Generations and Work

Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



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The Veterans (Traditionalists) (1922-1943) The Baby Boomers (1943-1960) The Gen Xers (1961-1980) The Nexters (Millennials) (1980-2000)



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Veterans (1922-1943): Seminal Events

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1927 Lindbergh completes first transatlantic flight 1929 Stock market crashes 1930 U.S. Depression begins 1931 Star Spangled Banner becomes national anthem 1932 Lindbergh baby kidnapped 1932 FDR elected 1933 The Dust Bowl, and The New Deal 1934 Social Security System established



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Veterans: Seminal Events

 1937 Hindenburg tragedy, and Hitler invades Austria  1940 United States prepares for war  1941 Pearl Harbor; United States enters World War II  1944 D-Day in Normandy  1945 FDR dies; Victory in Europe and Japan  1950 Korean War



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Veterans: Heroes

 Superman  Franklin Delano Roosevelt  MacArthur, Patton, Montgomery, Halsey, and Eisenhower  Winston Churchill  Audie Murphy  Joe Foss  Babe Ruth  Joe DiMaggio



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Veterans: Cultural Memorabilia

          Kewpie Dolls Mickey Mouse Flash Gordon The Golden Era of Radio Wheaties Charlie McCarthy Tarzan Jukeboxes Blondie The Lone Ranger



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Veterans: Core Values

          Dedication/sacrifice Hard work Conformity Law and order Respect for authority Patience Delayed reward Duty before pleasure Adherence to rules Honor



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Veterans: Generational Personality

 Like Consistency and uniformity  Like Things on a grand scale…new fangled, bigger, better  Are Conformers  Believe in logic, not magic  Are disciplined  Are past oriented and history absorbed  Have always believed in law and order  Spending style is conservative



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Veterans: On the Job

 Assets

 Stable  Detail oriented  Through  Loyal  Hard workers



 Liabilities

 Inept with ambiguity and change  Reluctant to buck up the system  Uncomfortable with conflict  Reticent when they disagree



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Veterans: Messages that Motivate

 “Your experience is respected here.”  “It’s valuable to the rest of us to hear what has – and hasn’t – worked in the past.”  Your perseverance is valued and will be rewarded.”



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 Baby Boomers: (1943-1960) Seminal Events

 1954 McCarthy HCUAA hearings begin  1955 Salk Vaccine tested on the public  1955 Rosa Parks refuses to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama  1957 First nuclear power plant  1960 Birth control pills introduced  1960 John F. Kennedy elected president  1961 Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps  1962 Cuban Missile Crisis  1962 John Glenn circles the earth



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Baby Boomers: Seminal Events

 1963 Martin Luther King leads march on Washington, D.C.  1963 President Kennedy assassinated  1965 United States sends combat troops to Vietnam  1966 National Organization for Women founded  1966 Cultural Revolution in China  1967 American Indian Movement founded  1968 M. L. King and Robert Kennedy assassinated  1969 First lunar landing  1969 Woodstock  1970 Kent State University shootings



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Baby Boomers: Heroes

    Gandhi Martin Luther King Jack and Jacqueline Kennedy John Glenn



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Baby Boomers: Cultural Memorabilia

          The Ed Sullivan Show Quonset huts Fallout shelters Poodle skirts and Pop Beads Slinkies TV dinners “The Laugh-In” Hula Hoops The Mod Squad The peace sign



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Baby Boomers: Core Values

        Optimism Team orientation Personal gratification Health and wellness Personal growth Youth Work Involvement



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Baby Boomers: Generational Personality

    They believe in growth and expansion. They think of themselves as stars of the show. They tend to be optimistic. In school and at home, the Boomers learned about teamwork.  They have pursued their own personal gratification, uncompromisingly, and often at a high rice to themselves and others.  They have searched their souls – repeatedly, obsessively, and recreationally.  The Boomers have always been cool.



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Baby Boomers: On the Job

 Assets

 Service oriented  Driven  Willing to go “the extra mile”  Good relationship  Want to please  Good team players



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Baby Boomers: On the Job

 Liabilities

 Not naturally “budget minded”  Uncomfortable with conflict  Reluctance to go against peers  May put process ahead of result  Overly sensitive to feedback  Judgmental of those who see things differently  Self-centered



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Baby Boomers: Messages that Motivate

      “You’re important to out success.” “You’re valued here.” “Your contribution is unique and important.” “We need you.” “I approve of you.” “You’re worthy.”



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Gen Xers (1961-1980): Seminal Events

 1970 Women’s Liberation protests and demonstrations  1972 Arab terrorists at Munich Olympics  1973 Watergate scandal, and Energy crisis begins  1976 Tandy and Apple market PCs  1979 Three Mile Island nuclear reactor melts down; U.S. corporations begin massive layoffs; Iran holds sixty-six Americans hostage  1980 John Lennon shot and killed; Ronald Reagan inaugurated president



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Gen Xers: Seminal Events

 1986 Challenger disaster  1987 Stock market plummets  1988 Terrorist bomb blows up flight 103 over Lockerbie  1989 Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill  1989 Fall of Berlin Wall  1991 Operation Desert Storm  1992 Rodney King beating videotaped, Los Angeles riots



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Gen Xers: Heroes

 None



 The Gen Xers: Cultural Memorabilia

       “The Brady Bunch” Pet Rocks Platform shoes “The Simpsons” “Dynasty” ET Cabbage Patch Dolls



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Gen Xers: Core Values

        Diversity Thinking globally Balance Technoliteracy Fun Informality Self-reliance Pragmatism



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Gen Xers: Generational Personality

         Gen Xers are self-reliant. They are seeking a sense of family They want balance. They have a non-traditional orientation about time and space. They like informality. Their approach to auth9rity is casual. They are skeptical. They are attracted to the edge. They are technologically savvy.



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Gen Xers: On the Job

 Assets

 Adaptable  Technolitetate  Independent  Unintimidated by authority  Creative



 Liabilities

 Impatient  Poor people skills  Inexperienced  Cynical



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Gen Xers: Messages that Motivate

    “Do it your way.” “We’ve got the newest hardware and software.” “There aren’t a lot of rules here.” “We’re not very corporate.”



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Nexters (1980-2000): Seminal Events and Trends

 Child focus  Violence: Oklahoma City bombing, schoolyard shootings  Technology  Busy, overplanned lives  Stress  Clinton/Lewinsky  Columbine High School massacre



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Nexters: Cultural Memorabilia

         Barney Teenage Ninja Turtles Tomagotchi and other virtual pets Beanie Babies Pogs American Girl dolls Oprah and Rosie The Spice Girls The X Games



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Nexters: Heroes

         Michael Jordan Princess Diana Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa Mother Teresa Bill Gates Kerri Strugg Mia Hamm Tiger Woods Christopher reeves



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Nexters: Current Core Values

        Optimism Civic Duty Confidence Achievement Sociability Morality Street smarts Diversity



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Nexters: On the Job

 Assets

 Collective action  Optimism  Tenacity  Heroic Spirit  Multitasking capabilities  Technological savvy



 Liabilities

 Need for supervision and structure  Inexperience, particularly with handling difficult people issues



Generations at Work

Zemke, Raines and Filipczak



 The Nexters: Messages that Motivate

 “You’ll be working with other bright creative people.”  “Your boss is in his (or her) sixties.”  “You and your coworkers can help turn this company around.”  “You can be a hero here.”



Connecting Generations Claire Raines

Job Satisfaction: Employees with higher job satisfaction

Believe in the long-term success of the organization Are more committed to the organization and their “work family” Care about the quality of their work Are more productive Have higher retention rates



Connecting Generations Claire Raines

The Veterans prefer a manager who is

Directive Logical Fair and consistent, and who Identifies a clear direction Sets long-term goals Spells out clear job expectations



Managers that drive the Veterans crazy

Seems to touchy-feely Is indecisive Worries about making unpopular decisions



Connecting Generations Claire Raines

The Baby Boomers prefer a manager who is

Consensual Democratic Warm Caring, and who Treats her as a friendly equal Is a “people” person Works groups to define their vision and mission Assures her she is making a difference



 Managers that drive the Baby Boomers crazy

Isn’t open to input Is bureaucratic Sends a “my-way-or-the-highway” message



Connecting Generations Claire Raines

The Gen Xers prefer a manager who is

Competent Genuine Results-oriented Informal, and who Is direct and straightforward with him Gives him a project with a deadline and turns him loose to accomplish it Looks for opportunities to develop him



Managers that drive the Gen Xers crazy

Micromanages Doesn’t walk the talk Spends too much time on process and too little on results



Connecting Generations Claire Raines

The Nexters prefer a manager who is

Educational Positive Collaborative Achievement-oriented, and who Knows her personal goals, and coaches and supports her Helps her find ways to spend time with friends while getting the work done



Managers that drive the Nexters crazy

Is cynical Treats her as if she is too young to be valuable Is threatened by her technical savvy