BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAPMWEA Northern Michigan Operators Seminar

September 25, 2018

Rhonda Oyer

Department of Environmental Quality

Waste Management and Radiological Protection Division

400 B. C.

“[Our Youth] have contempt for authority; they show disrespect

for their elders.”

Key terms and concepts

• Generation: a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously who have common knowledge and experiences that affect their thoughts, attitudes, values, and behaviors

• Cusper: people born close to the dividing line between generations

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Four Generations(soon to be Five!)

• Matures/Traditionalists/Silent Generation: born before 1946

• Baby Boomers: 1946 - 1964

• Generation X: 1965 - 1980

• Generation Y/Millennials: 1980 – 2000

• Generation Z: born after 2000

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Signposts• Generational signpost: an event or

cultural phenomenon that is specific to one generation

• Personal signposts: experiences in our lives that significantly contribute to who we are

• Group signposts: experiences of the group to which we belong and the society in which we live

• Life laws: events that have social, political, or economic influence on our lives but occurred before we were old enough to remember any difference

Stereotypes

• What are some of the characteristics of each generation and prevailing stereotypes?

– Traditionalists: unwilling to change and unable to adapt to technology

– Boomers: driven workaholics

– Gen X: slacker attitude and disregard for authority

– Millennials: spoiled, self-centered, and entitled

– Gen Z: the “reality-check” generation

Critical Factors that shape a generation

• Parenting trends

– How we are raised is the greatest influence of how we will behave in the workplace

• Economics

– Our beliefs about money are forged early in life and impact our workplace decisions

• Life Span

– How long we think we have left to live affects what we do with the time we believe we have left

More about Generation Z

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TechnologyAll of us have a different relationship with technology

that is primarily driven by our age

I remember when cut and paste involved a glue stick.

What’s a

browser?

We’re Friends on Facebook.

What do we all have in common??

• All generations have similar values

• We all want respect

• We all want leaders we can trust

• We are all resistant to change

• Loyalty depends on context

• We all want to learn

• We all want feedback

What can we do to bridge the Generation Gap?

• Encourage everyone to compromise, trust, and commit to make things work

• Address three main issues (take into account the needs of different generations separately)

– Technology

– Feedback

– Work/Life Balance

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Bridging the Gap…

• Make sure communications are effective for all– Different styles

– Different media

– Start listening—stop assuming

– Ask questions rather than make statements

– Paraphrase before answering

– Be careful when using cultural or historical references

What else can we do…

• Value, recognize, and appreciate each person’s unique contribution to the team– We all want R-E-S-P-E-C-T

– Our differences compliment each other

– Focus on similarities rather than differences

– If the other person was right after all—say so!

• Take advantage of the fresh perspective of younger staff and the wisdom of the more experienced

What you can do… • Give people the benefit of

the doubt

• Approach interactions by walking a mile in someone else’s shoes

• Be open

• Recognize change happens

• Recognize the values and perils of the tried and true

• Develop insatiable curiosity