Managing Generational

Differences

March 16, 2018

hfma texas gulf coast chapter

Monthly Luncheon

Goal

To Uncover the:

◦Events

◦Conditions

◦Values

◦Behaviors

That make each generation Unique!

Framing The Generations

Clashpoints

For the first time in US History there are

Five Generations in the Workplace

Generation Z

TRADITIONALISTS

1900 -1945

Influences

▪ The Great

Depression

▪ The New Deal

▪ World War II

▪ The G.I. Bill

▪ The Cold War

▪ The Atom Bomb

People in the News

▪ Frank Sinatra

▪ Ella Fitzgerald

▪ FDR

▪ Jackie Robinson

▪ Henry Ford

▪ John Wayne

▪ Joe DiMaggio

TRADITIONALISTS

1900 -1945Traits▪ Loyal/Civic Minded

▪ Patriotic

▪ Hard working

▪ Fiscally conservative

▪ Faith in Institutions

▪ Work for same employer

▪ Make do or do without

▪ Practical

▪ Respect Authority

Growing Up▪ Disciplined

▪ Conformers

▪ Personal sacrifice

▪ Children should be seen and not heard

Motivators▪ Sense of self worth

▪ Good of the Company

▪ Build a personal legacy

babyboomers

1946 - 1964

Influences▪ Booming birthrate

▪ Economic prosperity

▪ Vietnam

▪ Watergate

▪ Assassinations

▪ Civil rights movement

▪ Women’s movement

▪ Sex, drugs, rock & roll

People in the News▪ John F. Kennedy

▪ Martin Luther King, Jr.

▪ Rosa Parks

▪ The Jackson Five

▪ Elvis

▪ The Beatles

▪ Neil Armstrong

babyboomers

1946 - 1964

Traits

▪ Confident

▪ Independent

▪ Self-reliant

▪ Competitive

▪ Questioners of authority

▪ Idealistic

Growing Up

▪ Stay-at-home moms

▪ Suburbs

▪ TV

▪ Play well with others

Motivators

▪ Sense of Achievement

▪ Increased Salary

▪ Build a perfect career

babyboomers

1946 - 1964

Traits▪ Optimistic

▪ Desire to stand out from

the crowd

▪ Cool

▪ Work-centric

▪ Relish long work hours

▪ Defined by Professional

Accomplishments

GENERATION X

1965 - 1976

Influences▪ Divorce

▪ Lay-offs

▪ AIDS

▪ Personal computer

▪ MTV & Cable TV

▪ The Challenger

▪ Missing children on milk cartons

▪ 24 hour media

People in the News

▪ Bill Clinton

▪ Bill Gates

▪ Michael Jordan

▪ Nelson Mandela

GENERATION X

1965 - 1976

Traits▪ Independent

▪ Resourceful

▪ Entrepreneurial

▪ Adaptive to change

▪ Skeptical

▪ Work/life balance

▪ Self-reliance

Growing Up▪ Working Moms

▪ Latchkey kids

▪ Divorce

▪ Microwave

▪ Videogames

▪ MADD

Motivators▪ Sense of security

▪ Work to live

▪ Build a transferrable career

Influences▪ Fall of the Berlin Wall

▪ Events of September 11th

▪ Connected 24/7

▪ iPod, iPad, Smart Phones

▪ Violence Close to home

▪ Drugs and gangs

▪ Hurricane Katrina

▪ Virginia Tech Shooting

People in the News▪ President Barak Obama

▪ Backstreet Boys

▪ Oprah Winfrey

▪ Britney Spears

▪ Mia Hamm

▪ Serena & Venus Williams

▪ Mother Teresa

Traits▪ Globally concerned

▪ Diverse/Inclusive

▪ Cyber literate

▪ Media savvy

▪ Realistic

▪ The group is the key

▪ Confidence

▪ Entitled

▪ Most educated

Growing Up▪ “You are special”

▪ Helicopter parents –(Boomer parenting)

▪ Packed schedules

Motivators▪ Sense of Greater Good

▪ Personal Relationships

▪ Build Parallel Careers

The M-Factor

▪ Parenting

▪ Entitlement

▪ Meaning

▪ Great Expectations

▪ The Need for Speed

▪ Social Networking

▪ Collaboration

Works Cited

Lynne C. Lancaster, D. S. (2010). The M-factor: how the millennial

generation is rocking the workplace. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Influences▪ See the world through

September 11th

▪ Grown up with war & uncertainty

▪ Less optimistic

▪ Defined by their technology and media use

▪ Digital Natives

▪ Learned to read & write with the aid of computers

▪ Phenomenal ability to multi task

▪ School lock downs

In the News▪ Sandy Hook Elementary

School Shooting

▪ Aurora Mass Shooting

▪ Stabbing Rampage at Pennsylvania High School

Traits

▪ Digital

▪ Pragmatic

▪ Polite

▪ Resourceful

▪ Competitive

▪ Private

Growing Up

▪ “Black Hawks!”

(Gen X parenting)

▪ Involved dads

TRADITIONALISTS/

babyboomers

1940 – 1945

babyboomers/Gen X

1960 – 1965

Gen

X/

1975 - 1980

Cuspers play important

roles …

▪ Mediating

▪ Translating

▪ Explaining

▪ Coordinating

▪ Resolving conflicts

Their Impact

They will make up 50% of employees

& customers by the year 2020 and

75% by the year 2026

They will bring their gifts to the

workplace

◦ Youth

◦ Collaboration

◦ Energy

They are change agents!

What’s An Employer To Do?

Focus on:

▪ Attracting

▪ Mentoring

▪ Training

▪ Retaining

If Not, Employers Face:

▪ The Turnover Titanic

▪ Knowledge Drain to

Death

▪ Leadership Desert

They will either TRANSFORM an

organization or watch it CLOSE!

babyboomers80 million

31%

Gen Xers46 million

21%

Traditionalists – 3% 75 million

95 million

45%

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

2015 International Workforce

An issue around which the generations are likely to/will

collide

An issue around which the generations are likely to/will

Many issues can be

affected by

generational

diversity…

▪ Turnover

▪ Recruitment

▪ Morale

▪ Team building

▪ Communication

▪ Customer service

▪ Culture change

▪ Diversity

▪ Rewards

▪ Feedback

▪ Employer of choice

▪ Organizational objectives

▪ Communications

▪ Feedback

▪ Rewards

▪ Balance

Communication“Write me a

letter”

“Lets have a

meeting”

“Send me

an email”

“txtme”

Tweet,

Instant

Messaging &

Skype

Feedback

No News is

Good News

Once a year

review with

documentation

Instant,

immediate

feedback

Individualized

feedback at the

push of a

button!

RewardsSatisfaction of a job

well done

Money, title,

recognition, the corner

office

Freedom is the

ultimate reward

Work that has

meaning for me!

BalanceSupport me in shifting

the balance

Help me

balance

everyone else &

find meaning

myself

Balance now,

not at 65!

Flexibility

so I can

balance

all my

activities

TRADITIONALISTS babyboomers GENERATION X

COMMUNICATIONS Face to

Face Formal

Memo

In Person Formal

Memo

Email/ Cell

Phone

Text

Messaging

FEEDBACK No News is

Good News

Once a year

Review with

documentation

Instant,

Immediate

feedback

Individualized

Feedback at

the push of a

button!

REWARDS The

satisfaction

of a job well

done

Money, title, the

corner office

Freedom is

the

ultimate

response

Work that has

meaning for

me!

BALANCE Support me

in shifting

the balance

Help me balance

everyone else &

find meaning

myself

Balance

now, not at

60

Flexibility so I

can balance all

my activities

Each generation brings its own set

of values, beliefs, life experiences,

attitudes and gifts to the workplace

Generational

Personalities are

shaped by Events &

Conditions

experienced through

our formative years-

Managing the Generations

It’s A Bottom-line Issue!

Thank you

Resourceswww.inc.com/sam-bacharach/how-to-motivate-your-gen-y-employees.html

When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the

Generational Puzzle at Work. Lynne C, Lancaster and David Stillman

The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace

Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman

Stauffer, David. “Motivating Across Generations.” Harvard Management Update

March 2003

Hammill, Greg. “Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees.

“Winter/Spring 2005

http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm

http://www.redtreeleadership.com/millennials/?gclid=CNOAhKjZ7rkCFctr7AodSzIAh

g

http://www.generationaledge.com/

www.RainmakerThinking.com