Managing the Generation Mix in the Workplace

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Managing the Generation Mix in the Workplace

• RoseAnn Webb, MNM, RHIA, LHRM
• Corporate Director, Health Information Mgmt
• Promise Healthcare
• Long Term Acute Care

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Agenda

• Overview of Generations
• The Senior Generation
• Baby Boomers
• Xers
• Yers

Carolyn A. Martin, Ph.D Bruce Tulgan
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A Word on Generational Definitions Second
Edition Update

• Veterans, Mature, or Traditionals born before
  1945. AKA Schwarzkopfer
• Baby Boomers divided into two distinct waves
• The Woodstock Generation, born 1946-1953
• The Young Boomers, born 1954 to 1964
• Xers 1965 to 1977
• Yers 1978 to 1989

Carolyn A. Martin, Ph.D Bruce Tulgan
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2006 Workforce by Generation

• Veterans/Silent 9,750,000 6.5
• Baby Boomers 62,250,000 41.5
• Generation X 44,250,000 29.5
• Generation Y 33,750,000 22.5

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Free Agent

• Jobs may come and jobs may go, but my career
  belongs to me (Xers)
• Temps
• Consultants
• Independent contractors
• Freelancers

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Erik Chester www.generationwhy.com
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Generational Values
Core Values Goals Heroes
Traditionalists Fiscal restraint Work ethic Sacrifice To be respected To be valued Superman Joe DiMaggio Barbara Walters
Boomers Ideals Success Long Hours Lifelong Learning John Glenn Michael Jordan Martin Luther King, Jr.
Xers Entrepreneurship Ambition Self-trust Independence No Rules Someone they seek out
Millennials Technological savvy Eagerness to learn Confidence A chance at heroism To make a difference Danica Patrick Jennifer Hudson Josh Groban
Ties to Tattoos Sherri Elliott
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Veteran/Silent GenerationBorn before 1946

• Gradually exiting the workforce and taking with
  them decades of wisdom, knowledge and expertise.
  
• Researchers predict that two experienced workers
  will leave the workforce for every one
  inexperienced worker who enters.

Carolyn A. Martin, Ph.D Bruce Tulgan
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Veteran/Silent Generation WW II
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Veterans on the Job

• Assets
• Stable
• Detailed oriented
• Thorough
• Loyal
• Hardworking

• Liabilities
• Inept with ambiguity and change
• Reluctant to buck the system
• Uncomfortable with conflict
• Reticent when they disagree

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Schwarzkopfers (before 1946)Management Best
Practices

1. Ask about the work itself.
2. Make it clear no coasting allowed.
3. Address the new standard of customization. Engage
   them in updating SOPs to be used for future
   training.
4. Encourage making the call. (using their own
   judgment)
5. Create knowledge transfer programs.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Veterans/Silents Leadership Style

• Directive
• Command-and-control leadership
• Executive decision making
• Although styles began to change in the 1960s with
  T-groups, theory X theory Y, most of this
  generation did not see the need to change.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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The Veterans - Heroes

• Superman
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• MacArthur, Patton, Montgomery, Halsey, and
  Eisenhower
• Winston Churchill
• Audie Murphy
• Joe Foss
• Babe Ruth
• Joe DiMaggio

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Baby Boomer 1943-1964

• Theyre cool
• Trendsetters
• Marketed by TV
• Started Pre-teen Junior clothing
• 1st teenage group to spend 12 billion of their
  own money on cosmetics, pimple cream and hair
  care products
• Today the boomers still think theyre cool, the
  continuously morphing market everyone wants to
  click with. After all, they are the world they
  are the children. And theyll never, never, grow
  up, grow old, or die.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Baby Boomer 1946-1964

• Viet Nam the primary cause of the generation
  gap between the Veterans and Boomers.
• First Half (1950s) Economic Achievers
• Late Boomers (1960s) Laid Back Cynical
• Boomer Women have had a profound impact on major
  workplace issues over the last 20 years. Lobbing
  for childcare, telecommuting, job sharing, family
  leave and flextime, they fought for the flexible
  staffing arrangements relevant to workers of all
  ages today (Martin).

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Fun with Dick Jane

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Hippies to Yuppie
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Baby BoomersOn the Job

• Assets
• Service oriented
• Driven
• Willing to go the extra mile
• Good at relationship
• Want to please
• Good team player

• Liabilities
• Not naturally budget minded
• Uncomfortable with conflict
• Reluctant to go against peers
• May put process ahead of results
• Overly sensitive to feedback
• Judgmental of those who see things differently
• Self centered

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Boomers Leadership Style

• Collegial
• Consensual
• Sometimes benignly despotic
• Turn the corporate hierarchy upside down
• Passionate and concerned about participation and
  spirit in the workplace
• Civil rights are important and they do take the
  soap box sometimes to get the point across

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Managing the Boomers

1. Honor their historical memory.
2. Give them recognition.
3. Let them try out new ideas.
4. Help bridge the team-individual divide.
5. Coach and challenge.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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The Boomer Perspective

• Boomers find their strengths in the social
  rebellion of the 60s and 70s. We are cool!
  said a 53-year-old municipal supervisor. We
  made the current open society possible.
• We challenged injustices, added a 49-year-old
  medical records keeper. (Martin)

Carolyn A. Martin, Ph.D Bruce Tulgan
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Baby Boomers - Heroes

• Gandhi
• Martin Luther King
• John Jacqueline Kennedy
• John Glenn

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Generation X or Xers 1960 -1980

• They are attracted to the edge
• The job is just a job
• Sense of risk and adventure outside the workplace
• Xers Monday morning coffee chat to include
  matter-of-fact recounting of rock climbing,
  mountain biking, etc.
• After all, the X-Games were named in their honor
  and exemplify their spirit of eccentricity and
  physical derring-do

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Generation X or Xers 1960 -1980

• First Half (60-70)Entered the workforce during
  downsizing, restructuring and offered minimum
  wage when they had college degrees.
• Second Half (70-80) Entered the workforce during
  the labor shortage and they were positioned to
  cash in.
• Labeled as slackers which they dont agree. Work
  is not as important as family, etc.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Generation X
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Xers on the Job

• Assets
• Adaptable
• Techno literate
• Independent
• Unintimidated by authority
• Creative

• Liabilities
• Impatient
• Poor people skills
• Inexperienced
• Cynical
• (Zemke, Raines, Filipczak)

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Gen X Leadership Style

• Skilled at supporting and developing a
  responsive, competent team of people who can
  change direction, or projects, on a dime.
• Worked for Boomers who often did not practice
  what they preached.
• Thrive on change.
• Its a job, just a job.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Managing an Xer

1. Opportunities to amass marketable skills and
   experience.
2. Career development opportunities.
3. Flexible work arrangements.
4. Access to coaching-style managers and wise
   mentors.
5. Access to decision makers.
6. Increasing spheres of responsibility.
7. Compensation commensurate with contribution.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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The Xers Perspective

• Not surprisingly, Gen Xers heartily denounce
  their slacker stereotype. We are not lazy!
  proclaimed a 33-year-old employment director.
  They perceive themselves as hardworking,
  open-minded, and independent. They want to be
  productive, working smarter not harder, and have
  fun in the process.
• Like young Boomers, they value family as much as
  career. A 33-year-old workforce analyst summed
  up a common Xer theme when she said, I value
  time off rather than more pay. I value
  flexibility in my work schedule because my family
  comes first.

Carolyn A. Martin, Ph.D. and Bruce Tulgan
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Gen Xers - Heroes

• None

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Why, Millennium or Nexter1980 - 2000

• Hopeful
• Very ambitious
• Relaxed and polite around authority
• Prefer challenging, meaningful work that really
  impacts their world.
• They want to work with committed coworkers.

Carolyn A. Martin, Ph.D. and Bruce Tulgan
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Millennium Generation

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Yers on the Job

• Assets
• Collective action
• Optimism
• Tenacity
• Heroic spirit
• Multitasking capabilities
• Technological savvy

• Liabilities
• Need for supervision and structure
• Inexperience, particularly with handling
  difficult people

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Managing a Nexter

1. Get to know Yers and their individual
   capabilities.
2. Establish coaching relationships.
3. Treat Yers as colleagues.
4. Be flexible enough to customize schedules and
   assignments.
5. Consistently provide constructive feedback.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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Managing a Yer (continued)

1. Tie rewards and incentives to performance only.
2. Help Yers meet their high expectations of
   coworkers.
3. Help Yers meet their high expectations of
   themselves.

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The Yers Perspective

• Many Yers describe themselves in cryptic terms
  such as Generation X-treme, The
  Cybergeneration, or The Kids Who Think They
  Know Whats Up. Theyre aware of the advantages
  their facility with technology gives them.
• A 21-year-old salesperson in retail brashly
  proclaimed We are cool people who are much
  smarter than our parents will ever be. Sometimes
  we dont use our common sense, but thats okay
  because we are still young.

Carolyn A. Martin, Ph.D. and Bruce Tulgan
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The Yers - Heroes

• Princess Diana
• Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa
• Mother Teresa
• Bill Gates
• Kerri Strugg
• Mia Hamm
• Christopher Reeves

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Managing the Generation Mix

• Requires diplomacy
• Requires understanding the generations and the
  dynamics
• Getting everyone to communicate
• Negotiating difference
• Resolving conflicts
• Suggest ways of working together more effectively

Claire Raines
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Six Principles for Mixing Generations Successfully

1. Initiate conversations about generations
2. Ask people about their needs and preferences
3. Offer options
4. Personalize your style
5. Build on strengths
6. Pursue different perspectives

Claire Raines
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What other generations say about the
Veteran/Silents

• Baby Boomers say
• Theyre dictatorial.
• Theyre rigid. They need to learn flexibility
  and adapt better to change.
• They are inhibited.
• Theyre technological dinosaurs.
• They are narrow,

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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What other generations say about the
Veterans/Silents

• Gen Xers say
• Theyre to set in their ways.
• Jeez, learn how to use your e-mail, man.
• They too shall pass.
• Theyve got all the money.
• Yers say
• They are trustworthy.
• They are good leaders.
• They are brave.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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What other generations say about the Boomers

• Veterans say
• They talk about things they ought to keep
  privatelike the details of their personal
  lives.
• They are self absorbed
• Gen Xers say
• Theyre self-righteous.
• Theyre workaholics
• They are too political
• They do a great job of talking the talk
• Get outta my face.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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What other generations say about the Boomers

• Lighten up its only a job.
• Whats the management fad this week?
• Theyre clueless.
• Yers say
• Theyre cool. Theyre up to date on the music we
  like.
• They work too much.

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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What other generations say about theGen Xers

• Veterans say
• Theyre not educated.
• They dont respect experience.
• They dont follow procedures.
• They dont know what hard work is.
• Boomers say
• Theyre slackers.
• They are rude and lack social skills.
• Theyre always doing things their own way,
  instead of the prescribed way (our way).

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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What other generations say about the Gen Xers

• They spend too much time on the Internet and
  e-mail.
• They wont wait their turn.
• Yers say
• Cheer up

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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What other generations say about the Yers

• Veterans say
• They have good manners.
• Theyre smart little critters.
• They need to toughen up.
• They watch too much TVwith crude language and
  violence.
• Boomers say
• Theyre cute.
• They need more discipline from their parents.
• They cant set the time on the VCR!

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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What other generations say about the Yers

• They need to learn to entertain themselves they
  need too much attention.
• Can they do my web page for me?
• Gen Xers say
• Neo Boomers.
• Here we go againAnother self-absorbed
  generation of spoiled brats.
• What do you mean, Whats an album?

Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
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5 Most Sought After Non-Financial Incentives

• 1. Training in marketable skills.
• Coding webinars
• ICD10
• 2. Control over schedule.
• Flex schedules
• Working remote
• 3. Control over assignments.
• Assigning work types across the department
• Projects that employees select.
• 4. Control over location.
• Decorating workspace
• Changing offices/cubicles
• 5. Choice of coworkers.
• Peer interviewing
• Recognizing when employees work well together.

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Questions
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Resources

• Managing the Generation Mix. (2nd Edition)
  Carolyn A. Martin, Ph. D. and Bruce Tulgan
• Getting Them to Give a Damn. Eric Chester
• Generations at work. Ron Zemke, Claire Raines,
  Bob Filipczak.
• Ties to Tatoos. Sherri Elliott