bridging the generation gap

“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent that the one that went before it, and wiser that that the one that comes after it.”

George Orwell

“By 2020 there will be 5 generations working together side by side, currently there are 4.”

Jeanne Meister, Co-Author, “The 2020 Workplace”

Who are you?

You’re a…Veteran, Traditionalist, Silent Generation

Baby Boomer,Boomer

Generation X Millennial, Generation Y

If you were born…

before 1945 between 1946 and 1964 between 1964 and 1980 since 1980

You’re shaped by…

World War II,the Depression,traditional family

television,the Cold War,student activism,youth culture,FLQ crisis,feminism,space travel,stay-at-home moms

the energy crisis,technology’s first wave,fall of the Berlin Wall,music videos,AIDS, working mothers (latchkey kids),rising divorce rates

explosion of technology and media,9-11,Columbine shootings,multiculturalism,variety of family structures

You value… respect,loyalty,experience

standing out,recognition,competition,independence,hard work

flexibility,honesty,feedback,work-life balance

strong leadership,concern for community,structure,fair play,diversity

On the job you are…

a disciplined, hard worker who appreciates order and a job well done

a driven, service-oriented team player who doesn’t want to be micromanaged. You live to work.

independent, self-reliant, unimpressed by authority and focused on self-development. You work to live.

self-confident, competent, optimistic, out-spoken and collaborative

Your career motto is…

Seek job security. Education plus hard work equals success.

Invest in portable career skills.

Multi-track or die!

WORK VALUES

WORKPLACE CHARACTERISTICS

CHALLENGES

Looking at the gapsHow do the differences between generations show up in the workplace?

•Veteran, you turn up when the boss says you should and work until the project is finished.

•Boomer, you tend to work all the time. You come in early and stay late.

•Gen Xer, you work hard to complete projects but when you’re not needed, you want to be free to pursue your life outside of work.

•Millennial, you see your job as something you do between weekends or between your other jobs.

HOURS OF WORKEach generation tends to have a different approach to hours of work:

RECOGNITION AND REWARDSEach generation tends to value different kinds of recognition and rewards:

•Veteran, you tend to prefer security, pensions, bonuses and recognition for a job well done.

•Boomer, chances are you prefer promotion and increased income.

•Gen Xer, you tend to prefer time off rather than a bonus.

•Millennial, you’re confident about your own abilities, value visibility and close interaction with leaders in the organization. You’d like to work on a top-level team doing a project you believe in.

“Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have anything to do with it.” ~ Haim Ginott

More than 12 million strong and representing more than one-third of Canada’s population, Generation Y is the largest demographic cohort to come after the baby boomers.

-The Globe and Mail, March 12, 2013

In the U.S. millennials total about 80 million, approximately the same size as the baby boom generation.

- The 2020 Workplace

1980-2000

Gen Y is the most educated and most diverse generation in history, and the first to have more women than men obtain postsecondary education credentials.

They have also been using computers, mobile phones, the Internet, social media tools and other technologies since childhood – the youngest of them essentially since birth. – The Globe and Mail

RANDOM FACTS

• The median number of text messages sent by millennials is 50 per day• 47% of 16-24 year olds are employed, the lowest since this started being calculated in 1948• 44% think marriage is obsolete• 39% have a tattoo• 37% of 18-29 year olds are unemployed• 35% started a business on the side to supplement their income• 33% live in cities, 14% live in rural areas• Email usage for millennials dropped by 27% last year• 21% think helping the poor is the most important issue

- Sal Bommarito, Political & Baby Boomer Blogger

Hootsuite’s Offices in Vancouver

Elevators are so yesterday. Corus Entertainment’s Toronto headquarters “It's all about fun,” says John Cassaday, Corus's founding CEO

Google’s London UK offices – staff can grown their own veggie patch

Closing The Gaps Recommendations for Gen X/Baby Boomers/Traditionalists

•Be self aware•Challenge what you assume•Start listening, stop assuming

•Scrap "do as I say, not as I do"

•Focus on the goal•Embrace diversity•Support and learn from each other

Closing The Gaps Recommendations for Gen Y

•Having perspective is important •Be patient •Look at relationships and communication differently •Convey respect while pursuing goals •Pursue mentors and advocates

TACTICS TO BRIDGE GAPS

•MENTORING

•REVERSE MENTORING

•E-LEARNING

•TRAINING USING GAMIFICATION"If you can gamify the process, you are rewarding the behavior and it's like a dopamine release in the brain. Humans like a game."--Frank Farrall, Deloitte Digital

•BUILD SOCIAL MEDIA LITERACY

•BUILD REPUTATIONAL CAPITAL

“If your company is stuck in the ‘90’s and doesn’t make the shift, you will have to deal with a continuing rotating

door of Millennial employees.”

INC Magazine July 3, 2013Brian Halligan, CEO & Co-Founder of HubSpot

20 Things 20-Year-Olds Don't Get - 4,009,647 views

1. You’re Talented, But Talent is Overrated  2. Social Media is Not a Career 3. Pick Up the Phone  4. Be the First In & Last to Leave 5. Don’t Wait to Be Told What to Do 6. Take Responsibility for Your Mistakes 7. You Should Be Getting Your Butt Kicked 8. A New Job a Year Isn’t a Good Thing  9. People Matter More Than Perks  10.Read More Books, Fewer Tweets/Texts

Jason Nazar, Founder, DocStocContributor, FORBES 7/23/2013 4,009,647 views

Who is the 6th generation?

Robots to replace almost 50 per cent of the work force

- Oxford University study “The Future of Employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation.” Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne September 17, 2013

Smart Robots Can Now Work Right Next to Auto Workers

It used to be too dangerous to have a person work alongside a robot. But at a South Carolina BMW plant, next-generation robots are changing that.

September 17, 2013 MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEWhttp://www.technologyreview.com/news/518661/smart-robots-can-now-work-right-next-to-auto-workers/

THE TOP 10 JOBS THAT ARE IN DANGER OF COMPUTERISATION

1. Telemarketers2. Hand sewers3. Mathematical technicians4. Insurance underwriters, claims and policy processing clerks5. Cargo and freight agents6. Tax preparers7. Brokerage clerks8. Loan officers9. Insurance appraisers (auto damage)10.Umpires, referees and other sports officials

The 'humanoid' robots that work in pairs to serve the perfect cup of teaat Honda Headquarters in Tokyo

Two robotic legged squad support system (LS3) machines by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency