1. Thriving at Any Age in the Workplace Mary-Alice Ozechoski, Vice President of Student Affairs Lauren Condon, Assistant Director of Student Activities Fae Dietz, Events Coordinator

2. Positional Leadership vs. Influential Leadership

3. Positional LeadershipInfluential Leadership Managing from a positional place Uses position to prove that they are a leader Job title- people follow because they have to “I’m the Boss” Getting your hands dirty Respected by employees Meeting people where they are at “I’m a Leader” “Would an employee or my team take my advice if I wasn’t in this position?

4. Generational Differecnes Consists of approximately a 20-year span Has a unique set of values Reacts to the generation before them Looks at their generation as the standard of comparison Looks at the next generation skeptically – “These kids today…” Those born on the “cusp” may have a blended set of characteristics

5. Veterans (Silent generation or greatest generation) 1925-1942 (Adaptive) Overall goal is to work with the system, not to change it! Perceive the world as being “safe” Core Values: Dedication Hard work Conformity Law and order Patience Children seen and not heard Performance based on individual ability Respected their elders

6. Veterans in the Workplace Loyal to employer (company worker) & expect the same in return Believe they should be rewarded for their work Work ethic = efficiency and hard work Stable, thorough, and detail-oriented Don’t buck the system but work within it Uncomfortable with conflict and disagreements Not change-oriented

7. Baby Boomers 1943-1964 (Idealist) Families moved around; first generation to live miles away from family Family size smaller (2-3 children) Moms stayed at home Divorce very low (9%) Perception of the world as “safe” Optimistic, team-oriented, values health and wellness, personal growth, youth, work and involvement Generation gap between them and their parents Were not friendly toward authority figures “Why be normal?” and “Question authority!”

8. Baby Boomers in the Workplace Always want to share personal experience: “What has happened to me is relevant to you” Value stability and respect Tend to be “workaholics” Are competitive See themselves as the standard of comparison Appreciate technology Like to see their successes Wants recognition for how well they have done Needs silence to concentrate

9. Generation X 1965-1982 (Lost Generation, Nomadic Generation) Half the size of the Baby Boomers Divorce reached an all- time high Single-parent families become the norm Latch-key kids were a major issue of the time Families spread out (miles apart) Perception of the world as “unsafe” Could only count on themselves. As a result, they are very “me” oriented. They are not active voters, nor are they deeply involved in politics in general Learned to rely on self (don’t like group work) Distrust authority Want feedback on progress Want to do things their way

10. Generation X in the Workplace Cynical and pessimistic Want work-life balance Think globally and seek independence Like technology and want an informal work environment Productivity is important Don’t want the boomers’ work ethic Communication is important and talk to adults as friends/peers (not impressed with authority) Believe reward should be based on productivity not hours worked Want control of self, time, and future Loyalty to people, not a company

11. The Millennials 1982-2002 The Millennials are almost as large as the baby boomers – some say larger – depending on how you measure them (approximately 81 million) 35% are non-white 1 in 5 has at least one parent who is an immigrant Grew up during a monumental financial boom Been plugged in since they were babies Expect technology to be free Think it is “cool” to be smart Have had cell phones since they were children Are as interested in where they live as what they do so cities are working to attract them Aren’t afraid of adults and consider themselves equal

12. The Millennials in the Workplace Always looking for better, faster ways of doing things Likes small and fast processing technology – best when networked Wants instant gratification and frequent rewards Productivity is key Group think and interaction Wants mentoring Expect feedback and praise Expect to have four or more jobs in their lifetime Won’t hesitate to state their position and attempt to negotiate Will mistake silence for disapproval

13. Generation Z Late 1990’s-Present Overlap Millennial Generation Highly Connected…never known life without the internet Digital natives “Plurals”—most diverse of any other generation Exhibit positive feelings about the increasing ethnic identify in the US Sometimes called the New Silent Generation…being born into a crisis (climate change, financial issues, etc.)

14. Communication The Millennials through Generation Z prefer quick communication. Veterans Baby Boomers Generation X The Millennials