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Genera,onal Communica,ons in the Workplace
Kassia Dellabough, PhD
I need to Communicate more
effectively
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Genera,onal Communica,on
Wassup?
Were you at the mee,ng?
Did you get my e-‐mail? I sent a memo This is a waste of ,me, I have work to do
He texted me that he can’t make it
What happened to the work ethic?
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Communica,on
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We Absorb Informa,on Differently
• Sensory • Gender • Generational • Ethnic & Cultural • Neurological • Emotional, etc.
Genera&onal Data
• Gen Z = now • Gen Y are people born 1980 through 1999, about 82 million.
• Gen X are people born 1965 through 1979, 49 million.
• Boomers are people born 1946 through 1964, now around 75 million.
• Seniors/Tradi,onalists 1920 -‐ 1944 65 and older
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GENERATIONS: The Cohort Experience
Members of a genera,on are linked by experiences shared during their forma,ve years. These shared experiences contribute to the crea,on of shared values, a\tudes and behaviors.
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What Were YOU doing in High School?
• Favorite music • Values:
– Work, sexual behavior, drugs, dress
• How did you refer to your teachers? • What did you do a_er school? • How did you stay in touch with your friends? • What was the poli,cal climate? • What were your career goals? • What was the job outlook? • What was the technology of the day?
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Learning Working
Marketplace Behaviors
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Five Genera,ons = Genera,on Gaps
• A\tudes & Expecta,ons • Perceive Differently • Learn Differently • Teach Differently • Work Differently
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Be Wary of Stereotyping Although certain characteris,cs may be adributed to one genera,on or another, that doesn't mean that all people in a par,cular genera,on exhibit each of that genera,on's common characteris,cs.
Avoid rigid stereotyping!
Cultural, Geographic and Ethnic background experience genera&onal characteris&cs differently
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Inven,ons That Changed the Way We Communicate
• Answering machine • Computers • E-‐mail • Cell phones • Digital cameras • Internet
Innova,ons in Communica,on Change the Way We Transfer Informa,on
• Ball Point Pen 1945 • Telegraph 1828 • Radio -‐ 1866 • Television -‐ 1930’s • Airplanes -‐ 1903 • Telephone 1870’s
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Evolu,on of Digital Communica,on
1980 1990 1995 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2014
• Fax • Modem • Answering Machine
• Newsletter • BBS • Pagers
• Web • Email • PowerPoint • Voice Mail • Cell Phone
• Instant Messenger • Contact Managers
• VOIP • Wikki / Forums • Survey Monkey • Zoomerang • E-Commerce • Newsletters • Amazon • Blackberry
• PDA • RSS Feeds • Blogs • Ebay • Google • Paypal
• Podcasts • YouTube • MySpace • Web Support • CraigsList • Skype
• Digital Signage • Videophone • Tele-commuting • Face time
EXPONENTIAL PACE OF CHANGE
Influence of Technology
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Seniors/Tradi,onalists Yup They are s&ll Working!
• Lindbergh Flight • Stock Market Crash • Depression • FDR • The New Deal • Social Security • Pearl Harbor • Korean War
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Daily Life and Society:
• Prosperity • Stability • uniform
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Transi,on from Agriculture to Industry
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Loyal, the recycling generation
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What Communica,on Technology Impacted Senior Genera,on?
• Newspapers • Magazines
• Radio
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The Baby Boomers • Born: 1946-‐1964 • McCarthy Hearings • Polio Vaccine • Rosa Parks • Sputnik • First Nuclear Power Plant • JFK • Peace Corps • Cold War • John Glenn • Vietnam • Mar,n Luther King • Woodstock • Kent State
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The Boomer Personality
• Service Oriented • Driven • Willing to go the extra mile • Good at rela,onship • Want to Please • Good team players • Not budget-‐minded
• Don’t like authority “don’t trust anyone over 30”
• Demand fairness • En,tled • May put process ahead of
result
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Core Values
• Op,mism • Work • Team orienta,on • Work • Personal Gra,fica,on • Work • Health and wellness • Work
• Personal growth • Work • Youthfulness • Work
• Involvement • Uniqueness
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Boomers at School
• Overcrowded • New Construc,on • Progressive formats
• Memoriza,on, good handwri,ng,
• teacher focus on error and mechanics
• 'promo,on' to more difficult work a_er correct performance
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Boomers • Want to be special • Be doing important work
• Enjoy process and connec,on Have a wealth of experience to tap
• Are passionate about what they do (if they are not burnt out!)
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Perpetual Youth
• Most boomers believe they look and feel 20 years younger than they actually are.
• AARP: from Modern Maturity to My Genera.on: Lauren Hu2on declares, “60 is the new 30.”
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Boomers = Ac,ve Living Driving The Health Industry
• Ginseng, Garlique • Ginkgo • Viagra • Black Cohosh • Cosme,c Surgery
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Genera,onal Characteris,cs
• Boomers are busy and willing to stay a_er hours to do the job
• Boomers aren’t seniors. Never, ever, make that mistake • Boomers like to think they are s,ll “cool”
• Experiences and something fun and different are important • Boomers want to create community and make a difference
• Compete and climb the corporate ladder
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Boomers Communica,ng
• Networking is key • Value wri,ng skills • “ Not all that is new is progress” • Some,mes a face-‐to-‐face conversa,on is the most effec,ve way.
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What Communica,on Technology Impacted The Boomers?
• Color television • Answering machines
• Faxes
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Understanding Genera,on X
Photo, Courtesy of Grease, Tattoos from Grease, St. Paul Minnesota (http://tattoosfromgrease.com/) 33
What is Generation X ?
Roughly 50 Million People (Or 60 million or 80 million)
I AM NOT A BABY BOOMER!
Work “under the radar”
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The Gen X Experience • Street Savvy Survivors • Psychedelic parents, divorces, one-‐parent families, step families, both parents working, razor blades in their Halloween candy, latchkey lives, violence on television, on the streets, and in the schools.
• The toughest genera,on since the G. I. Genera,on.
Source: Karen Ritchie, Marke.ng to Genera.on X hdp://chamber.gnofn.org/fishman/xer.html
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• Crack • AIDS • Downsizing and layoffs • Gangs • Urban Deteriora,on • Poli,cal leaders without integrity
• The great U-‐turn of the economy
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Communica,on
• Focus on Benefits • Authen,c • Give it to them straight
• Image is Nothing
They are wai,ng for Boomers to RETIRE!
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Genera,on X: Values and Characteris,cs
• Work can happen anywhere—even at home
• 8-‐5 is your ,me • A_er 5 is my ,me • It doesn’t mader how you do it, as
long as you produce what is required • Process not as important as outcome • Never confuse having a career with
having a life
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Genera,on X Communica,on
• Highly Visual • Easily bored • Relevance • Back to basics • Computers • Mul,-‐tasking • Let’s Get it Done!
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What Communica,on Technology Impacted Gen X?
• Zines (pronounced “zeens”) • Computers
• Video Gaming
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Brace yourself for Gen Y – The NEXT in charge
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Who is Genera,on Y?
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• 78 Million People • Technology Savvy • 20,000 TV commercials/year since birth
• Most media savvy genera,on
• Confident • Op,mis,c
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Characteris,cs of Genera,on Y
• 75% ,me was spent in structured ac,vi,es
• Were pampered and indulged
• Have helicopter parents • Used to customizing everything including their bodies
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Characteris,cs of Genera,on Y
• Bigger than Baby Boom Genera,on • 3 ,mes the size of Gen X • Roughly 26% of popula,on • Diverse • Inclusive • Powerful
• Sources: American Demographics, U.S. Census Bureau, USA TODAY research
• Weak on interpersonal skills
• Cyber Ac,vists
• Support social causes
• See themselves as peers and colleagues
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CEO 45
Communica,ng with Gen Y
• Lively and varied • Visually similar to Xers—
mul,ple focal points • Ask for input they have ideas
and have not experienced much hierarchy
• Use lots of humor/anima,on/comics
• Don’t assume they are being disrespecyul from how they look or talk
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Communica,ng with Gen Y
• Teamwork and technology
• Technology is “as natural as air.”
• Want Mentors who know more than they do
Source: Training Magazine, Bill Communications, Inc. Minneapolis, MN
• Big-‐Picture Learners • Highly visual (especially boys)
• Ac,ve (kine,c) learners
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What Communica,on Technology Impacted Gen Y?
• Cell Phones • Internet • On-‐line Social Networks
What About Gen Z?
What About Gen Z?
• Born a_er 1990 • True Digital na,ves – internet & social media
• 9/11 is a vague idea • Most impacted by 2008 recession
Genera,on Z Gen Z at Work
Knoll Workplace Research
Knoll Workplace Research 53
How can we communicate across genera,ons?