Please Respect My Generation! 5 Generations at work

PLEASE RESPECT MY GENERATION! 5 GENERATIONS AT WORK

SAIGE 10th Annual National Training Conference

Thursday, June 6, 201310:15 am – 11:30 am

Northern Quest Hotel, Spokane, Washington

Presented by: Cynthia D. Dunn, DirectorInternal Revenue Service (IRS)

Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) DivisionOffice of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

Washington, DC

WHO AM I?

• Cynthia Dunn, Director, IRS, TE/GE, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• Highest Ranking Native American Ancestry Official in TE/GE

• 33 Years of Federal Service• EEO/EDI/Diversity/Civil Rights Field

since 1992• Lifetime Member of SAIGE• Tribal Affiliation = Crow, Blackfeet,

and Black Hawk• Proud Mother and Grandmother

AGENDA•Generational BINGO – Opening Exercise•The Aging Workforce•The Five Generations at Work•Generational Communication/Biases•Generational Talk – Exercise•Generational Quotes•The F.A.I.R. Approach to Generational Diversity•A Quick Review•The Way We Lived - Exercise•Our Future Generation•Questions?•Contact Information

GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY BINGO – OPENING EXERCISE

A person over 50 years of age

A lifetime member of SAIGE

A person who has attended a

Tribal College or University

A person who speaks more

than one language

1st time in Spokane

A person who is of Navajo decent

A person who grew up on an

Indian reservation

A person under 30 years of age

A person who has lived outside of

the USA

A person who is left-handed

A person who has attended

more than one SAIGE

Conference

A person who marched for a

causeFREE SPACE

A person who has worked for 3 or more federal government

agencies

A person who is registered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs

A person who has over 25

years of federal service

A person with American Indian/ Alaskan Native

heritage

A person who was born on a recognized day of celebration

A person who has attended a Pow Wow

SAIGE Board Member (present

or past)

A person who has both parents

still living

A person who has experienced discrimination

1st SAIGE Conference

A person who has less than 10

years of federal service

Cherokee Tribal Affiliation

GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY BINGO

Ways t o val ue diver sit yWays t o val ue diver sit y

Openly communicate.Openly communicate.

Share information, expectations, and unwritten rules with Share information, expectations, and unwritten rules with everyone.everyone.

OO

Give respect.Give respect.

Treat all people fairly, honestly, and with positive regard.Treat all people fairly, honestly, and with positive regard.GG

Never assume!Never assume!

Ask questions; listen carefully; check understanding.Ask questions; listen carefully; check understanding.NN

Include others.Include others.

Have a variety of people involved in all groups and Have a variety of people involved in all groups and activities.activities.

II

Be aware.Be aware.

Broaden your general knowledge of groups and cultures.Broaden your general knowledge of groups and cultures.BB

THE AGING WORKFORCE

PEOPLE ARE LIVING LONGER…

• George Roberts, born 1908, Oldest and Longest-serving Federal Employee

• Emma Tillman, born 1892, died @ 114 yrs old January 28, 2007

• Madame Jeanne Louise Calment, born 1875 (died @ 122 years, 164 days old August 4, 1997)

THE AGING WORKFORCE

THE FIVE GENERATIONS AT WORK

MATURES

• Born before 1939 • Influenced by the Military• 35 million people today• Hard Workers• Respect for Rules• Dedicated to the Job

TIPS ON WORKING WITH MATURES

• Allow the employee to set the “rules of engagement”

• Ask what has worked for them in the past and fit your approach to that experience

• Let them define quality and fit your approach to that definition

• Use testimonials from the nation’s institutions (government, business, or people)

• Emphasize that you’ve seen a particular approach work in the past, don’t highlight uniqueness

BABY BOOMERS

• 1940-1963• Most influential

people today• 80 million people• Team Oriented• Personal Gratification and Growth• Ambitious and Driven to Succeed

TIPS ON WORKING WITH BABY BOOMERS

• Show them how you can help them use time wisely

• Assess their comfort level with technology in advance

• Demonstrate how important a strong team is

• Customize your style to their unique needs• Emphasize that working with you will be a

good experience for them• Emphasize that their decision is a good one

and a “victory” for them—they’re competitive and want to win

• Follow up and check in and ask how the individual is doing on a regular basis

GENERATION X

• 1964-1980• Prove it to me• 45 million people• Fun and Informative• Self Reliant and Pragmatic• Techno Literacy

TIPS ON WORKING WITH GENERATION X• Put all the options on the table• Be prepared to answer “why”• Present yourself as an information

provider• Use their peers as testimonials when

possible• Appear to enjoy your work • Follow up and meet your

commitments. They’re eager to improve and expect you to follow through

GENERATION MILLENNIALS OR GENERATION Y

• 1981-1990• Instant Gratification• 75 million people• Feel Civic Duty• Optimistic• Achievement Oriented

TIPS ON WORKING WITH MILLENNIALS/GENERATION Y• Offer customization—a plan

specific to them• Offer peer-level examples• Spend time providing information

and guidance • Be impressed with their decisions

NEWEST GENERATION – GENERATION 9/11

• Born after 1991• Less optimistic about the

future• Not many are in the

workforce yet• Questions the Importance of

College• All They Know is War• Start Working early

TIPS ON WORKING WITH GENERATION 9/11

• Understand that all they know is war, consequently they will face the aftermath of the Iraq war and the effects of today’s political decisions.

• They are emotionally tied to global violence and economic issues.

• If dissatisfied in the workplace they are most likely to change jobs

• We’ll be learning more about this generation over time

TIPS ON WORKING WITH GENERATION 9/11

• Understand that all they know is war, consequently they will face the aftermath of the Iraq war and the effects of today’s political decisions.

• They are emotionally tied to global violence and economic issues.

• If dissatisfied in the workplace they are most likely to change jobs

• We’ll be learning more about this generation over time

GENERATIONAL COMMUNICATIONHow is communicating with someone

from another generation different from communicating with someone

from your own generation?

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages?

DETERMINING GENERATIONAL BIASES

How do you prefer to communicate – email or phone?

What operating system are you running?

Do you participate or allow your employees participate in the alternate work schedules?

WHAT CAN WE DO TO KEEP GENERATIONAL BIASES OUT OF THE WORKPLACE?

• Understand that generations, like ethic traits or other personal characteristics, help make us who we are. These differences contribute to a diverse and vibrant workplace.

• Respect those differences.• Try to understand those differences and think

positively about them.• Treat others with respect at all times.• Try to avoid all stereotypes, be they negative or

positive.• Remember that all traits of a generation may not

apply to everyone in that generation.• Try to be flexible with others.• Explain to others why it is wrong if you feel that

you’re being stereotyped.• Try to learn from one another what each generation

has to offer.

GENERATIONAL TALK - EXERCISE

Acronyms or Text Talk?

Abbreviations?

Social Media (Facebook, twitter, texting)

What in the world does that stand for?

GENERATIONAL QUOTES  “Wisdom is perishable. Unlike

information or knowledge, it cannot be stored in a computer or recorded

in a book. It expires with each passing generation.”

“Before you go and criticize the younger generation, just remember

who raised them.”

“Blessed is the generation in which the old listen to the young; and

doubly blessed is the generation in which the young listen to the old”

F.A.I.R. APPROACH TO F.A.I.R. APPROACH TO GENERATIONAL GENERATIONAL DIVERSITYDIVERSITY

F = FeedbackA = AssistanceI = InclusionR = Respect

A QUICK REVIEW

• Generational context is not about age, but common experiences

• Acknowledge your team’s expectations, not just your own

• Different is neither right nor wrong, just different

• Age-ism is the death of any coaching strategy• Generational understanding does not take the

place of concern for the individual• Different generations care about different

approaches to the same problem – highlight points accordingly

• Technology is not universal – assess your team members’ affinity level before making communication assumptions

THE WAY WE LIVED…A GENERATIONAL EXERCISE

• Name a political or major event that impacted your life/generation.

• Tell us about your music/movies/food/ clothing.

• Describe to us the technology in your generation.

• Who are your heroes?• What do you like about your

generation?

OUR FUTURE GENERATION

QUESTIONS?

MY CONTACT INFORMATION

Cynthia Dunn, Director, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)

IRS - TE/GE: Office of EDI999 North Capitol Street, NE

Washington, DC 20002Phone: 202-283-9959

Cell: [email protected]