks for higher rewards. More than half of the people from each age group are willing to work in teams. However, the Baby Boomers (90%) and Mature generation (91%) are the most likely to collaborate in multi-generational groups. Generation Y are good team players, but compared with other generations, they are less willing to work with people of different generations.

Inclination for Protection
Commitment Survey Levers ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey Inclination for Protection Mature generation seems least willing to accept organizational changes. Only 36% of people from this group believe people who challenge the status quo should be rewarded.

What’s the affect of Communication and generational differences?
Driving Change through the Organization: What’s the affect of Communication and generational differences?

Multi-level Communication
Change Differentiator : Communication Constructive Support CHANGE Comfort Level The three ways we can differentiate COMMUNICATION with organizations undergoing CHANGE is by Constructive Support. Our end game is that we want all the generations to have constructive support for our change initiatives and not sabotage the change efforts, either aggressively or passively. Comfort Level. As change agents we want our staff to reach a certain comfort level with constructive change even though we realize people’s natural inclination is to ask what’s in it for them. Multi-level Communication. To be most effective change agents, we must be affective in multi-level or multi-layers of communicating the change. With multiple generations in the workplace, we need to find that medium that works best for the individuals. Multi-level Communication

So with the COMMUNICATION message of change, let’s learn from the Y-GENERATION’s generational context! In Something to Talk About Links!………………. COMMUNICATION CONTEXT Communications – Gen Y communicate better with Boomers than they do with their older Gen Xer’s. Boomers paid more attention to the Gen Y’s because they had more time to raise them after the Boomers ascended their careers. The parents often doted over the Gen Y’s in school, in after school activities and communication was much better. For change, try teaming or mentoring a Boomer to a Gen Y, not a Gen X who they see as less communicative. IT Expectations & Pervasive IT. Gen Y’s are all about the technologies of the cell phone, Internet Messaging and . This technology is EXPECTED, but more than that, they use technology in ASYNCRONIST ways. Even watching Tivo allows the Gen Y’s to see the same TV shows, but not at the same time. The workplace could become more competitive in adopting some of these asynchronous changes. It makes sense! Not the Boss of Me. Gen Y’s sense of permanence waned during their formative events of the Oklahoma City bombings, Columbine, and 9/11. So they are very much wanting to live life in the current immediacy and so they don’t necessarily want one job to define them for life. Because they see themselves wanting to do so many things and have so many accomplishments. Open vs. Privacy. X Generation Partnering Work Life Balance Moving up Incentives Loyalty factor Y Generation Communications IT Expectations & Pervasive IT Not the Boss of me Open vs. Privacy High expectations Hard working Personal gratification Health & wellness Optimism Baby Boomers

Change Differentiator: Communication
When faced with the statement, “I receive useful and constructive support from my co-workers”, Gen Y’s score the lowest at 55%. This may be indicative of less communication going on with the older generations. Gen Y’s want to work hard when they work, but they definitely love a work / life balance and want to be off work, even without pay, when they can. Gen Y’s believe they can do a job even if they have not done it before, so they have lots of confidence. Yet because they are technology savvy with peer-to-peer communications, they find happiness when they are communicating peer-to-peer, such as Internet Messaging (IM). For changing the organization, find a way to harness this communication style for the betterment of our organization. Change Differentiator: Communication ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

Change Differentiator: Communication
When faced with “I feel comfortable working with people of other generations at my work”, Gen Y’s had the widest gap at 51%. It is the lowest of their older generations. Any change message communication will struggle, especially if they are not comfortable with the other workplace generations. Try teaming them with Boomers, who they have an affinity for. Change Differentiator: Communication ODOT 2009 GenGap Survey

Generations at Work The events and conditions each of us experience during our formative years help define who we are and how we view the world. The generation we grow up in is just one of the influences on adult behavior.

Generational Work Performance Expectations
Every employee should be held to the same standard. No adaptation should be made that compromises the integrity of the job or diminishes the effectiveness of your department to carry out its mission. All employees should comply with policies and procedures set forth by their department and organization

Appreciating Many Aspects of Diversity
Generational differences may influence behavior, however this does not mean that generational differences determine adult interactions. There are a host of other variables which come into play that impact behavior and outcomes. Generational differences represent only one of these factors.

Generational Interaction: An Example
Traditionalists and Boomers may have a tendency not to question or challenge authority or the status quo. This may cause confusion and resentment among the Xers and Millenials who have been taught to speak up. A lack of understanding can have detrimental effects on communication and working relationships and undermine services.

Generational Interaction: An Example
Xers and Millenials who have had different life experiences and communicate with people differently, may fail to actively listen to Boomers and Traditionalists thereby missing valuable information and guidance.

When Generations Fail To Communicate
May impact turnover rates May impact tangible costs (i.e. recruitment, hiring, training, retention) May impact intangible costs (i.e. morale) May impact grievances and complaints May impact perceptions of fairness & equity

A Different Kind of Diversity
Each generation has a distinct set of Values Attitudes Behaviors Habits Motivational buttons Each generational era profoundly influences: Communication styles Viewpoints on how to approach work Contributions in team settings

Valuing Differences Information flows in all directions in a
learning organization. The most successful leaders find a way to let every generation be heard. They recognize that no one has all the answers. This appreciation of diversity allows each group to contribute and be a part of the growth of a department or organization.

Prepare for Learning Open the lines of communication and resist the urge to judge people on age

Conflict Styles Managing “generational diversity” is only partly about knowledge It is mostly about communication! In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles and positions.

Potential Hot Buttons

What is lacking for people?

How do we make a difference?
Allow choices Openly explore ideas Raise others’ awareness of generational diversity Choose language that recognizes unique perpectives Balance between Traditional procedures Supporting flexibility and creativity What generation do you generally consider yourself to be a member of? What do you like about your generation? What do you wish other generations knew or understood about your generation? Do you feel all your work-related talents and skills are used on the job? What challenges do you face at work that may have to do with your generation? So what is needed? Responding to generational differences and conflicts requires the same skills needed to deal with diversity issues: Awareness Communication Ability to manage conflict productively

YES! Can it really work? Four Generations One Workplace
The First Time Ever! YES!

“Bridging the Generation Gap”
Why can’t we all just get along? 58

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