For the Generations

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For the Generations Pamela Cox-Otto, Ph.D.
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What Why it Matters
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The Generations
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Why Its Important

• 4 Generations are working side by side
• We recruit, serve and depend on multiple
  generations
• Different values, experiences, styles, and
  attitudes create
• Misunderstandings
• Frustrations

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Critical Issues
First Time Three Generations are Managers in the
Workplace
First Time Four Generations Are in the Workplace
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Personal Effects
Frustration
Anger
Fighting
Sense of Failure
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Outreach Effects
Colleges Market to Boomers when their Audiences
are X and Yers
Boomers Market their Values
Disconnect with Both X and Y
Tend to do better with Y than X
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Organizational Effects
Increasing Turnover
Increasing Complaints
Dysfunctional Teams
Functional Disconnects
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Teaching Effects
Disconnect Between what you Love and What
Students Love
Difficult getting them to embrace the Our Tools
(which are the correct tools)
Frustration with Students preparation
Frustration with Students Values
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Whos Who
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Boomers
Ages 41 - 60
Senior Management
Senior Faculty Staff
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Influential People
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What Shaped Them
Vietnam War
Civil Rights Movement
Television
My World is Not Safe
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Their Approach
Compete and Stand Out
Question Authority
Make a Difference
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Management Style
Pushing, Always Pushing
What Does it Take to Succeed?
Lead, Follow, or Get out of the Way
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Teaching Style
Anyone Can Succeed if the Try.
This stuff REALLLLLLY Matters!
Buckle Down.
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Gen X
Ages 26 -41
Middle Management
Junior and Senior Faculty Staff
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Influential People/Events
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What Shaped Them
Chernobyl
Lockerby
Cable, Digital, Fax, Pagers, Palm Pilots
My Family is Not Safe
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Their Approach
Take Care of 1
Watch Which Way the Wind Blows
Be Ready to Move On
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Management Style
I Handle it. You Handle It
What Does it Take to Be Left Alone?
Paperwork sks! Just do the Job.
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Teaching Style
Get it or Dont. Your Choice.
Ill Give you the Stuff. Id learn it if I were
you.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was a latchkey kid too. Get
Over it.
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Gen Y/ Millennials
Ages 3 - 26
New Kids on the Block -)
Entry Level Staff
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Influential People/Events
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What Is Shaping Them
Columbine
9/11
The Internet
I am not Safe
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Their Approach
Stick Together
Talk it Over
Share
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Management Style
Collaborate
What Does it Take to Make It Work?
You help me. Ill help You.
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Teaching Style
Study Groups
Cohorts
We can teach each other.
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Comparison Experience
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What They Respond To
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Iconic Sayings

• Traditional - Do whats Right

• Boomer - I Made a Difference

• Xer - Show Me the Money
• So Not Worth It

• Yer - Been There. Done That.
• Got the T-Shirt

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Context of Differences
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Teaching, Working with and Managing the
Generations
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Generations Jobs
Baby Boomers Get Ahead
Gen X Be Prepared to Bail
Millennial Build Parallel Careers
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The On Campus Problem
Traditionalists Boomers Think they Rule the
World
Boomers Know Everyone Does Not think like them..
But Believes they will WHEN THEY GROW UP
Boomers Think All Messages Should Speak To Them
So Do Gen Xers
Yers are Baby Huey
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Market, Manage or Teach
There are Critical Dos and Donts
Violate them and you make the generation cranky
Uphold them and they might actually listen
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Boomers What Not To Do In Front of Them
Shortcut Ritual
Wait Patiently for Your Turn
Dont Give them the Big Picture
Imply they arent Different (Unique)
Not Offer to Help
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Gen X What Not To Do In Front of Them
Misuse Authority
Micromanage
Waste Time (In general and in F2F)
Be Inflexible
Reject Change
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Gen Y What Not To Do In Front of Them
Be Close-Minded
Not Delegate
Not Show Them How (Train Them)
Imply they are Kids
Be Slow in Responding to Questions
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THE CHALLENGE
Boomers - Time to Bend, Time to Listen
Gen X - The Rule of 40, Dig in and stop looking
looking over your shoulder
Gen Y - Be Gentle with All of Us.
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THE OPPORTUNITY
Get Over Cynicism
Get Over our Judgmental
Get On With The Good Stuff.
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For The Generations Pamela Cox-Otto, Ph.D.
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References
GREAT BOOKS Managing Generation Y, Carolyn A.
Martin, Ph.D. and Bruce Tulgan Managing
Generation X, Bruce Tulgan Chips Pop
Decoding the Nexus Generation, Robert Barnard,
Dave Cosgrove and Jennifer Welsh Millennials
Rising, Neil Howe and William Strauss When
Generations Collide, Lancaster Stillman The
Rise of the Creative Class And How Its
Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and
Everyday Life, Richard Florida Generations At
Work, Zemke, Raines, Filipczak