Accelerating success.

GenerationsColliers International

By Ben I. Schaal

Generations: A Definition

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“A group of people who share similar historical and social life experiences of which the effects are relatively stable over their lifetime.”

- Rick Bottiglieri, CEO, Momentum Corporation Ltd

Each generation has specific characteristics and values that shape their social interaction and attitudes towards life.

Baby Boomers (Born 1945 to 1964)

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Shaped by:

› Civil Rights Movement› Space race› Vietnam› Watergate› Cold War› Large class sizes

Self and career are staunchly connected Invented the 60 hour work week Competitive, materialistic, loyal Message they heard: “You can make the world a better

place.”

Generation X (Born 1965 to 1980)

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Shaped by:

› Fall of Berlin Wall› Rise of AIDS› Development of World Wide Web› O.J. Simpson trial› Divorce› Financial insecurity

Less likely to define themselves by their careers Likely to change jobs; loyalty not a big value Realistic, cynical, addicted to change Emphasis on family and need for freedom Message they heard: “You’ll never do as well economically

as your parents did.”

Generation Y (Born 1981 to 2000)

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Shaped by:

› Terrorism› Heroism› Patriotism› Dot-com boom and fall› “Wired World”

Crave freedom and fun – do not want to sacrifice Work to live, not live to work – compartmentalize work Do not feel the need to “pay dues;” want instant gratification Positive, optimistic, close to parents Message they heard: “You are super! You can do anything you

want!”

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Some information on local panelists . . .

How old were you when you first traveled on an airplane?

Boomer 22Boomer 14Gen X 15Gen X 10Gen Y 12Gen Y 5

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More on our panelists. . . .

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = not important at all, 10 = very important) how important is it that you be paid very well?

Boomer 10/9Boomer 8Gen X 9Gen X 8Gen Y 8Gen Y 7/6

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More on our panelists. . . .

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is it to you that you be able to wear comfortable clothing in your work environment?

Boomer 2Boomer 7Gen X 4Gen X 4Gen Y 9Gen Y 8

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More on our panelists. . . .

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is flexibility to you?

Boomer 10Boomer 10Gen X 9Gen X 7Gen Y 8Gen Y 8/7

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More on our panelists. . . .

Were you asked your opinion on family decisions in your family of origin?

Boomer: “No, I was not involved at all.”Boomer: “No, my dad would issue pronouncements.”Gen X: “I would say . . . NO.”Gen X: “I was not consulted.”Gen Y: “We were asked our opinion, but I’m not sure we influenced anything!”Gen Y: “Yes, for vacation decisions and pets.”

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Communication…

In general, Boomers believe that Gen X and Gen Y overestimate their written and oral communication skills

Gen Y was 5 times more likely than Boomers and 2 times more likely than Gen X to find social networking sites valuable for building relationships

“Instant messaging has had an adverse impact on clear communications.”

42% of Baby Boomers agree with this statement41% of Gen X agree with this statement28% of Gen Y agree with this statement

Survey said we agree . . . .

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› Employers owe employees competitive salaries and benefits

› Employers owe employees fair treatment

› Employers should provide employees with interesting and challenging work that creates opportunities to learn, grow and advance

› Employees need to adhere to firm guidelines and support the goals of their supervisors

› Employees should make sacrifices to help the team succeed and “go the extra mile”

Best Practices…

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› Measure success and performance by results, not notions of face time and volumes of hours worked

› Be open to perspectives different from your own: One person’s “no big deal to miss” is another’s significant sacrifice

› Challenge staff to make the task more efficient after they have done it once

› Create a clear learning path to career advancement with well marked milestones

› Similarly, create a clear project path with well-marked milestones in projects

Thanks!