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 1900-1924

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”