managing the generational mix

Presented By: Michelle Coussens, Plan B Consulting

Managing the Generational Mix

How to Increase Collaboration and Minimize Destructive Conflict

Disclaimer: Note that this webinar is intended to provide useful information but should not be construed as individual legal or financial fact, advice, or opinion.

Session Objectives• Challenge our beliefs about generational stereotypes

• Recognize the advantages of a multi-generational workforce

• Respect and embrace individual perspectives and work styles

• Flex our own styles to communicate and collaborate better

• Leverage our differences to foster innovation

• Role model constructive behavior

Presented by Progressive Women's Leadership 2

Today’s workplace

• Flatter organizations with dynamic roles, but also disconnected, competing silos

• Influence of technology and automation

• Skill evolution/reskilling

• Increase in a blended workforce that includes atypical work, remote work, and gig work.

• Changing work expectations

• Shifting workforce populations

• Office politics

• 55% of employees say they participate in office politics• 76% of employees believe it affects their career potential

(up from 56% in 2012)


Defining the generations

• Generational signposts that lead to “lifelaws”• Influence opinions, values, perceptions, attitudes, preferences, and goals that

affect workstyles

• Chat question: What key events have marked significance in yourlife?

• Microgenerations (a.k.a. “cusp” generations)

• What will the future generation (Alphas) care about in the workplace? What will they bring? How will you react to them?


A generation is a group that shares a common lifespan range and is consequently influenced by events and experiences during that time.

Generational categories


Traditionalists

(a.k.a.

Silent/Greatest

Generation)

Baby Boomers

(a.k.a. “Me”

Generation)

Gen X (a.k.a.

Baby Bust)

Gen Y (a.k.a.

Millennials)

Gen Z (a.k.a.

Digital

Natives)

Gen Alpha

Born 1925-1945 Born 1946-1964 Born 1965-1980 Born 1981-1996 Born 1997-2012 Born 2013-2025

Some continue

working beyond

traditional

retirement years

based on work

ethic

Staying in

workforce longer

due to economic

pressures and

interest

Smallest current

generation

Largest generation

in US history

Gen Y & Z will

dominate the

workforce by

2030

There are many

more

grandparents

than

grandchildren.

33% likely to shift

to gig economy

53% likely to shift

to gig…62% likely… 63% likely…

Proportional trends

•


Proportional trends (cont’d)

•


Advantages of a multi-generational workforce

• Opportunity to learn from each other

• Transfer of history and knowledge

• Incorporation of new views and techniques

• Mentoring and reverse mentoring

• Enrich your talent base with the best people

• Provides checks and balances through different values and workstyles


Pick your top three values from this list…

A-Conservatism

B- Discipline

C-Diversity of tasks

D-Idealism

E-Independence

F-Individualistic

G-Parents as friends

H-Participative


I- Patriotism

J-Personal fulfillment

K-Question authority

L-Recognition

M-Self-directed

N-Self-reliant

O-Diversity of people

Pick up to 5 workstyles from this list…


8 - Follow the rules

9 - Independent

10 - Low tolerance for "grunt" work

11 - Multi-tasks

12 - Optimistic

13 - Pay your dues

14 - Prefers email/text over calling

22 - Top-down chain of command

23 - Visual learner

24 - Wants to know "why" before doing

25 - Workaholic

1 - Changes jobs often

2 - Competitive

3 - Consistent

4 - Dedication to company

5 - Distrusts authority

6 - Expects immediate feedback

7 - Favors inclusive management

15 - Prefers Just-in-time learning

16 - Prefers teamwork

17 - Rely on technology

18 - Resourceful

19 - Seeks work/life balance

20 - Skeptical

21 - Task-switches

Traditionalists


Traditionalists (a.k.a. Silent Generation)

Approx. Yrs of birth 1925-1945

Life influences

• Great Depression

• World War II

• Cold War

• Korean War

• New Deal

Values & Attitudes• Discipline

• Patriotism

• Conservatism

Work styles and attributes

• Top-down chain of command

• Governance by rules

• Don’t question authority

• Dedication

• Loyal

• Consistency

• Conformity

Baby Boomers


Baby Boomers (a.k.a. “Me” Generation)


Life influences

• Post-WWII prosperity

• Vietnam War

• Civil rights movement

• Sexual revolution

• Kennedy/King assassinations

• Kent State shootings

• Moon landings

• Mainframe computers

• Healthcare insurance

Values & Attitudes

• Question authority

• Idealism

• Materialism

• Personal fulfillment


• Optimism

• Competitiveness

• Workaholic-ism

• “Pay your dues”

• Corporate ladder

• Lack of work/life balance

• Career at same company

Gen X



Life influences

• Economic recession and energy crisis of 1970s

• 1987 stock market crash

• Iran hostages

• Two-income families

• Rising divorce rates

• “Latchkey” children

• Watergate

• Middle East unrest

• Terrorism

• AIDS

• Tylenol scare

• Challenger explosion

• Cable tv & MTV

• Video games

Values & Attitudes• Self-reliance

• Independence

• Save money & build wealth

Work styles and attributes• Skepticism

• Resourcefulness

• Distrust of authority

• Independent

• Seek work/life balance

Gen X


Generation Y (a.k.a. Millennials)Approx. Yrs of birth 1981-1996

Life influences

• Trophies

• Digital revolution

• Tween marketing

• Gulf War

• 9/11

• War on Terror

• Oklahoma City bombing

• Columbine

• Dot-com crash

Values & Attitudes

• Participation

• Individualism

• Parents as friends

• Diversity

• Recognition


• Reliance on technology

• E-communication

• Multi-tasking

• Requires rationale before doing

• Favors inclusive management

• Expects immediate feedback

• Housing crash

• Reality tv

• Social media

• Internet

• Hurricane Katrina

• “Emerging Adulthood”

Gen X


Generation Z (a.k.a. Digital Natives)Approx. Yrs of birth 1997-2012

Life influences

• Smartphones

• Post 9/11 world

• Deep Water Horizon oil spill

• Online dating

• Enhanced social media

• Proliferation of documentaries

• 2008 recession & long-term unemployment

• Increased education costs/debt

• Influencers

• Cybersecurity

• Sharing economy

Values & Attitudes• Self-directed

• Limited attention

• Social consciousness


• Avoid calling

• Visual learning

• Task-switching

• JIT learning

• Quick access & response

• Low tolerance for “grunt” work

• Changes jobs and companies

often

• Prefer teamwork

Gen X


Generation Alpha


Life influences

• Brexit

• Climate change

• COVID pandemic

• Black Lives Matter

• The Paris Terrorist Attacks

• Heightened political strife

• Mass shootings

• Border controversy

• Artificial intelligence, drones, virtual reality

Values & Attitudes • TBD

Work styles and attributes • TBD

What we all have in common• Consider events that overlap generations in experience and transformation

• Today, most Americans see women as just as competent as men.*

• Leadership itself is changing.• Transformational versus transactional• Relationship-based versus task-based• Democratic/participative versus autocratic/directive

• Androgynous work styles• Cooperation, equality, teamwork, collaboration, participation, sharing of

information and power

• In general, men are perceived to use communication more for power, status, functionality.

• In general, women are perceived to consider interpersonal relations more in communicating.

• However, remember that no two people are alike in how they communicate, despite generalities.


“As the roles of women and men have changed… so have beliefs about their attributes”. – Alice Eagley, Northwestern University researcher

Source: Organizational Behavior, by Steven McShane and Mary Ann Von Glinow, 2015, Third Edition, McGraw-Hill

Can you afford to be biased?

• Pre-conceived bias and confirmation bias:

• Costs money

• Lost collaboration leading to late or poor results

• Impacts others

• Employee morale

• Perception of organization

• Succession bench strength

• Retention of current and future leaders

• Compliance and contracts require fair treatment of others

• EEOC requirements

• Government contract stipulations

18Presented by Progressive Women's Leadership

Deconstructing assumptions and cliches


Baby Boomers: can barely use their phone, experience is everything, set in their ways,

don’t exercise, “Ok, Boomer”

Gen X: cynical, slackers, sell-outs, forgettable, culturally irrelevant

Gen Y: entitled, lazy, self-absorbed, job-hopper, doesn’t care, won’t dress up

Gen Z: waste money on avocado toast, hopelessly screen-dependent, sucked in by influencers, entitled, bad at taking criticism

• Previous generations tend to be skeptical of those that come after.

• Many factors influence behavior, not just generation.• Be wary of

stereotyping.

Respecting and embracing individuality

Everyone has a personal brand.• How would you describe yourself? How would others describe

you?


Flex our own styles to manage and collaborate better

• Don’t have just one management style.

• Understand worker motivations • What incentives (carrots) do they care about?

• Deloitte’s 4Ps*: Profit, people, products, purpose

• Ask workers what matters to them and how they prefer to work

• Communicate in multiple ways (channels)

• Case Study Examples• Providing training

• Establishing new SOPs (standard operating procedures)


*The Deloitte Millennials Survey 2016

Some management strategies

Traditionalist

• Find ways for them to mentor others

• Provide part-time jobs or job-sharing opportunities

• Provide technology support services, if needed

Baby Boomer

• Redesign or enhance their jobs to provide flexibility and new challenges

• Avoid tracking their time and focus on deliverables

• Hold contests

Gen X

• Provide flexible working environment

• Resist micro-managing them and allow them to contribute to goal-derivation

• Parse team projects into individual, accountable work tasks

Gen Y

• Involve them in groups and teams

• Find ways to allow them to personalize their work

• Give feedback frequently

Gen Z

• Give them a high diversity of tasks

• Ask them for suggestions on streamlining and automating manual or repetitive tasks

• Tie their tasks to the bigger picture


Role modeling constructive behavior

• Avoid marginalization

• Read environments• Ask people about their needs and preferences.

• Show empathy

• Find common ground

• Coach others to find the positive in others

• Manage communication/messaging

• Mitigate destructive conflict

• Adapt your management style to the individual

• Provide personalized perks

• Plan for personalities in advance

• Be self-aware– recognize and address your own biases

• Pursue different perspectives


“People are opting out of vital conversation about diversity and inclusivity because they fear doing wrong, saying something wrong, or being wrong”-Brene Brown

Constructive versus destructive conflict• “Conflict” is not a bad word.

• Drivers

• Competing goals

• Differences in work styles

• Personal agendas; hidden agendas

• Difference experiences and backgrounds


Brene Brown on conflict…

“When we’re in tough rumbles with people, we can’t take responsibility for

their emotions. They’re allowed to be pissed or sad or surprised or elated,

But if their behaviors are not okay, we set the boundaries:

• I know this is a tough conversation. Being angry is okay. Yelling is not okay.

• I know we’re tired and stressed, This has been a long meeting. Being frustrated

is okay. Interrupting people and rolling your eyes is not okay.

• I appreciate the passion around these different opinions and ideas. The

emotion is okay. Passive-aggressive comments and put-downs are not okay”

(p.68, Dare to Lead).


Final Takeaways…What people want…

• To be respected

• To be valued

• To be fulfilled

• To have an impact

• To understand the big picture

• To feel appreciated

• To contribute


“I define a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential. – Brene Brown

TIME FOR YOUR QUESTIONS


LET’S STAY IN TOUCH!

Michelle CoussensPlan B Consultingpractical business planning with you, for you

[email protected]

www.businessplanningforyou.com

Check out my speaking site!http://businessplanningforyou.weebly.com/

Follow me on Twitter.com @mcoussenswww.linkedin.com/in/michellecoussens/(312) 685-0055Consulting


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.businessplanningforyou.com/

http://businessplanningforyou.weebly.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellecoussens/

managing the generational mix

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