the importance of generational awareness for libraries
DESCRIPTION
This is a presentation I presented at Library conference last week detailing the age of Higher Academic Librarians in South Africa. I also talked about how the different generations view work and work with their co-workers.TRANSCRIPT
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The importance of generational awareness for libraries
Sophie van der WaltSearch Librarian – Unisa
Tanya du PlessisPostgraduate Supervisor - UJ
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Who Did I Talk To?
• GAELIC Libraries:• University of Johannesburg (UJ)• University of South Africa (Unisa)• North-West University (NWU)• University of Pretoria (UP)• University of the Witwatersrand
(WITS)
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Purpose of todayTo shock you!
To illustrate how different ages of librarians prefer to work and work with one another
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So what’s so shocking about librarians?
Australia
Canada
USA
South Africa
5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75%Australia Canada USA South
Africa
Total Popu-lation
0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115
Librar-ians
0.51 0.25 0.670000000000002
0
Australia
Canada
USA
South Africa
5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65%Australia Canada USA South
Africa
Total popu-lation
0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115
Li-brari-ans
0.509 0.25 0.67000000000000
1
0.51
There won’t be many left!
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Retirement forecast for SA Academic Libraries
Imminent staff exodus
Planning and training programmes for new middle and top management positions
Succession planning
Retir-ing in 10-15 years51%
Retir-ing in 15-20 years26%
Stay-ing on23%
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So how do we work together?
Group synergy or group conflict?
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Who are “we”?
• Baby Boomers
• 1943 – 1962 (USA)• 1946 – 1965 (UK)• 1950-1969 (SA)
• Gen X• 1963-1983 (UK)• 1966-1984 (UK)• 1970-1989 (SA)
• Gen Y• 1979 – 2001
(USA)• 1985-2001 (UK)• 1990-2005 (SA)
• Traditionalists• 1923-1945 (USA)• 1918-1945 (UK)• 1930-1949 (SA)
Cusp
er
s
Cusp
er
s
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Who are “we”?
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How do we work together?Traditionalists
Work valuesStructured Top down
Management style
ConservativeLoyal to authorityFamily values
Work-life balance
Balance is towards Work, Family comes secondNeed: Retirement orientation courses
RewardsRespect A job
Reskilling MONEYRECOGNITION
RetirementDeserve retirement
Stay until mandatory age
Keep them: -Telecommuting-Shorter weeks/days- Job sharing
Working with others
Team playersSeeks agreement
Prefer not to be leaders
Find changes in teams/focus stressful
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Baby Boomers
Work valuesPeople-people Workaholic
work ethicInformal office environment
Work-life balance
Balance is towards Work, Family comes secondNeed: Help to find meaning in their work/lives
RewardsStatus symbols
Visible rewards
MONEYRECOGNITION
RetirementDon’t want to retire
Have to work Re-tyrement
Working with others
Team playersTeam leaders
Credit for successBlame others
Resent lack of respectDislike being challenged
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Gen X
Work valuesPositive environment
Prefers being a coach/mentor not boss
Work flexibilityFun, informal office environment
Work-life balance
Balance is towards Family, Work comes secondStruggle to divide their time between work, family and fun
RewardsManagement responsibility
Independence
MONEYRECOGNITION
RetirementCan’t/Won’t retire
Transferable retirement / sabbaticals
Re-tyrement via chaning jobs
Working with others
Individualistic Independent
Not team players
Input: task related not emotional
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HOW DO WE REALLY WORK TOGETHER?
The evidence
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Work values# 1
◦The main reason for Generation X'ers staying with their current organisation is because they feel that they are doing meaningful work
# 2◦Generation X’ers and Baby Boomers
placed the greatest importance on a positive working environment
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Work values
# 3◦Traditionalists ranked security and
meaning or purpose as the work values they view as most important
# 4oBaby Boomers and Generation X'ers
viewed meaning or purpose as well as intellectual stimulation as most valued
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Work valuesSurprise 1
oall three generations disagreed that a person should build a lifetime career with one company
Surprise 2◦more Traditionalists have changed
careers than Baby Boomers or Generation X'ers
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Work-life balance
# 1◦Traditionalists are the generation that are
the most satisfied with the balance between work and family
# 2◦Generations X'ers disagreed most that
their family life kept them from getting work done on time. This shows that they seem to have achieved an agreeable work-life balance
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Work-life balance
Surprise 1◦Baby Boomers agreed most that they’d
prefer a work schedule that allows them to spend time with their family, rather than doing challenging work or earning a high salary
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Rewards
#1◦ Baby Boomers and Generation X'ers
were the generations to place more value on cash bonuses and paid training courses or skills development than the Traditionalists
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Rewards
Surprise 1◦Baby Boomers was the generation to
place greater emphasis on paid training courses or skills development NOT cash
Surprise 2◦Generation X'ers placed greater
significance on cash bonuses NOT skills development
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Retirement
# 1◦There will not be enough Generation
X'ers and Generation Y'ers to pay for Baby Boomers' and Traditionalists' pension
# 2◦Baby Boomers and Traditionalists would
prefer to delay their retirement through working shorter weeks or from home
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Co-worker relationships # 1
◦Traditionalists focus more than any other generation on obtaining agreement and the inclusion of all parties in a team
#2 ◦Traditionalists are the generation with
the least preference to be the leader of a team
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Co-worker relationships
Surprise 1◦Generation X'ers, more than the other
generation, prefer to work in a group or team
Surprise 2◦Generation X'ers, not Baby Boomers,
show the highest preference to be the leader in a team
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Why should we care?Remember this?
Australia
Canada
USA
South Africa
5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65%Australia Canada USA South
Africa
Total popu-lation
0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115
Li-brari-ans
0.509 0.25 0.67000000000000
1
0.51
Retir-ing in 10-15 years51%
Retir-ing in 15-20 years26%
Stay-ing on23%