Managing Generational Differences February 6, 2015 National Conference of Bar Foundations

Goal To Uncover the: ◦ Events ◦ Conditions ◦ Values ◦ Behaviors That make each generation Unique!

Framing The Generations

Jot Down Your Thoughts-- How does your organization break down by generation? A generation gap you experienced at work Where your team experiences gaps Advantages of your generation mix

For the first time in US History there are Four Generations in the Workplace

TRADITIONALISTS Influences  The Great Depression  The New Deal  World War II  The G.I. Bill  The Cold War  The Atom Bomb People in the News  Frank Sinatra  Ella Fitzgerald  FDR  Jackie Robinson  Henry Ford  John Wayne  Joe DiMaggio

TRADITIONALISTS Traits  Loyal/Civic Minded  Patriotic  Hard working  Fiscally conservative  Faith in Institutions  Work for same employer  Make do or do without  Practical  Respect Authority Growing Up  Disciplined  Conformers  Personal sacrifice  Children should be seen and not heard

babyboomers Influences  Booming birthrate  Economic prosperity  Vietnam  Watergate  Assassinations  Civil rights movement  Women’s movement  Sex, drugs, rock & rol l People in the News  John F. Kennedy  Martin Luther King, Jr.  Rosa Parks  The Jackson Five  Elvis  The Beatles  Neil Armstrong

babyboomers Traits  Confident  Independent  Self-reliant  Competitive  Questioners of authority  Idealistic Growing Up  Stay-at-home moms  Suburbs  TV  Play well with others

babyboomers Traits  Optimistic  Desire to stand out from the crowd  Cool  Work-centric  Relish long work hours  Defined by Professional Accomplishments

GENERATION X Influences  Divorce  Lay-offs  AIDS  Personal computer  MTV & Cable TV  The Challenger  Missing children on milk cartons  24 hour media People in the News  Bill Clinton  Bill Gates  Michael Jordan  Nelson Mandela

GENERATION X Traits  Independent  Resourceful  Entrepreneurial  Adaptive to change  Skeptical  Work/life balance  Self-reliance Growing Up  Working Moms  Latchkey kids  Divorce  Microwave  Videogames  MADD

Influences  Fall of the Berlin Wall  Events of September 11 th  Connected 24/7  iPod, iPad, Smart Phones  Violence Close to home  Drugs and gangs  Hurricane Katrina  Virginia Tech Shooting People in the News  President Barak Obama  Backstreet Boys  Oprah Winfrey  Britney Spears  Mia Hamm  Serena & Venus Williams  Mother Teresa

Traits  Globally concerned  Diverse/Inclusive  Cyber literate  Media savvy  Realistic  The group is the key  Confidence  Entitled  Most educated Growing Up  “You are special”  Helicopter parents – (Boomer parenting)  “Black Hawks!” (Gen X parenting)  Involved dads  Packed schedules

The M-Factor  Parenting  Entitlement  Meaning  Great Expectations  The Need for Speed  Social Networking  Collaboration Works Cited Lynne C. Lancaster, D. S. (2010). The M-factor: how the millennial generation is rocking the workplace. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Cuspers play important roles …  Mediating  Translating  Explaining  Coordinating  Resolving conflicts

GENERATIONAL UPDATE! Breaking News: Five Generations in the Workplace  1900 – 1945  1946 – 1964  1965 – 1976  1977 – 1989 

Their Impact They will make up 50% of employees & customers in a few years They will bring their gifts to the workplace ◦ Youth ◦ Collaboration ◦ Energy They are change agents!

What’s An Employer To Do? Focus on:  Attracting  Mentoring  Training  Retaining If Not, Employers Face:  The Turnover Titanic  Knowledge Drain to Death  Leadership Desert They will either TRANSFORM an organization or watch it CLOSE!

Generations in the Workplace

2015 Projected International Workforce

An issue around which the generations are likely to/will collide An issue around which the generations are likely to/will

Many issues can be affected by generational diversity…  Turnover  Recruitment  Morale  Team building  Communication  Customer service  Culture change  Diversity  Rewards  Feedback  Employer of choice  Organizational objectives

 Communications  Feedback  Rewards  Balance

Communication “Write me a letter” “Lets have a meeting” “Send me an ” “txtme”

Feedback No News is Good News Once a year review with documentation Instant, immediate feedback Individualized feedback at the push of a button!

Rewards Satisfaction of a job well done Money, title, recognition, the corner office Freedom is the ultimate reward Work that has meaning for me!

Balance Support me in shifting the balance Help me balance everyone else & find meaning myself Balance now, not at 65! Flexibility so I can balance all my activities

Each generation brings its own set of values, beliefs, life experiences, attitudes and gifts to the workplace Generational Personalities are shaped by Events & Conditions experienced through our formative years-

Managing the Generations It’s A Bottom-line Issue! Thank you

Resources When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. Lynne C, Lancaster and David Stillman The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman Stauffer, David. “Motivating Across Generations.” Harvard Management Update March 2003 Hammill, Greg. “Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees. “Winter/Spring g