Generationally Challenged

"Our 20 and 30-somethings want change, and they want it NOW. Our 60-somethings insist that things are find just as they are. Our 40-somethings are fine with the idea of changes, as long as they can be in charge of making the changes. Our 50-somethings don't know what to think about the changes, and are all nervous and frustrated!" Sound familiar?

Without a doubt, we live in one of the most challenging periods of time when it comes to the differences in attitudes, opinions, and perspectives among the different generations in the workplace. We are typically faced with up to four different generations in the workforce, and the things that shaped their individual attitudes, opinions, and perspectives range from the effects of the great depression to the ever popular Blackberry phone.

This wide range of influences understandably creates challenges to managing and communicating with team members representing different generations. But the challenges are not insurmountable. It just takes an understanding of the motivators and communication styles that work best with each generation.

A generation is defined, for the most part, as a group of individuals born within a period of about eighteen years. In today's society, our four basic workforce generations are:

- The silent generation: born before 1946 (ages 62 to 83)
- The baby-boomers: born between 1946 and 1964 (ages 43 to 61)
- Generation X: born between 1965 and 1977 (ages 30-42)
- Generation Y: born between 1978 and 1986 (ages 21 to 29)

The composition of the workforce today looks something like this:

Silents: around 10% and declining fast
Baby-boomers: around 45% and declining slowly
Generation X: around 30% and increasing slowly
Generation Y: around 15% and increasing rapidly

The things that shaped the attitudes, opinions, and perspectives of these four generations are as varied as the people themselves. The Silents were shaped by events such as the residual effects of the Great Depression and World War II. The Baby-boomers were shaped by events such as the civil rights struggles, the conflict in Vietnam, and the Watergate scandal. Generation X was shaped by the technology boom of the 1980's, much of that technology adding to the fun in life, the collapse of communism, and unfortunate corporate downsizing. Generation Y was shaped by events such as the development of the internet, global competition for most industries, the global war on terror, unprecedented levels of affluence, and reality T.V.

Let's take a look at how the different generations view things and how to best communicate with each of them. The Silents rely on the tried, true, and tested ways of doing things. They tend to like hierarchy and order, are comfortable with very directive leadership, are willing to climb the ladder patiently, have difficulty adjusting to change, and are very loyal to their employers. Effectively communicating with Silents requires understanding that, by nature, Silents are very private. Don't expect members of this generation to share their thoughts immediately. For the Silent, a manager's word is his/her bond, so it's important to focus on words rather than body language or inferences. They prefer face to face or written communication. Don't waste their time, or let them feel as though their time is being wasted.

“Boomers” often feel that they paid their dues and climbed the ladder under the old rules. They pride themselves on survival skills, feel betrayed by downsizing, reengineering, and restructuring. They believe in the value of hard work and tend to be very competitive. They are idealistic and value a democratic work environment. They view work groups as social groups and seek to change institutions. Effectively communicating with Boomers requires remembering that Boomers are the "show me" generation, so your body language is important when communicating. They speak in an open, direct style but avoid controlling language. They will usually answer questions thoroughly and expect to be pressed for the details. You should present options to demonstrate flexibility in your thinking.

Generation X workers formed the vanguard of the free-agent workforce. They tend to be very resourceful, wanting to stay on the cutting edge. They are a bit suspicious of institutions and are usually willing to break the rules. They are also very adaptable to change and new technology. To effectively communicate with Gen X workers, use email as a primary communication tool. Talk in short sound bites to keep their attention. Ask them for their feedback and provide them with regular feedback. Share information with them on a regular basis and strive to keep them in the loop. Use an informal communication style. They don't respond well to rigid structures.

Gen Y workers are the children of “Baby Boomers” and the optimistic, upbeat younger siblings of Generation X. They see themselves as global citizens who are environmentally conscious. They are often volunteer-minded and socially conscious. However, their opinions are sometimes tainted by privilege. They are our most cyber literate, media savvy generation. They tend to be concerned about personal safety. They will usually base their judgment of institutions on their own merit rather than making generalizations. They like to do everything fast – even instantly. They tend to be impatient. In order to effectively communicate with Gen Y workers, use action words and challenge them at every opportunity. They will resent it if you talk down to them. They prefer email communication or text messages. Seek their feedback constantly and provide them with regular feedback. Use humor and create a fun learning environment. Don't take yourself too seriously. Encourage them to take risks and challenge long-standing paradigms so that they can explore and develop new ways of accomplishing things.

If this all seems a bit overwhelming, don't worry. Every generation basically wants the same thing - respect. Showing team members they are valued and respected is the key to unlocking the secrets to working with multiple generations. Ultimately, the success that managers seek in dealing with any generation of workers will be dependent on how good they are at developing and maintaining successful, mutually respecting relationships with their team members.

Mike Purcell - Speaker, Trainer, Author
President - Compass Performance Group, LLC
http://www.high-impacttraining.com/
http://www.getsaddlesense.com/

Off To A Great Start

I was recently sitting in the office of a client where we were visiting about first one thing and then another. As he picked up some items from the side of his desk nearest to me, I noticed a sheet of paper, folded in half, simply printed with a photo of someone on the front, and a title that read A Very Short Book above the photo. My curiosity got the best of me, and I just had to ask if I could look at this very short book. It turned out to be a collection of bits of advice for young, first-time pastors. It was written by a retired Presbyterian minister from Texas named Bill O'Neal.

This collection numbered nineteen short pieces of very solid advice about how to fit in, endear oneself to the new congregation, and stay out of the danger areas that are easily stumbled into by young pastors. They were, no doubt, all lessons he had learned from his own experiences in his long career as a pastor.

As I looked at this list of thoughts, it occured to me that, with minimal changes to Pastor O'Neal's phrasing, at least thirteen of the nineteen items he spoke of could easily be applicable and timely advice for new supervisors or managers. Here is what he offered as advice (where substitute words apply, I have added them in parentheses):

- For beginning ministers (supervisors/managers): Take a good look at yourself, and if you really don't like people, do something else, like get a PhD and teach, be a stock broker, or bureaucrat.

- When you start a new pastorate (supervisory assignment), simply show up, smile, and let the people know you are happy to be there.

- Make no changes for at least the first year. Exception: Unless there is a clear indication that the people (your team) are ready for it.

- If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

- Avoid conflict with the Presbyterian Women. It can be hazardous to your health. (New supervisors - don't stir up the ladies. They have more power than you realize!)

- Listen to your members (subordinates) and respect their stories and history. Many of them have been doing church (working in their jobs) since before you were born.

- Major in preaching, teaching, and pastoral care (coaching, supporting, and showing that you really care about your team). Everything else will fall into place.

- Try not to give the impression that you think the church (this department or work area) was about to tank before you came to save it.

- Don't swagger or smirk. It gives a bad signal. Remember you are a servant.

- Be a friend to your colleagues in ministry (your peers in the workplace). It can be lonely out there.

- Don't pick a fight you can't win. You only waste your capital.

- Avoid an adversarial attitude toward the church members (your work team).

- Let her lay where Jesus flung her. (Don't dig up old issues that need to be left alone).

As Pastor O'Neal has proven, the wisdom of the ages is usually free and willingly offered to the next generation. Our task is to accept, embrace, and implement that wisdom, then pass it on to the next generation as those before us did for us. Hopefully, you will feel compelled to share this wisdom with others in your organization.

Thanks to you, Pastor O'Neal, for sharing your experiences!

Mike Purcell - Speaker, Trainer, Author
President - Compass Performance Group, LLC
http://www.high-impacttraining.com/
http://www.getsaddlesense.com/

Stealing Their Time

Recently, I took my family on a vacation to the gulf coast of Florida. We stayed at an RV park with direct access to the beach. The weather was great, and there was plenty to keep us busy. But even in this beautiful setting, and with all of the great family things to do, I found it hard to get myself out of the business mode and focus on vacation.

Many of you who read this will find that it hits very close to home for you as well. With less people to handle greater work loads, increased expectations in higher positions of leadership, and greater competition for fewer valued positions within most organizations, we are all working harder than ever to be the best managers and leaders that we can be.

While there is certainly no shame in being a very driven and dedicated person, we sometimes overlook the need to be equally dedicated to other very important aspects of our lives. Family time, when we are engaged in it, should garner as much of our attention and dedication as work time does. One of the most important tasks we face in our lives is that of raising our children. And just like the relationships we culture and care for in our work lives, we must be constantly vigilant to work on building and maintaining those critical family relationships as well.

The next time you are planning for a family vacation or outing, spend a little extra time ahead of the event laying the ground work to ensure that your focus is as much on family time as it can possibly be. Your family will give you a great performance evaluation for your efforts!

Mike Purcell - Speaker, Trainer, Author
President, Compass Performance Group, LLC
www.high-impacttraining.com
www.getsaddlesense.com

Welcome to HR Roundup!

Welcome, bloggers! This blog space has been created for HR professionals and others who are interested in the personal and professional leadership development of themselves and their teams. My hope is that this will provide a great forum for like-minded folks to share their thoughts and ideas about training and development, as well as, the challenges and rewards of leadership. I also hope those who chose to participate will share success stories, ask questions, share resources, and be willing to give of themselves as much as they look to gain from others.

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See you back here soon.

Mike Purcell - Speaker, Trainer, and Author
President, Compass Performance Group, LLC
www.high-impacttraining.com
www.getsaddlesense.com