How to win the Generation Game

How to win the Generation Game
Sandy Hastilow- Talent Programme Manager at Health Education
East of England
I am fascinated by people, the way they behave, the way they interact with others
and what ‘makes them tick’. I dislike the phrase a ‘people person’ but for me my
work in Leadership and OD is all about people.
Recently I was reading an article about Generation Y and it got me thinking – what
about the other generations? Gen Y research is helpful for us to learn about this
particular generation but what about learning from all the generations? I knew I was
Generation X but understood very little about what that meant and if I did indeed
have the characteristics that defined my generation(to me Generation X were a punk
band whose lead singer was Billy Idol!). So I dug a little deeper and here are my
observations on what each generation offers and how we can make the best of those
differences.
The Generations
In our current workforce we have the following generations - Baby Boomers (19461963), Generation X (1964-1980), Generation Y (1980-1994) and in the next few
years Generation Z (1995-2009) will be joining. The generic characteristics for
each generation are below (maybe need to insert a disclaimer along the lines of
"your mileage may vary")
Baby Boomers - Believe in working their way up the career ladder and that
experience is of value. They like hierarchy and that you are rewarded for hard work,
long hours and commitment to your organisation. They are loyal, less likely to
change employers and have more of a ‘job for life’ attitude. They are often defined
by their work (or job title) and don’t like flexible working, preferring face to face time
in the office.
Generation X – Have grown up to a background of strikes, massive
layoffs/redundancies and are more likely to have had parents who worked long
hours. Therefore they can be more independent, resilient and resourceful. They
value freedom and responsibility and may prefer a more flexible working
environment.
Generation Y – One of the more academic generations, technology savvy and
confident. They tend to be more learning orientated and have grown up with the
internet. They use websites (or their network of friends) for research and information.
They are the generation who have been told ‘it’s not the winning that counts but the
taking part’ and have been praised for their efforts and told that everyone’s opinion
counts. Therefore they often enjoy connecting with others and are can find team
working really motivating.
Generation Z – As this generation is only about to join the workforce there is not a
lot of research about their work ethic. However they are already being labelled the
‘silent generation’ due to lack of verbal communication skills. Experience of my own
Gen Z children’s communication skills proves this - I can send them a long(ish)
detailed text and the response is usually ‘k’, not even ‘ok’! They spend almost as
much time in a ‘virtual’ world than they do the real one. Playing with their friends is
done from the comfort of their own homes linking up/joining in via game platforms
and social media.
So what can you do to make the best of each generation and what they offer?
Mentors -Boomers and Gen Y will make good mentors for each other. Gen Y likes
to have access to their bosses, Boomers can learn about technology and
communication styles from the younger Generation. Many Boomers are near or
planning retirement and they have a wealth of knowledge and skills to share and
Gen Y love to learn.
Loyalty – While all generations would be loyal to their employer it does not mean
that they will all give long service. Boomers are likely to have been long time
employees and although nearing retirement age may not be ready to retire and
would welcome the opportunity for either ‘phased retirement’ (reduced hours) or
contribute on an individual project basis. Gen X because of their experiences
growing up may expect change and thrive on challenge. They often like to share
their creative input and if these opportunities are not provided they will move on.
Gen Y will be loyal as long as it brings the rewards and the challenge they seek but if
not they are more likely to change jobs without hesitation.
Working Style - From experience we know that both Boomers and Gen X are more
used to working long hours whereas research shows Gen Y value work/life balance.
However, I have noticed that Gen Y never really switch off as they use technology to
keep in touch, particularly social media. So for me it’s more about where and how
they work rather than the number of hours. Boomers and Gen X are likely to ‘stay
late at the office’ or ‘take work home’ whereas Gen Y might leave early but during
the evening or weekend they can be found tweeting or sharing websites relating to
work. Gen X likes independence so will be more motivated if they can set their own
working hours and have flexibility.
I am curious how Gen Z will interact in the workplace. They have grown up ‘gaming’
and therefore expect instant reaction and satisfaction. Traditional working styles
could seem alien to them and if planning for the future I think we need to keep an
open mind and think beyond what we know and take for granted.
So how do you win the game? Is there a game to lose?
I appreciate that these are broad traits for each generation and there are a number
of other factors which have impacted on the workforce over the generations such as
multiculturalism, the non-traditional family, the changing role of women at work. In
addition personal circumstances will also have an impact on an individual’s work
ethic. However we know we have a diverse workforce so isn’t this just one more
factor we need to consider?
I also noticed whilst reading the various research about the generations that the
dates for each generation varied so those born ‘on the cusp’ of each generation may
find they may share traits of 2 generations. I would generally apply the "law of
horoscopes" here.
I certainly have the traits of Gen X with regards to my working style, I love flexibility
and freedom (a bit of a maverick) and if that is restricted I know that I don’t work to
my full potential and can disengage with the task in hand. I also know from
experience that when I am given freedom to be creative and the flexibility to plan my
own work I am more motivated, engaged and a much better person to be around.
Developing this self awareness has made it easier for me to understand my
strengths and deal with my preferences when they might be in conflict with the
organisation.
Winning the Generation Game
I think having an engaged and motivated workforce is winning and if you want to
make sure your organisation is a winner below are my top tips of how to play the
‘Generation Game’:
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Gen Y won’t ‘grow up’ to be like Gen X and what has worked in the past is
unlikely to work for the future.
When developing your learning programmes don’t think learning styles think
learning generations – what worked great in 1984 probably isn’t going to work
in 2014 or 2024.
Understand and manage your generations (and their differences) and it will
reduce internal conflict and enhance employee engagement.
Learn from past but prepare for the future.
Each generation can learn from the other – share what you know!
Organisations should help people to better understand their own preferences
and patterns in order to ensure that needs are met in the best way.
Want to know more?
There are a number of resources and research available on the different
Generations, below are some of the articles before writing this piece.
360 The Ashridge Journal, Summer 2013
How Gen Y & Boomers will reshape your agenda – Harvard Business Review, JulyAugust 2009
Are your people your power– Article, The Access Group January 2014
Megatrends: the trends shaping work and working lives – CIPD, July 2013
Multigenerational Characteristics, Bruce Mayhew consulting web article