Post on 04-Jul-2020
Valuing Differences within Project Teams
25 May 2010
Presented by
Lifetime Leaders, Inc. www.lifetimeleaders.com
In the 1950s, white males comprised over 60% of the American workforce.
Today, a mix of genders, races and other factors make up the American workforce.
These differences often lead to conflict…
Valuing Differences
• People find comfort in similarilities and likeness• Many people feel threatened by differences• Valuing differences does not equate to liking
and/or accepting everything
Valuing Differences
• Stereotype - Taking an attribute of a group/individual and applying it to every individual in the group
• Most people stereotype as a form of expediency, but to not move beyond the stereotype is insensitivity
Valuing Differences
• People act and communicate based on teachings from their background
• Each background has distinct attributes– Attitudes, Behaviors, Expectations,
Motivational buttons, etc.• Learning about the attributes of the
different backgrounds can minimize many of the conflicts
100 Years in the Making
• Generation Z, 2001-Present• Millennials or Generation Y, 1980-2000• Generation X, 1965-1979• Baby Boomers, 1946-1964• Silent Generation, 1925-1945• G.I. Generation, 1900-1924
1906San Francisco
Earthquake
1912Titanic Sinks
1914WWI Begins
1919WWI Ends
1929Stock Market
Crashes
1932
Roosevelt Elected
President
1935
Social Security
Act
1939
Germany invades Poland
1941Perl Harbor
1944D-Day
1945Hiroshima
1950Korean War
1954Brown vs. Board
of Education
1955
Montgomery Bus Boycott
1957Spudnik Satellite
1960
Kennedy Elected
President
1962Cuban Missile Crisis
1963 Pres. Kennedy Assassinated
1968 MLK Assassinated
1968 Robert Kennedy Assassinated
1965Vietnam
War Begins
1968
Nixon Elected
President
1969
Apollo Moon
Landing
1974
Watergate Scandal
1975Vietnam
War Ends 1978
Camp David Peace
Agreement
1980
Reagan Elected
President
1981AIDS
Identified1986
Challenger Explosion
1983
MLK Holiday
GI GenerationGI Generation
100 Years in the Making
GI Generation Traits
• Age: 86-110 years old today• Hard workers• Respect for Authority• Loyal• Trust in government• Cooperative Attitude• Civic minded• Formal – men wore suits and ties everywhere
Their children are the Silent GenerationSilent Generation
Tagged “The Greatest Generation” by Tom Brokaw, this generation came of age during the Great Depression, fought World War II then returned to build America into the strongest economy in the world.
1906San Francisco
Earthquake
1912Titanic Sinks
1914WWI Begins
1919WWI Ends
1929Stock Market
Crashes
1932
Roosevelt Elected
President
1935
Social Security
Act
1939
Germany invades Poland
1941Perl Harbor
1944D-Day
1945Hiroshima
1950Korean War
1954Brown vs. Board
of Education
1955
Montgomery Bus Boycott
1957Spudnik Satellite
1960
Kennedy Elected
President
1962Cuban Missile Crisis
1963 Pres. Kennedy Assassinated
1968 MLK Assassinated
1968 Robert Kennedy Assassinated
1965Vietnam
War Begins
1968
Nixon Elected
President
1969
Apollo Moon
Landing
1974
Watergate Scandal
1975Vietnam
War Ends 1978
Camp David Peace
Agreement
1980
Reagan Elected
President
1981AIDS
Identified1986
Challenger Explosion
1983
MLK Holiday
Silent Generation
100 Years in the Making
Silent Generation 1925-1945
Silent Generation Traits
• Age: 65-85 years old today• Calm, quiet, peaceful• Value stability• Growing economy• Pursuit of the American Dream• Emergence of Suburbia• Minorities denied access to resources
Their children are the Baby BoomersBaby Boomers
1906San Francisco
Earthquake
1912Titanic Sinks
1914WWI Begins
1919WWI Ends
1929Stock Market
Crashes
1932
Roosevelt Elected
President
1935
Social Security
Act
1939
Germany invades Poland
1941Perl Harbor
1944D-Day
1945Hiroshima
1950Korean War
1954Brown vs. Board
of Education
1955
Montgomery Bus Boycott
1957Spudnik Satellite
1960
Kennedy Elected
President
1962Cuban Missile Crisis
1963 Pres. Kennedy Assassinated
1968 MLK Assassinated
1968 Robert Kennedy Assassinated
1965Vietnam
War Begins
1968
Nixon Elected
President
1969
Apollo Moon
Landing
1974
Watergate Scandal
1975Vietnam
War Ends 1978
Camp David Peace
Agreement
1980
Reagan Elected
President
1981AIDS
Identified1986
Challenger Explosion
1983
MLK Holiday
Baby Boomers
100 Years in the Making
Baby Boomers 1946-1964
Baby Boomer Traits
• Age: 46-64 years old today• Better educated than previous generations• More ethnically diverse• More economically diverse• Distrustful of government• More apt to job hop
Their children are Generations X & YGenerations X & Y
1906San Francisco
Earthquake
1912Titanic Sinks
1914WWI Begins
1919WWI Ends
1929Stock Market
Crashes
1932
Roosevelt Elected
President
1935
Social Security
Act
1939
Germany invades Poland
1941Perl Harbor
1944D-Day
1945Hiroshima
1950Korean War
1954Brown vs. Board
of Education
1955
Montgomery Bus Boycott
1957Spudnik Satellite
1960
Kennedy Elected
President
1962Cuban Missile Crisis
1963 Pres. Kennedy Assassinated
1968 MLK Assassinated
1968 Robert Kennedy Assassinated
1965Vietnam
War Begins
1968
Nixon Elected
President
1969
Apollo Moon
Landing
1974
Watergate Scandal
1975Vietnam
War Ends 1978
Camp David Peace
Agreement
1980
Reagan Elected
President
1981AIDS
Identified1986
Challenger Explosion
1983
MLK Holiday
Generations X & Y
1994
OJ Simpson
Trial
1995
Oklahoma Bombing
1998
Lewinsky Scandal
100 Years in the Making
Generation X 1965-1979
Generation X Traits
• Age: 31- 45 years old today• More ethnically diverse than Baby Boomers• Better educated than the Baby Boomers (over
60% attended college)• The first generation to grow up with computers • Tend to work to live rather than live to work• Entrepreneurial spirit; Value freedom and
autonomy to achieve desired goals and to set their own hours
Their children are Generation YGeneration Y
Generation Y 1980-2000
Generation Y Traits
• Age: 10-30 years old today• Grew up with technology• Constantly “plugged in” to technology• Group sports, play dates• Seek work-life balance through technology
and flexible schedules
CommunicationsLeadership
Expectations
CommunicationsBoomer speaking to another Boomer…
Likely interpreted by the Boomer as a directive that it must be done now.
Boomer speaking to a Gen-Xer…
The Gen-Xer may perceive it as an observation and may or may not do it immediately.
“We need to get the status report done.”
“This needs to be done.”
So What?
CommunicationsSo What?
A Gen-X PM may be comfortable contacting team members outside business hours, while a Silent Generation team member may become offended thinking its too intrusive.
A Gen-X PM may be comfortable contacting team members outside business hours, while a Silent Generation team member may become offended thinking its too intrusive.
While a Silent Generation or Boomer PM will call a meeting to discuss a matter, a Gen-Y manager may prefer to send an email.
While a Silent Generation or Boomer PM will call a meeting to discuss a matter, a Gen-Y manager may prefer to send an email.
A Gen-X manager may interrupt your conference call seeking information via IM A Gen-X manager may interrupt your conference call seeking information via IM
Leadership
• Although they are technology savvy and achievement oriented, most millennials don’t excel at leadership and independent problem solving.
So What?
Expectations
• “The forty hour work week does not have to be spent in the office.”
• “Don’t call me at home.”
• “I’ll do whatever it takes to excel.”
So What?
Expectations
At the end of a project, a Silent Generation PM recognizes a team member for extraordinary work done to drive the project to completion
The Generation X team member appears annoyed and asks, “Why didn’t I get this three weeks ago, when the milestone was accomplished?”
What’s the probable disconnect?
What’s a potential solution?
So What?
Bad Attitude
Poor Work EthicImpersonal
Suck Up
Lazy
Don’t judge…-Matt 7:7
Seek first to understand… -S.F. Covey
List of Sources• Brokaw, The Greatest Generation, 1998• Forbes, An Aging Workforce's Effect On U.S. Employers,
9/29/05• Kane, Generation X, Generation Y, Baby Boomers,
Traditionalists, About.com Guide• Rosenberg, Names of Generations, About.com Guide • U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census • The Intergenerational Center at Temple University,
Capturing Experience: How People 50+ Can Help Your Organization
• Tripodi and Gross, “The Lost Generation”