Connecting Across Generations Michelle Cronk ...€¦ · employees work better together Impacts recruiting and retaining talent Knowing generational trends, behaviors, and attitudes

GENERATIONALCOMMUNICATIONSConnecting Across Generations

Michelle Cronk, North Kansas City SchoolsLaura Hulett, Platte County School District

@mcronk4875, @NKCSchools@LauraDHulett, @PlatteCountyR3

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How do you take your coffee?

Why is this important to education? To any business?To any employer?

Impacts workforce dynamicsKnowing generational trends, behaviors, and attitudes can help your employees work better together

Impacts recruiting and retaining talentKnowing generational trends, behaviors, and attitudes can help you shape your district’s culture, offerings, and benefits

Impacts customer relationsYour stakeholders come from every generation. How can you find common ground, build trust, and inspire action across generations?

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TRADITIONALISTS

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Pre 1945

▪ Respectful of authority, institutions, and tradition

▪ Loyal to employers▪ Hard-working▪ Detail-oriented▪ Patriotic

BABY BOOMERS

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1946-1964

▪ ‘Live to Work’ philosophy▪ Conservative▪ Dedicated▪ Knowledgeable▪ Competitive▪ Optimistic▪ Questions authority▪ Process-oriented▪ Love meetings!

GENERATION X

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1965-1979

▪ Work to live▪ Hard-working and tech ‘literate’▪ Independent but collaborative▪ Adaptable▪ Entrepreneurial▪ Skeptical, question authority▪ Limited opportunities to move

up

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MILLENNIALS / GEN Y

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1980-1995

▪ Work to make a difference▪ Less faith in institutions▪ Cyber-literate▪ Seeks meaning, craves

feedback▪ Team-oriented▪ Empowered, seeks flexibility▪ Needs stimulation, variety, and

challenge

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GENERATION Z

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1996-2012

▪ Resourceful▪ Realistic▪ Diverse▪ Less likely to be

team-oriented▪ “Phygital” - physical and

digital▪ Creative and tech-oriented

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Write me.Call me.Email me.Text me.FaceTime me.

IN THE WORKPLACENow that we know where each generation is coming from, what has shaped them, and what matters to them, how can we understand their motivations and work better together?

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Face-to-face opportunities

Pre-Boomers like face-to-face time.

Boomers are the personable group and are all about meetings – get together and discuss it.

Millenials are great face-to-face with the Pre-Boomers (people of their grandparents’ generation).

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Digital communication musts

Gen X prefer electronic communication because it’s more efficient.

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Text messaging is mandatory for Millennials.

Understand their motives.

X-ers can discuss an issue without having to be right.

Boomers tend to be the “my way or the highway” type.

Pre-Boomers see things in black and white with ethics being first and foremost.

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Gen Ys look for the greater good, almost like “all for one and one for all.”

Some of these things can be “sticking points” for certain generations. Is there anything you can do to cater?

Communication Work Hours Meetings

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Dress Code “Fun” at Work Decision-Making

Feedback

“

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Look beyond appearances.

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WITH OURCUSTOMERSNow that we know where each generation is coming from, what has shaped them, and what matters to them, how can we better communicate, build trust, and inspire our stakeholders

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Just like cell phones have evolved, so should the way we communicate.

Do you know your audiences?

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STAKEHOLDERS

STUDENTS STAFF

PARENTS COMMUNITY

76%Of our parents get information about PCR-3 from e-newsletter (up 2% from last year)

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District Website

Staff24

Other Mediums used by our Parents

Facebook

Mailed Newsletter

Building Newsletter

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70%Of our students get information from Teachers/Staff (same as last year)

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48%Percentage of millennials who are moms in 2016

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38Age the oldest millennials turn in 2018

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Be ready to change as your audience changes.

It’s not what you say, but how you say it!

GENERATIONALCOMMUNICATIONSConnecting Across Generations

Michelle Cronk, North Kansas City SchoolsLaura Hulett, Platte County School District

@mcronk4875, @NKCSchools@LauraDHulett, @PlatteCountyR3