UnderstandingMultigeneration

alCommunication

Carol Hagans, Ph.D., HSPPwww.carolhagans.com

Generational Breakdownhttp://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Generations

GI & Silent Generation (1901-1942) Approximately 5% of workforce

Baby Boom (1943 – 1960) Approximately 45% of workforce

Generation X (1961 – 1980) Approximately 45% of workforce

Millennials (1980/82 – 2000/02) Approximately 5% of workforce

Homeland Generation 2004 – 2025?

Clues that Broadcast Preferences

• Clothes• Eye contact• Office• Posture and body language• Tempo• Topics of conversation• Voice• Word choice

(Raines, 2003, Connecting Generations, pg. 39)

Veterans Boomers XersMillennials

Outlook Practical Optimistic Skeptical Hopeful

Work Ethic Dedicated Driven BalancedDetermined

View ofAuthorityRespectful Love/hate Unimpressed Polite

Leadership by Hierarchy Consensus Competence Pulling tog

Relationships Personal Personal Reluctant to Inclusivesacrifice gratification commit

Turnoffs Vulgarity Political Cliché, hype Promiscuityincorrectness (Zemke, Raines, Filipczak. 2000. pg. 155)

Shifting Our Perception

The Golden Rule:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

(assumes similarities)

Titanium Rule:

Do unto others,

keeping their

preferences in

mind.(accepts diversity)

Raines, 2003, pg. 34.

Generational ValuesGI/Silents

Dedication/sacrifice

Conformity

Respect for authority

Delayed reward

Duty before pleasure

Hard work

Law and order

Patience

Honor

Adherence to rules

Boomers

Optimism

Personal gratification

Personal growth

Work

Team orientation

Health and wellness

Youth

Involvement

Zempke, Raines, Filipczak (2000). Pgs. 30, 68, 98, 132.

Generational ValuesGen Xers

Diversity

Balance

Fun

Self-reliance

Thinking globally

Technoliteracy

Informality

Pragmatism

Millennials

Optimism

Confidence

Sociability

Street smarts

Civic duty

Achievement

Morality

Diversity

Zempke, Raines, Filipczak (2000). Pgs. 30, 68, 98, 132.

Generational Clashpoints(Lancaster & Stillman, 2003, Pages 30-31.)

“chain of command” veterans

“change of command” boomers

“self-command” gen xers

“don’t command – collaborate!” millennials

Select Online & Mobile Activities of US Internet Users, by Age, Februrary 2008 (www.eMarketer.com)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

15-17 18-24 25-34 35-55 45-54 55-64 65+

e-mail

IM's

Texts

Social Networking sites

RSS feeds

Currently no, may use in the future

26%

Use22%

Do not use52%

US Internet Users Ages 40+ Who Use Social Networking Sites, May 2008 (www.eMarketer.com)

Technology Veterans:

[Forrester Research]: “The net powered

generation has internalized the Internet and

uses it instinctively.”

[Fortino Group Research]: Current 10-17 year

olds will spend 1/3 of their lives (23 years) on

the Internet.

Seven Attributes of Millennials

Conventional

Confident

Special

Sheltered

Pressured

Achieving

Team Oriented

Demographic Changes Advantageous to Millennials

1. Older parents.

2. Smaller families = more resources & more

parental time.

3. More firstborns (roughly 40%) and singletons

(approximately 10%).

4. More parental education – 1 in 4 Millennials

have at least 1 parent with a 4 year degree or

higher.

5. Slowing down of the family break-up.

Economic Climate for Millennials

During the past 10 years* (up to 9/11)

there have been only 2 weeks of

interruptions

of the cycle of prosperity whereas other

generations will have experienced periods of

9 to 10 weeks at a time.

Increasingly Diverse

34% of Millennials are Black, Hispanic, Asian or NativeAmerican.

89% of them have already been on-line, a virtual environment where races does not

exist.

Debt Load

• The average undergraduate student leaves us with $20,000 in student loan debt.

• The average graduate student leaves us with $45,000 in student load debt.

• The average credit card debt for college graduates is approximately $7,000.

(Draut, Tamara. 2005. Strapped: Why American’s 20- and 30-Somethings Can’t Get Ahead.)

Indiana Student Debt

• The average student loan debt in 2008 was $23,000 with the Indiana average = $21,283

• Indiana is 17th in the nation for the amount of student loan debt per student

Millennial Credit Card Debt

• In 2004 the average amount of credit card

debt = $3,000

• 10% of Millennials owe at least $7,000

• 78% of students have 1 credit card

• 32% have 4 or more

What trends do we see in Millennials?

• They aren’t chart and graph oriented so make info

pragmatic.

• Less hostile.

• Less rebellious than their predecessors.

• More practical-minded.

• More guarded and private about their intellectual

beliefs.

more…

Additional trends…

• May tend to be more respectful of authority.

• May be more reticent about public disputation.

• Less individualistic and more inclined to value

“team over self, duties over rights, honor over

feeling, action over words.”

• “Millennials feel more of an urge to homogenize,

to celebrate ties that bind rather than differences

that splinter.”

Clashpoints on Feedback(Lancaster & Stillman, 2003, Pg. 255)

“No news is good news.” veterans

“Feedback once a year, with lots of documentation!” boomers

“Sorry to interrupt, but how am I doing?” gen xers

“Feedback whenever I want it at the push of a button.” millennials

Clashpoints & Career Goals(Lancaster & Stillman, 2003, pg. 55)

“Build a legacy.” veterans

“Build a stellar career.” boomers

“Build a portable career.” gen xers

“Build a parallel career.” millennials

Clashpoints around Rewards(Lancaster & Stillman, 2003, pg. 77)

“The satisfaction of a job well done.” veterans

“Money, title, recognition, the corner office.” boomers

“Freedom is the ultimate reward.” gen xers

“Work that has meaning for me.” millennials

Clashpoints around Job Changing

(Lancaster & Stillman, 2003, pg. 242)

“Job changing carries a stigma.” veterans

“Job changes puts you behind.” boomers

“Job changing is necessary.” gen Xers

“Job changing is part of my daily routine.”

millennials

Levels of Response to Generational Disconnects

(Raines, 2003, Pg. 37)

Level 1: Acknowledge it and let it go.

Level 2: Change your behavior.

Level 3: Use a generational template to talk it

over.

Six Strategies to Connect Different Generations

(Raines, 2003, pg. 50)

1. Initiate conversations about generations.

2. Ask people about their needs and

preferences.

3. Offer options.

4. Personalize your style. (Use Titanium Rule.)

5. Build on strengths.

6. Pursue different perspectives.

Messages to Motivate(Zempke, Raines, Filipczak, 2000, pgs 49, 77, 113, 145.)

Veterans“Your experience is

respected here.

“It’s valuable to the rest of us to hear what has – and hasn’t – worked in the past.”

“Your perseverance is valued and will be rewarded.”

Boomers“You’re important to

our success.”

You’re valued here.”

“Your contribution is unique and important.”

“We need you.”“I approve of you.”“You’re worthy.”

Messages to Motivate 2(Zempke, Raines, Filipczak, 2000, pgs 49, 77, 113, 145.)

Gen Xers

“Do it your way.”

“We’ve got the newest hardware and software.”

“There aren’t a lot of rules here.”

“We’re not very corporate.”

Millennials

“You’ll be working with other bright, creative people.”

“Your boss is in her (or his) sixties.”

“You and your coworkers can help turn this company around.”

“You can be a hero here.”

Why they leave…(Raines, 2003, Connecting Generations, pg. 121-122)

Veterans• Physical reasons• Inconsistent enforcement of policies and procedures

Boomers• Burnout• Didn’t feel they could make a contribution

Gen Xers• Inability to get ahead without becoming managers• Opportunities with other organizations – particularly with ones that

help build resumes

Millennials• Job doesn’t meet expectations• Job is repetitive or boring, without challenges and opportunities for

development

Why they stay…(Raines, 2003, Connecting Generations, pg. 122)

Veterans• Loyalty to employer and customers• Good schedule, reasonable hour

Boomers• Making a difference

Xers• Autonomy• Good Schedule• Time off

Millennials• Professional growth• Personal satisfaction

7 Attributes of flexible supervision

(Zempke, Raines, Filipczak. 2000. pg. 157-158)

1. Their supervisory style is not fixed.

2. Their leadership style is situationally varied.

3. They depend less on positional than personal power.

4. They know when and how to make personal policy exceptions, without causing a team riot.

7 Attributes (continued)

5. They are thoughtful when matching individuals to a team or a team or individual to an assignment.

6. They balance concern for tasks and concern for people. They are neither slave drivers nor country club managers.

7. They understand the elements of trust and work to gain it from their employees. They are perceived as fair, inclusive, good communicators, and competent in their own right.

References

• Deal, Jennifer J. (2007). Retiring the generation gap: How employees young and old can find common ground. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. San Francisco, CA. ISBN 13: 978-0-7879-8525-7.

• Draut, Tamara (2005). Strapped: Why America’s 20- and 30-Somethings Can’t Get Ahead. ISBN 0-385-51505-7.

• Howe, N. & Strauss, W. (2003). Millennials Go To College. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and LifeCourse Associates. ISBN 1-578-58033-1.8

• Gravett, Linda & Throckmorton, Robin. (2007). Bridging the Generational Gap: How to Get Radio Babies, Boomers, Gen Xers, and Gen Yers to Work Together and Achieve More. Career Press, Franklin Lakes, NJ. ISBN-13: 978-1-56414-898-8

• Howe, N. & Strauss, W. Millennials Rising: The next great generation. New York: A Vintage Original, September 2000.

• Lancaster, L., & Stillman, D. (2002). When generations collide: Who they are. Why they clash. How to solve the generational puzzle at work. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. ISBN: 0-06-662106-2.

• Marano, Hara Estroff (2008). A nation of wimps: The high cost of invasive parenting. Broadway Books, NY, NY. ISBN: 978-0-7679-2403-0.

• Raines, Claire. (2003). Connecting Generations: The sourcebook for a new workplace. Crisp Publications, Inc. Menlo Park, California. ISBN: 1-56052-693-9.

• Raines, Claire. (1997). Beyond Generation X: A practical guide for managers. Crisp Publications, Inc., Menlo Park, California. ISBN: 1-56052-448-9.

• Rosen, Christine. (2007). Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism. The New Atlantis.

• Shepard, Steven. (2004). Managing the Millennials. Consultative Education in Global Telecommunications.

• Wendover, Robert. (2007). Crossing the generational divide from Boomers to Zoomers. National Press Publications, Shawnee Mission, KS. ISBN: 1555824509.

• Zemke, R., Raines, C., & Filipczak, B. Generations at work: Managing the clash of veterans, boomers, xers, and nexters in your workplace. New York: American Management Association, 2000. ISBN 0-8144-0480-4.