Connecting or Conflicting? Randy R. Weigel “At Home on the Range” February 21-23, 2006.

Connecting or Conflicting?Randy R. Weigel

“At Home on the Range”February 21-23, 2006

“How and where did Kennedy die?”

What is a generation?

Generations at Work, 2000, Zemke, Raines and Filipczak

Generational cohort—people born in the same general time span who share key life experiences and develop shared values, attitudes and expectations.

Family Community

Society Global

Bioecological Systems Theory

Generations, 1991, Strauss and Howe

The Fourth Turning, 1997, Strauss and Howe    

Generational Name: GI Silent Boom Thirteenth Millennial

Born: 1901-24 1925-42 1943-60 1961-81 1982-03

Length (Years): 24 18 18 21 22

Age in 2005 104 to 81 80 to 63 62 to 45 44 to 24 23 to 2

Generations at Work, 2000, Zemke, Raines and Filipczak

Generational Name:   Veterans

Baby Boomers

Generation Xers

GenerationNexters

Born:   1922-43 1943-60 1960-80 1980-00

Length (Years):   22 18 21 22

Age in 2005   83 to 62 62 to 45 45 to 25 25 to 5

Each generation faces………..

Defining Moments orSignificant Social Events(DM/SSE)

VeteransBorn 1922 – 1943

a.k.a. TraditionalistsMaturesG.I.SilentGood TimeWW II

What were DM/SSEs for this generation?

Defining Events—Veteran Generation

1929 – The Great Depression Begins

1933 – The Dust Bowl in the Midwest

1933 – The New Deal Enacted (WPA & CCC)

1941 – Pearl Harbor--U.S. enters WW II

1945 – FDR diesAtomic bombs droppedVictory in Europe and Japan

1950 – Korean Conflict (1950-53)anticommunist fears surge

What to Remember about Veterans:

• They are dedicated to a job once they take it

• They are respectful of authority, even if it frustrates them

• They place duty before pleasure

• Patience is a virtue. They are willing to wait for rewards

• Honor and integrity are critical parts of their being

• They are reluctant to challenge the system. They are conformers

• They are strongly patriotic.

Messages that Motivate (Connect) with Veterans:

• “Your experience is respected here.”

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

• “Your perseverance is valued and will be rewarded.”

Baby BoomersBorn 1943 – 1960

a.k.a. BoomersPepsiNowMeWoodstockNuAgersLoveYuppieVietnam

What were DM/SSEs for this generation?

Defining Events—Baby Boomer Generation

1949 – TV Age Begins

1957 – Congress passes the Civil Rights Act

1962 – Cuban missile crisis

1963 – President Kennedy assassinated

1965 – U.S. sends combat troops to Vietnam

1968 – Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy assassinated

1969 – Neil Armstrong walks on the MoonWoodstock

1970 – Kent State University shootings

What to Remember about Baby Boomers

• Boomers live to work

• A general sense of optimism regardless of what happens

• They are champions of causes

• They have always been willing to go into debt

• They tend to be team and process oriented, sometimes to the detriment of results

• Boomers strive for convenience and personal gratification

• Boomers are very nostalgic about their youth and seek to preserve it.

Messages that Motivate (Connect) with Boomers:

• “You’re important to our success.”

• “You’re valued here.”

• “Your contribution is unique and important.”

• “We need you.”

Generation XBorn 1960 – 1980

a.k.a. Gen XXersThirteenersBaby BustersPost-BoomersLost Generation

What were DM/SSEs for this generation?

Defining Events – Generation X

1973 – Arab oil embargo--energy crisis begins

1974 – Watergate scandalRichard Nixon resigns

1976 – First personal computers introduced

1979 – Mass corporate layoffs beginIran hostage crisis begins

1980 – AIDS receives worldwide attentionJohn Lennon assassinated

1981 – Ronald Reagan inaugurated

1986 – Space shuttle Challenger explodes

1989 – Fall of Berlin Wall

What to Remember about Generation X

• Xers work to live rather than live to work

• Jobs are viewed within the context of a contract

• Xers view the world pragmatically

• They are noted for being self-reliant

• Xers are attracted to the “edge”

• Xers approach to authority is casual

• To them, versatility of skills and experience ensures employability.

Messages that Motivate (Connect) with Generation X:

• “Do it your way.”

• “There aren’t a lot of rules here.”

• “We’re not very corporate.”

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

MillennialsBorn 1980 – 2000

a.k.a. NextersGen YYEcho BoomersNet GenNintendo Generation

What were DM/SSEs for this generation?

Defining Events—Millennials

• 1990 – Desert Storm

• 1991 – Windows introduced by Microsoft

• 1995 – Oklahoma City bombing

• 1996 – O.J. Simpson trial

• 1999 – Columbine High School shootingsImpeachment of President ClintonY2K crisis

• 2001 – Terrorist attacks on September 11th

• 2002 – War in Afghanistan

• 2003 – War in Iraq

What to Remember about Millennials

• They have been conditioned to live in the moment

• The believe technology has all the answers

• Clear and consistent expectations are essential for productivity

• They are optimistic, civic-oriented but also ‘street smart’

• Work should be fun

• They will give respect when they are treated with respect

• They are astoundingly diverse demographically.

Messages that Motivate (Connect) with Millennials:

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

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

• “Your boss is in her sixties.”

The Internet: A whole new world

Lingo:

BTWIMHOT2UL8R

FAQsSPAMISPSMS

Phrases:

“See you online”

“The Server’s down”

“Email me”

“Behind the firewall”

Signatures: :-) ;-) :-*

1970’s

1940’s

1960’s1950’s

1980’s

1990’s

Learn all you can about other generations

PERSONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHARACTERISITCS BY GENERATION

Veterans(1922-43)

Baby Boomers(1943-60)

Generation X(1960-80)

Millennials(1980-00)

Core Values Respect for authorityConformersDiscipline

OptimismInvolvement

SkepticismFunInformality

RealismConfidenceExtreme funSocial

Family TraditionalNuclear

Disintegrating Latch-key kids Merged families

Education A dream A birthright A way to get there

An incredible expense

Communication Rotary phonesone-on-one

Touch-tone phonesCall me anytime

Cell phonesCall me only at work

InternetPicture phonesE-mail

Work Ethic Hard Work Workaholics Eliminate What’s next?

Hammel, G. (2005). Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees.

Manage according to values and attitudes

Be wary of stereotyping

“I remember”……..The sure-fire way to makeyourself irrelevant.

Appreciate the Strengths of the Generations

Connecting with Generations goes both ways

“…too many family trees are split apart or friendship bonds

are broken because we are stuck in the mind-set that the phrase

in my day means it’s ‘the only way.’ Instead, we have to let

in my day become a way to connect with one another. Exposingourselves to generational diversity can offer wonderful insight into how the world once was, how it is today, and where we allmight be in the future.”

Lancaster, L., & Stillman, D. When Generations Collide

Connecting or Conflicting?