Generational Differences Lisa Bourget – Marathon Travel

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

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

What’s Your IQ? GQ Self-Assessment

The Players… Traditionalists (born 1900-1945) Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) Generation X (born 1965-1980) Millennial Generation (born 1981-2000)

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!

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”

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

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!!

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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!!

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

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

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.

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

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

Gen Xers 1965-1980 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!

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.

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.

Millennium 1981-2000 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

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 90210 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”

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!

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

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.

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

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

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!

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

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?!

Career Boomer Gen X Gen Y Enjoyment Portability Integration

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

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