Managing Generational Diversity

John Sclafani

Generational DiversityLeading and motivating different types of people

Agenda

• A Favorite leader• Why picking the right team is so important• Generational diversity• Motivating different people

• Discussion: How do you motivate and build your team and team culture?

Best In Class – Getting the Right Team

• Waiting it out to hire the right person is better than paying high cost to hire the wrong person

• Diversity is essential - important not to hire someone just like yourself

• Managers need to continuously improve and educate themselves in the people selection process

Three categories of employees:• Engaged— These employees are loyal & psychologically

committed to the organization. They are more productive, more likely to stay with their company for at least a year, less likely to have accidents on the job and/or steal.

• Not Engaged— These employees may be productive but they are not psychologically connected to their company. They are more likely to miss workdays and more likely to leave.

• Actively Disengaged— These employees are physically present but psychologically absent. They are unhappy with their work situation and insist on sharing that unhappiness with their colleagues.

Engagement Levels

Opportunities to learn and growProgress in last six months

Coworkers committed to qualityMission/Purpose of companyMy opinions count

Encourages developmentSupervisor/Someone caresRecognition last seven daysDo what I do best every day

Materials and equipmentI know what is expected

What do I give?

Do I belong?

How can we grow?

What do I get?

Moving up the engagement pyramid

Retaining Engaged Employees

• Establish and clearly communicate goals

• Promote diversity and inclusiveness• Promote individual growth and development• Address under-performers• Reward over-achievers

How do and motivate diverse people?

We first must understand them

Generational Diversity

And

Leading different types of people

The Generations

Veterans1922-1943

Boomers1943-1964

Gen X1965-1980

Gen Y1980-2007

The Veterans1922-1943

Youngest individuals are

67 years old

• Born 1922-1943• Seminal Events

The Depression Hitler Pearl Harbor Korean War

• Heroes Superman FDR MacArthur/Patton Babe Ruth Joe DiMaggio Ted Williams

Generations: The Veterans

Boomers1943-1964

Ages 64-46 years old

• Born 1943-1964• Seminal Events

Vietnam Assassination of King & Kennedy brothers Man on the Moon Woodstock

• Heroes Gandhi John Kennedy Martin Luther King John Glenn

Generation Boomers

• Optimism• Team orientation• Personal

gratification• Health and wellness• Personal growth• Work

• Competition• Success• Inclusion• Fight for a cause• “Show me”• Youth

Boomers’: Core Values…

It’s All AboutME

Boomers’: Known As…

• What Veterans say that boomers are… They talk about things they shouldn’t They think only of themselves

• What Xers say that boomers are… They are self-righteous Talk the talk but never walk the walk What’s the fad this week? Clueless

• What Y Gen say that boomers are… Pretty cool but they work too much

Boomers’: What Others Say…

Boomers’: At Work…• Assets Driven Go beyond call of duty Want recognition and willing to please Good at teamwork Work at relationships

• Liabilities Self-centered Judgmental Sensitive, particularly to non-positive feedback Too much focus on process, not result Hesitant to disagree with peers

Generation X

Xers 1965 – 1980

Ages 45-27

• Born 1965-1980• Seminal Events

Watergate Personal computers marketed Massive layoffs from US corporations Ronald Reagan as President Fall of the Berlin Wall

• Heroes none

Generations: The Xers

• Diversity• Techno literacy• Balance• Fun• Informality• Thinking globally• Self-reliance

• Creativity• Independence• Information• Feedback• Entrepreneurial

Spirit• Cynicism

Xers’: Core Values…

Skeptical

Xers’: Known as…

• Wary of Institutions• Highly Self-Reliant• Addicted to Information• Dependent on Immediacy

Xers’: Four Themes

What Veterans Say about X ers is…• Uneducated with no respect for authority,

experience, procedures, or hard work

What Boomers Say about X ers is…• Slackers with a rude, laid back attitude• Unwilling to wait their turn

What Generation “Y” Say about X ers is… “Cheer up!”

Xers’: What Others Say…

• Assets Technology freaks Independent Flexible Innovative Un-intimidated

• Liabilities Cynical Impatient Task oriented Poor interpersonal skills

Xers’: At Work…

• Change the paradigm—they are not slackers.• Value them as individuals• Keep open lines of communication• Provide and be willing to receive constant

feedback• Set clear deadlines and precisely defined

outcomes• Give them the freedom to excel and

psychological space to thrive

Xers’: To Motivate…

• Delegate well• Flexible• Multi-task• Ask the difficult questions• Focus on results• Distaste for discipline• “Expect” things to be done• Hard time with authority/corporate • Little tolerance or understanding of other

generation’s needs

Xers’: As Managers…

Gen Y1980-2007

Ages 27 and under

Generation Y -- The Nexters• Born 1980-2007• Seminal Events

Oklahoma City bombing Schoolyard shootings Internet Death of Princess Diana Clinton/Lewinsky 9/11

• Heroes Michael Jordan Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa Bill Gates Mia Hamm, Tiger Woods Firefighters, Policemen, Special forces in the Military

• Optimism• Civic Duty• Confidence• Achievement• Sociability• Morality• Diversity• Street Smarts

• Technology• Money

Nexters’: “Current” Core Values…

• Assets Optimistic Tenacious Heroic Multi-tasking Techno savvy

• Liabilities Need structure, supervision, and help with people

issues A knack for collective action when wronged

Gen Y: At Work…

It’s okay to have several right

answers

Nexters’: Philosophically…

“Clash points”

Clash Point: Job Changing

• Veterans: Job changing carries a stigma• Boomers: Job changing puts you behind• Gen X: Job changing is necessary• Gen Y: Job changing is part of my daily

routine

Source: Millennials Rising

• Veterans: No news is good news• Boomers: Feedback once a year, positive

with lots of documentation

• Gen X: Hey, how am I doing?• Gen Y: Feedback whenever I want it at

the push of a button.

Source: Millennials Rising

Clash Point: Feedback

Clash Point: Rewards

• Veterans: The satisfaction of a job well done• Boomers: Money, Title, Recognition, the

corner office• GenX: Freedom• Gen Y: Work that has meaning

Source: Millennials Rising

Clash Point: Career Goals

• Veterans: Build a legacy• Boomers: Build a stellar career• Gen X: Build a portable career• Gen Y: Build parallel careers

Source: Millennials Rising

Communicating with Gen Y• Use action words• Challenge them• Tell them why• Don't talk DOWN to them• Encourage risk taking• Don’t take yourself or them too seriously

Communicating with Gen Y

A totally different language…

• MYOB! GTG. TTYL.• LOL!! BRB• Mac vs. PC • Fist bumps

• Understand there are differences.

• Do your best to bridge differences.

• Build a culture to move your employees up the engagement pyramid.

What do I give?

Do I belong?

How can we grow?

What do I get?

• So with so many different styles, how do you build a team?

• How you communicate differently with different groups

• What to do for fun. How do you bridge difference

• Share one success you have had

Understand these differences AND build a culture