The Generation Gap

Today’s Workforce

Today’s WorkforceTraditionalists (1922 - 1945)

✤ Aliases: Veterans, Silent Generation, Greatest Generation✤ Lived through WWII and were taught core values, respect for authority✤ Traditionalists enjoy sharing their knowledge and history✤ High value on loyalty and hard work✤ Want to provide more opportunity to their children than they had

Today’s WorkforceTraditionalists (1922 - 1945)

✤ Aliases: Veterans, Silent Generation, Greatest Generation✤ Lived through WWII and were taught core values, respect for authority✤ Traditionalists enjoy sharing their knowledge and history✤ High value on loyalty and hard work✤ Want to provide more opportunity to their children than they had

Baby Boomers (1946 - 1964)

✤ The most educated generation in history

✤ Making sacrifices to get ahead✤ Take on big projects, want to make an impact✤ Loyal to colleagues and employers✤ Prefer face-to-face communication

Today’s WorkforceGeneration X (1965 - 1980)

✤ Aliases: Gen X, Xers✤ Latchkey generation, watched their parents forge a new

work environment✤ First generation to grow up with computer technology✤ Care more about productivity than hours put into the

position✤ Good balance in work and family✤ Requires minimal supervision

Today’s WorkforceGeneration X (1965 - 1980)

✤ Aliases: Gen X, Xers✤ Latchkey generation, watched their parents forge a new

work environment✤ First generation to grow up with computer technology✤ Care more about productivity than hours put into the

position✤ Good balance in work and family✤ Requires minimal supervision

Generation Y (1981 - 2000)

✤ Aliases: Gen Y, Millennial, Echo Boomer✤ Continually connected, speak their own language✤ Skeptical of authority, influenced by peers✤ Seek recognition and fame, enjoy off humor and absurdity✤ Skim information and text quickly✤ Easily bored, expressive and digitally creative

Perspective

Perspective

Approach

Approach

Facebook Emailing Texting Twitter Mobile

Vs.

Faxing Memo Telephone Office Meeting

Facebook & Twitter

Workplace Behavior

Workplace BehaviorTraditionalists (Age 65 - 88)

✤ Seniority and age correlate✤ Climb the ladder by hard work and perseverance✤ Understand value and money (conservative)

✤ Not uncommon to have only one or two positions throughout their career

✤ Respects authority

Workplace BehaviorTraditionalists (Age 65 - 88)

✤ Seniority and age correlate✤ Climb the ladder by hard work and perseverance✤ Understand value and money (conservative)

✤ Not uncommon to have only one or two positions throughout their career

✤ Respects authority

Baby Boomers (Age 46 - 64)

✤ Team Oriented✤ Interested in health and wellness✤ Always learning, and always loyal✤ Workaholics✤ Espouse value of ‘inclusive’ relationships

Workplace Behavior

Workplace BehaviorGeneration X (Age 30 - 45)

✤ Change Agents✤ Prefer flexible work hours and informal work environment✤ Started 80% of new businesses in the last 3 years✤ Easy to recruit, hard to retain✤ High value on ‘having fun’ at work✤ Require minimal supervision

Workplace BehaviorGeneration X (Age 30 - 45)

✤ Change Agents✤ Prefer flexible work hours and informal work environment✤ Started 80% of new businesses in the last 3 years✤ Easy to recruit, hard to retain✤ High value on ‘having fun’ at work✤ Require minimal supervision

Generation Y (Age 10 - 29)

✤ Goal setting is a priority✤ Can-do attitude of traditionalist✤ Teamwork attitude of Boomers✤ Technological savvy of X’ers✤ Think DIFFERENTLY than any other member of the

workforce

Generational Motivators

Generational MotivatorsTraditionalist Motivators✤ Loyalty is valued and rewarded✤ Plaque for the wall✤ Formal meetings or lunches✤ Letting them know that their experience is appreciated and

respected

Generational MotivatorsTraditionalist Motivators✤ Loyalty is valued and rewarded✤ Plaque for the wall✤ Formal meetings or lunches✤ Letting them know that their experience is appreciated and

respected

Baby Boomer Motivators✤ Expand public profile (feature in company newsletter or on

website)

✤ Make clear the objectives and desired results✤ Make sure the steps toward the defined goals are very visible

Generational Motivators

Generational MotivatorsGeneration X Motivators✤ Regular, honest feedback and mentoring✤ Informal recognition (a day off)

✤ Effective leadership✤ Let them set priorities on tasks

Generational MotivatorsGeneration X Motivators✤ Regular, honest feedback and mentoring✤ Informal recognition (a day off)

✤ Effective leadership✤ Let them set priorities on tasks

Generation Y Motivators✤ Provide opportunities for continuous training

✤ Explain how your goals for them fit into the “big picture” ✤ Use email and ad hoc hall conversations for alternative

communication✤ Be more of a coach, less of a ‘boss’

Bridging The Gap

Traditionalists and Baby Boomers need:

Bridging The Gap

✤ To feel important — they are the “stars” of the organization✤ To be treated fairly✤ To see that their knowledge is valued✤ They need to be heard

Traditionalists and Baby Boomers need:

Bridging The Gap

✤ To feel important — they are the “stars” of the organization✤ To be treated fairly✤ To see that their knowledge is valued✤ They need to be heard

Traditionalists and Baby Boomers need:

Gen X and Gen Y are looking for:

Bridging The Gap

✤ To feel important — they are the “stars” of the organization✤ To be treated fairly✤ To see that their knowledge is valued✤ They need to be heard

Traditionalists and Baby Boomers need:

✤ Constant learning and growth✤ Flexibility to try new things or voice new ideas✤ Access to information and people (want to be kept in the loop)

✤ Ways to link what they do to the bigger goals of the company or firm

Gen X and Gen Y are looking for:

What You Can Do

Mentorship Programs

What You Can Do

✤ Make an effort to implement mentorships for older members to share and younger members to learn.

Mentorship Programs

What You Can Do

✤ Make an effort to implement mentorships for older members to share and younger members to learn.

✤ Make this a selective process to ensure profitable mentorships.

Mentorship Programs

What You Can Do

✤ Make an effort to implement mentorships for older members to share and younger members to learn.

✤ Make this a selective process to ensure profitable mentorships.✤ Most senior partners received much more informal mentoring. They were taken to court more frequently; partners debriefed a big transaction upon completion; colleagues had

more time to teach younger lawyers because business moved at a slower pace.

Mentorship Programs

What You Can Do

✤ Make an effort to implement mentorships for older members to share and younger members to learn.

✤ Make this a selective process to ensure profitable mentorships.✤ Most senior partners received much more informal mentoring. They were taken to court more frequently; partners debriefed a big transaction upon completion; colleagues had

more time to teach younger lawyers because business moved at a slower pace.

✤ Younger lawyers receive much less mentoring today. This means more stress and

longer hours as they struggle to teach themselves the law without the benefit of senior lawyer guidance.

Mentorship Programs

What You Can Do

Listen

What You Can Do

✤ Whether your firm implements a quarterly ‘ideas for forward progress’ meeting or sends out a periodic internal survey on ideas improve business, employees want to be heard

and love to express their ideas.

Listen

What You Can Do

✤ Whether your firm implements a quarterly ‘ideas for forward progress’ meeting or sends out a periodic internal survey on ideas improve business, employees want to be heard

and love to express their ideas.✤ They should be encouraged, not afraid, to share. Create a time and place for them to do

just that. You never know, you might just find that new marketing push you’ve been

looking for.

Listen

What You Can Do

Emphasize Value

What You Can Do

✤ Celebrate the successes along the way, big and small. If an individual contribution has helped the team move forward, make sure your firm or company has a policy that addresses this.

Emphasize Value

What You Can Do

✤ Celebrate the successes along the way, big and small. If an individual contribution has helped the team move forward, make sure your firm or company has a policy that addresses this.

Emphasize Value

Enhance Culture

What You Can Do

✤ Celebrate the successes along the way, big and small. If an individual contribution has helped the team move forward, make sure your firm or company has a policy that addresses this.

Emphasize Value

✤ Make sure your firm’s culture is appealing to all generations. If you are a growing firm

looking to attract top talent, even on a senior level, only firms or companies with a

culture that appeals to every generation will be able earn candidate loyalty. Do you

need a culture adjustment?

Enhance Culture

What You Can Do

Sharing Knowledge and Social Media

What You Can Do

Sharing Knowledge and Social Media

What intellectual property, knowledge, and “know-how” is walking out the door when traditionalists and baby boomers retire?

What You Can Do

✤ How do we retain the traditionalists and baby boomer IP?

Sharing Knowledge and Social Media

What intellectual property, knowledge, and “know-how” is walking out the door when traditionalists and baby boomers retire?

What You Can Do

✤ How do we retain the traditionalists and baby boomer IP?✤ How might we keep them engaged to continue to provide valuable insights and

information?

Sharing Knowledge and Social Media

What intellectual property, knowledge, and “know-how” is walking out the door when traditionalists and baby boomers retire?

What You Can Do

✤ How do we retain the traditionalists and baby boomer IP?✤ How might we keep them engaged to continue to provide valuable insights and

information?✤ How might we capture, extract, glean what they know before they leave?

Sharing Knowledge and Social Media

What intellectual property, knowledge, and “know-how” is walking out the door when traditionalists and baby boomers retire?

What You Can Do

✤ How do we retain the traditionalists and baby boomer IP?✤ How might we keep them engaged to continue to provide valuable insights and

information?✤ How might we capture, extract, glean what they know before they leave?✤ How might we use social technologies to bridge the gap between baby boomers and

next generation leaders?

Sharing Knowledge and Social Media

What intellectual property, knowledge, and “know-how” is walking out the door when traditionalists and baby boomers retire?

What You Can Do

✤ How do we retain the traditionalists and baby boomer IP?✤ How might we keep them engaged to continue to provide valuable insights and

information?✤ How might we capture, extract, glean what they know before they leave?✤ How might we use social technologies to bridge the gap between baby boomers and

next generation leaders?✤ How might we leverage Gen X & Y’s comfort and mastery of technology and social media

to bridge the information gap between both generations?

Sharing Knowledge and Social Media

What intellectual property, knowledge, and “know-how” is walking out the door when traditionalists and baby boomers retire?

The Generation Gap