AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER SOCIETY

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AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER SOCIETY

• SEMINAR
• 03 MAY 07

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Managing Upwards- Advice to Gen X and Gen Y
ForDealing More Effectively with Work
Situations.

• Presentation
• by
• Professor Michael Hough

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AIMS

• TO REVIEW MAIN FEATURES OF GENERATIONAL
  DIFFERENCES
• TO SUGGEST WAYS THAT YOUNG ACS MEMBERS MIGHT
  IMPROVE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
  WITH OLDER AND MORE SENIOR STAFF

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SOME ADVICE ON CLOSING THE GAP(S)

• REFS-
• MARK McCRINDLE
• (AUSTRALIAN LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION)
• mark_at_markmccrindle.com
• HUGH MACKAY
• PAUL SHEEHAN
• PETER ELLYARD

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COMPOSITION OF GENERATIONS OF AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY

• BEFORE 1925 - SENIORS
• 1926-1945- BUILDERS
• 1946-1964- BOOMERS
• 1965-1981- GENERATION X
• 1982-2000- GENERATION Y
• 2001- ? - GENERATION Z

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GENERATIONAL DESCRIPTORS
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GENERATIONAL EXPERIENCES-1
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GENERATIONAL EXPERIENCES-1A
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GENERATIONAL EXPERIENCES-1B
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NEW TRENDS

• UP AGERS AND DOWN- AGERS
• (Young Taking On Older Type Influence And Older
  Behaving Younger (Eg 60 Is The New 50)
• SAFETY NET SYNDROME
• (Dont Have To Plan / Accept Responsibility-I Can
  Go Home / It Will Work Out Somehow)
• TRYING IT Not PLANNING IT

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NEW CHARACTERISTICS

• Post Modern Generations-X And Y (raised In Post
  Industrial World)
• Post Literate (Respond To Pictures / Symbols/
  Metaphors / Testimonials)
• Post Partitioned Lives (Do Not Organise Their
  Lives In Partitions-their Life Is- Mosaic/ Multi
  Tasking/ Multi Influence/Multi Experience-the DVD
  Generation)

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WHAT DO YOUNGER GENERATIONS VALUE?

• Relations And Connections
• Intensely E-tribal
• Personal Power
• In Control Of Their Entertainment / Lives
• Trusted Guidance
• Will Accept Guidance After They Trust You (
  Boomers Were Not Like This and Your Boss is
  Likely to be a Boomer!)

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WHAT ARE THEIR ATTITUDES?

• COMMUNITY DRIVEN GENERATION
• E-community Of Their Friends
• PRAGMATISM-
• Realistic Rather Than Idealistic
• Preference For RELATIVE TRUTH AND VIRTUAL REALITY

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ENGAGING GEN X AND GEN Y

• Reaching Gen Y Combination Of-
• Relational Authority (Power Through Group
  Process)
• Radical Behaviour ( Engage With Anecdotes /
  Humour / Props)
• Relevant Communication

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Use Of Sources For News Carnegie
Corporation of New York437 Madison AvenueNYC NY
10022 2005
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Frequency Of Using Sources

• Life-stage
• Transitionals use local news less than average
  and late-night talk shows more than average
• Permanents use non-news cable channels less than
  average

• Internet Use
• Heavy users of the Internet use cable general
  news programs, cable news talk, and non-news
  cable channels more than average
• Broadband users use local news less than average

• Age
• 18-24 year olds use non-news cable channels, and
  newspapers more than average
• Use by 25-34 year olds does not significantly
  differ from the average

Transistionals18-24 years old, work part-time
or not employed, or is a student, no
children Permanents25-34 years old, works
full-time, must not be a homemaker, a student,
retired, or unemployed
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NEW PRIORITIES AT WORK FOR GENS X AND Y
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Clashes in Management Styles
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NEW Leadership
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Challenges of Having Older Managers

• Managers are probably Boomers or Builders
• Are NOT Digital Natives
• Have Grown Up with Self Centredness or
  Expected Seniority Based Respect
• Expect Long Term Commitment to organization and
  Deference to a senior position holder
• Tend to micro manage rather than adopt flexible
  outcomes based management
• If You Dont Know What To Do, You Do What You
  Know How To do

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DESIRABLE DESTINATIONS-

• WHAT DO EMPLOYERS SAY THEY WANT?

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BOSSES SAY THEY ARE SEEKING-

• Character (Core Requirement)
• Honesty , Values , Integrity , Work Ethic
• Chemistry/ Co-operation
• Ability To Work With Others
• Be A Team Player
• Competence
• Can Do The Range Of Required Tasks

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New Futures- Emerging Trends

• FAST- Quick Change Is The Norm
• URBAN- Focus Of New Growth
• TRIBAL- Re-emergence of Tribal Interests
• UNIVERSAL- Fashions/Entertainment/Communication
• RADICAL- New Ways Of Thinking And Behaving
• ETHICAL- Growing Rise In Standards

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Some Stereotypes

• Our Senior Managers are out of touch and dont
  understand how I see things
• Our Younger Staff members are not interested in
  the welfare of the Company and just want what
  they can get out of it
• I just cant seem to get through to them
• ICT Professionals are never concerned with
  organizational outcomes, budget or deadlines they
  just want to buy and play with an endless series
  of new gadgets and novelties

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FOR DISCUSSION

• WHAT DO THESE IDEAS MEAN-
• For Our Organizational Practices Overall?
• For Working With Our Peers?
• For Working With Younger Staff?
• For Working With Our Clients?
• For Keeping Our Senior Staff On Side?

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PLEASE

• Discuss The Possibilities Suggested In The
  Handout Materials
• Select Some Realistic Action Possibilities And
  Put Them In The Summary / Action Page
• Be Ready To Share Them Please

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THANK YOU
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