How to manage successfully in a multi-generational workforce

There has been eighteen generations in the history of the United States.  A generation lasts approximately 22 years, which is the time frame needed to move from one life phase to the next, such "youth" (0-21)  to "rising" (22-43) or from "midlife" (44-65) to "elder" (66-87)

Currently there are five generations living:

GI born 1901-1924
Silent/Traditionalists/Veterans/Greatest born 1925-1942
Boom born 1943-1960
Generation X born 1961-1981
Generation Y/Echo Generation/Millennials born 1982-2001

Silent/Traditionalists/Veterans/Greatest were born from 1925 to 1942. They were born in a birth rate trough due to the war; both the generation before and the one after were larger. They currently represent only about 5% of the workforce. They are the keepers of tradition, and they annoy action oriented boomers and tech-savvy Gen Xers and Millennials.  The Depression, World War II, and the post-war boom were defining events in their youth.  This generation produced virtually every major figure in the civil rights movement. They:

• Have respect for authority
• Value obedience over individualism
• Are oriented to the past ("In my day...")
• Are loyal and dependable
• Believe in "an honest day's pay for an honest day's work"

You can assist Veteran leaders by:

• Being patient but firm
• Coaching them on their people skills
• Assisting them with technological change
• Providing information in a timely manner
• Respecting and valuing their life and work experience
• Holding everyone accountable for performance and behavior

Baby Boomers were born from 1943 and 1960.  They grew up in largely positive and optimistic times.  The Vietnam War was the defining experience of their youth. Their parents told them they could grow up to be anything that they wanted.  They are driven to succeed and have a live to work philosophy.

In general, Baby Boomers can be characterized by their:

• Passion about participation and spirit in the workplace
• Belief in civil rights, empowerment and diversity
• Belief in growth and expansion
• Pursuit of personal gratification
• Service orientation
• Drive and ambition
• Ability to build and maintain relationships
• Desire to please (family, friends and bosses)
• Lack of interest in all things budget related

As leaders, Baby Boomers prefer a management by consensus style that considers everyone's feelings.  They tend to avoid conflict, such as reprimanding or firing employees.  They prefer to work for organizations whose values align with their own.

You can assist Baby Boomers by helping them to:

• Learn to actively listen
• Develop budgeting skills
• Learn skills for holding people accountable for delivering results
• Stay focused on project goals

Generation X was born between 1961 and 1980.  The advent of AIDS, famine in Africa, and the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger were defining moments in their youth. Gen Xers see work as a means to an end, not a life.  They're willing to work hard, but on their own terms.  This makes them appear lazy to their Baby Boomer and Traditionalist bosses.  Gen Xers were the first latchkey kids, and because they learned how to take care of themselves from an early age, they tend to be:

• Edgy and skeptical
• Change masters
• Technology savvy
• Self-reliant and unimpressed by authority, they do not like to be micromanaged
• Private/keep their own counsel
• Have a non-traditional sense of time
• Are non-conformists

They tend to be fair, straightforward leaders, and they like to"tell it like it is". This brutal honesty is not always productive.  Gen Xers can be helped by:

• Helping them to focus on building relationships
• Teaching them soft skills (e.g., coaching and counseling) that compliment their technical and operational skills
• Assisting them in developing people-oriented communication skills
• Explaining the “why” behind policies and procedures
• Being frank and honest in your communications with them (i.e., say what you mean)

Generation Y, also known as the Echo Generation or the Millennials, are the children of Baby Boomer parents who worked hard to give their children structured, interesting and safe lives.  There were swimming lessons, dance lessons and camps.  As a result, they tend to have great relationships with their parents, and view them almost as friends.  Gen Yers are very technologically savvy and global.  They grew up in booming times with little strife, and they tend to be:

• Hopeful and optimistic
• Coddled and nurtured
• Educated
• Technologically savvy – even more so than Gen X
• Respectful of their parents
• Resistant to categorization by race, religion, sexual orientation
• Non-traditional
• Multi-taskers and easily bored
• Global

Managers find Gen Yers to be hard to manage, especially compared to Gen Xers who are self-starters and do not need micro-managing.  Gen Yers need specific direction with follow-up.  Training needs to be structured and interactive in style.  The best way to manage Gen Yers is to:

• Explain the “why”
• Involve them, ask their opinion
• Treat them and others with respect
• Make time for orienting them
• Provide supervision and structure
• Use a team concept
• Offer more and quality training
• Offer mentoring
• Recognize and reward

This generation began to enter the work force about ten years ago, with the oldest about to turn 30, while the youngest are still in middle school.  Early indications are that they will have a consensual people-focused management style, like their boomer parents.

Managing a multi-generational workforce can be rewarding if leaders learn to tap into the varied talents of each generation and the individuals within it. Learning to do this well will reap rewards in the future.  In another ten or so years the generation following the Millennials will begin entering the workforce - Generation Z(?)  Born 2002-1924, it remains to be seen what will define them in their youth and what they will be like as our newest and youngest co-workers in the future.

Adapted from How to Lead and Survive in Our Multi-Generational Workforce by Debbie Zmorenski http://bit.ly/9nTIgo

and

Strauss, William and Neil Howe. Generations: The History of America's Future 1584 to 2069. New York: William Morrow. 1991.