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
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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)
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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?
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A generation is a group that shares a common lifespan range and is consequently influenced by events and experiences during that time.
Generational categories
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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
•
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Proportional trends (cont’d)
•
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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
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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
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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…
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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
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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
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Baby Boomers (a.k.a. “Me” Generation)
Approx. Yrs of birth 1946-1964
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
Work styles and attributes
• Optimism
• Competitiveness
• Workaholic-ism
• “Pay your dues”
• Corporate ladder
• Lack of work/life balance
• Career at same company
Gen X
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Approx. Yrs of birth 1965-1980
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
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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
Work styles and attributes
• 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
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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
Work styles and attributes
• 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
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Generation Alpha
Approx. Yrs of birth 2013-2025
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.
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“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
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Deconstructing assumptions and cliches
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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?
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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)
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*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
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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
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“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
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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).
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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
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“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
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LET’S STAY IN TOUCH!
Michelle CoussensPlan B Consultingpractical business planning with you, for you
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
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