Morley Winograd Slides

Millennials Are Remaking America
R U Ready?
Morley Winograd
C-Change Conference
October 2, 2012
Hollywood’s Coming of Age Movies
Often Capture Generational Change
So What is a Generation?
The aggregate of all people born over about 20 years (one phase of life),
who share:
Common Location in History.
Common Beliefs and Behaviors.
Perceived Membership in a
Common Generation.
Distinctive behaviors created by:
Changes in Child-rearing Approaches.
Events Experienced During Maturation.
Changes in Communication Technologies.
Creates 80+ year Cycle of Four Distinct Archetypes
Four Generational Archetypes
Cycle through History
Civic (GI or Greatest Generation, 1901-1924)
Adaptive (Silent Generation, 1925-1945)
Idealist (Baby Boomers, 1946-1964)
• Strongly adhere to their own personal values.
• Won’t compromise on fundamental questions of
right and wrong.
• Use ideals as the driving force to provide meaning
in their lives.
• Independent dividers.
Image: Iris Friedheirm (Flickr)
“Baby Boomer” features
48-66 years old in 2012
Large generation
Childhood in era of social stability, loosening standards
“Protest generation” during economic boom of 1960s and
1970s
Negative social trends
Ideological, socially polarized, leaders with a strong “inner
compass”, an “Obi-wan” generation
DEFINING MOVIE: “The Graduate”
Gen X Rejected Boomer Lifestyle
Civic (GI or Greatest Generation, 1901-1924)
Adaptive (Silent Generation, 1925-1945)
Idealist (Baby Boomers, 1946-1964)
Reactive (Gen X, 1965-1981)
• React AGAINST what came before and reject
almost all of it.
• Cynical, anti-institutional young people.
• Entrepreneurial risk-takers in mid-life.
Image: (c) 2009 JupiterImages Corp
“Ferris Buehler’s Day Off”
Captured their Rejection
“Generation X” features
31-47 years old in 2012
Small generation
Childhood in era of social instability, loosening standards
Neglected, unwanted “latchkey” child
“Generation at Risk”, “New Lost”, “Slackers” in 1990s
Improved social trends
Apolitical (or conservative), self-starting, supreme
individualists, outsiders, a “Han Solo” generation
DEFINING MOVIE: “Ferris Buehler’s Day Off”
Millennials are Today’s Civic Generation
Civic (GI or Greatest Generation, 1901-1924)
Adaptive (Silent Generation, 1925-1945)
Idealist (Baby Boomers, 1946-1964)
Reactive (Gen X, 1965-1981)
Civic (Millennial Generation, 1982-2003)
• Partisan unifiers.
• Upbeat, optimistic, group-oriented.
• Building new institutions using social network
technology.
Image: johsson, shanda.w (Flickr)
Note how Different Father/Daughter
Relationship is in “Devil Wore Prada”
Millennials Are NOT Gen X in
Their Attitudes or Behaviors
July 16, 1990
May 8, 2000
The Millennial Generation is the
Most Diverse in American History
Percent of U.S. Population That Is African American, Hispanic, Asian Pacific
Islander, American Indian, and Other; By Age – December 2004
50%
 Millennials
 Generation X
 Baby Boomers
 Silent & GI Generations
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
1
6
11
16
21
26
31
Current Population Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, Dec. 2004
36
41
46
51
56
61
66
71
76
81
86
91
Special—Just ask their “baby on board,” mini-van driving parents.
Sheltered—Thanks to most sweeping youth safety movement in history.
Confident—Highly optimistic, they boast about their generation’s power and
potential.
Team-Oriented—Barney and school teaches them to be team players and
bond with their peers.
Achieving—Best behaved generation in decades.
Pressured—Pushed to study hard, avoid risk. Everyone gets a trophy. No
Winners.
Conventional—More comfortable with their parent’s values than any other
recent generation, they support the idea that social rules help.
Millennials Will Increasingly Dominate the
Adult Population of America in this Decade
99%
100%
90%
80%
80%
70%
61%
60%
50%
51%
41%
36%
40%
30%
30%
20%
17%
20%
24%
10%
0%
2008
2010
Percentage of Adults over 18
2012
2016
2020
Millennial Contribution to Adult Population
In Organizations, New
Generational Values Create
Need for New:
• Rules for
Leadership
• Management
Strategies
A Tale of
Three
Generations
Outlook on
Life
Attitudes
Tow ards
W ork
View of
Authority
Baby
Boom ers
Ideological
Generation X
M illennials
Skeptical
Optimistic
Driven
Balanced
Looking for
Meaning
Love/Hate,
Hierarchy
Unimpressed
Respectful.
Peers as
Experts
Reluctant to
Commit
Committed to
Success
Self-Reliant
Consensus
Relationship Self-Sacrifice
Approach
TeamDecision
Oriented
M ak ing
The Challenge and Opportunity of
Three Generations
Baby
Boom ers
Contribution
to the
W ork place
Inspiration
 Motivation
 Values

Generation X
Creativity
 Bottom-line
orientation
 Taking risks

M illennials
Teams
Technology
Consensus

•Challenge: blend the best of each generation
•The Key: become aware of and put aside
your own generational biases, and be able to
work collaboratively with other generations.
Millennials:
•Are Optimistic
•Look for Win-Win Solutions
•Want to Change the World
Organizations Must Learn How to:
•Inspire Innovation with Vision & Values
•Create Loyalty through Meaning and Purpose
19.67%
Google
12.74%
Apple
8.90%
Facebook
State Dept.
7.89%
Disney
7.67%
Amazon
6.63%
FBI
6.59%
Microsoft
5.76%
Sony
5.14%
CIA
Nike
5.04%
Teach for America
4.34%
NASA
4.32%
Peace Corps
Electronic Arts
Millennials' Ideal
Employers
5.01%
4.20%
4.06%
0%
Source: Universum /The US Professional Survey 2011
5%
10%
15%
20%
Millennials :
•Think Globally, Act Locally
•Share
•Believe in Consensus Decision-making
Organizations Must Learn How to:
•Build Communities Using Social Networks
•Move Decision-making to the Edge
The share of college graduates who
believe their community is more
College Attending Millennials
important than their job doubled
between 1982 (Gen-Xers) and 2008
(Millennials.) The single largest shift
in basic values between the two
generations.
85% of college-age Millennials
consider voluntary community
service an effective way to solve
the nation’s problems.
93% of entering class of 2009
70% of entering freshmen in 2009
had done community service in
High School, and about half
(48%) expected to do so in
college.
said it was “essential or very
important to help people in need,”
the highest level since 1970.
Millennials solve problems by acting upon
them locally, directly and as part of a group
Genocide Intervention Network
Harry Potter Alliance: Dumbledore’s Army
Energy Action Coalition
Captain Planet: “The Power is
Yours”
Be Prepared For Change
Not just in Technology,
but in:
•Your Workplace
•Doctor/Patient
Relationships
•Philanthropy
Are You Ready?
Ways to stay connected:
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: Mike Morley
Facebook.com/mikeandmorley
Twitter: @mikeandmorley
www.mikeandmorley.com