Baby Boomers to Millennials, Who Is BEST for the People We Support?

Baby Boomers to Millennials, who is BEST for the people we support?

With Maren Gibson, DSP Solutions Coaching ICE BREAKER!!

To mix it up a bit ...because I’m a Millennial that acts like a Gen Xer Who am I? Overview

● What does each generation bring with them? ○ Baggage and skills ● How do the people we support benefit from the different characteristics of each generation? ● Collaboration across generations ● What generation are we more commonly supporting? ○ What does this mean for us?

The bad side...we all have one

Baby Boomers are rigid and non-flexible. (Funny, they used to be called the “Me Generation.”)

Millennials are slackers. (Wait, wasn’t that Gen X?)

Gen Xers are neglected middle children. (They won’t be missed nowadays!)

Gen Zs march to their own drum. (Like…every generation before them?)

Stereotypes are useless for lots of reasons,mostly because they kill opportunities. Years ago it was those hippie baby boomers stirring up trouble, and now it’s the “entitled” millennials overtaking the workplace. Generations in the Workforce

Veterans & Boomers ● Born between 1925 and 1960

Generation X ● Born between 1961 and 1981

Generation Y/Millennial ● Born between 1982 and 2005 GET INTO GROUPS!!

Veterans and Baby Boomers Generation X Born between 1925 and 1960 Born between 1961 and 1981

Millennials Born between 1982 and 2005 That Take about 10 mins to brainstorm what characteristics you think The solution the generation I assign to you has. What work ethics and skills do they possess?

Generation Take 10 mins to list what you think your generation Your Generation contributes to the worksite. What work ethics and skills do you bring? What did you come up with?

Take a moment to count how Identify the top three most many positive attributes you common positive and three most listed and how many negative common negative attributes of attributes you listed. the generation you brainstormed. There are four very different generations working together in the workplace. Each generation comes with it’s own values and perspective of the world based on their lifetime experiences. Influential events that shaped Vets & Boomers

● 1955 - Rosa Parks refuses to ● 1966 - National Organization move to the back of the bus for Women founded ● 1960 - Kennedy elected ● 1967 - American Indian President Movement Founded ● 1963 - Martin Luther King leads ● 1968 - Martin Luther King march on Washington DC assassinated ● 1963 - President John Kennedy ● 1968 - Robert Kennedy assassinated assassinated ● 1964 - Civil Rights Act of 1964 ● 1969 - First moon landing passed ● 1970 - Kent State University ● 1965 - US enters Vietnam Shootings ● Prefer to communicate in person, phone or paper print ● Do not question decisions made by leaders ● Do not expect a lot of feedback Boomers & Vets and do not give it, either ● Believe things should be done What these influential a certain way, no variations experiences created ● Have strong follow through ● Smaller network of knowledge- no internet or social media Influential events that shaped Gen X

1. Fall of the Berlin Wall 1. Rodney King beating 2. Energy crisis 2. Iranian hostage crisis 3. Jonestown mass suicide 3. Stock market decline 4. Rise of the personal 4. Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill computer 5. They came home to no one 5. Watergate scandal there. Both parents 6. Corporate layoffs working ● Tend to communicate via text and email ● Believe the person with the best skills/experience should make decisions ● Feel it’s easier to ask for Gen X forgiveness than permission ● Think that in the moment What these influential feedback is critical to getting experiences created work done (they are loud) ● They prefer discussion and verbal brainstorming with decisions made at the end Influential events that shaped Millennials

1. Computers and technology 1. Early exposure to serious adult 2. Girl's movement issues 3. TV talk shows 2. Environmental impact awareness 4. Oklahoma City bombing 3. Rise of social media (MySpace, 5. Increased parental emphasis on Friendster, Facebook) child rearing 4. Google founding as a search engine 6. Schoolyard violence (Columbine, 5. Video games etc.) 6. Divorce rates peaked 7. Busy planned lives ● Like to communicate via text ● Prefer to make decisions in teams, with not one specific person having more control ● Think of policies as guidelines ● Prefer video as a form of Millennials information gathering and research What these influential ● Grew up with lots of experiences created encouragement and support: They like it and give it ● Work quickly and efficiently, getting creative with resources, when they WANT to This group is the first global- centric generation, having come of age during the rapid growth of the Internet and an Millennials increase in global terrorism. They are among the most What these influential resilient in navigating change experiences created while deepening their appreciation for diversity and inclusion. What would benefit people in services?

● Follow through ● People that care about the ● Creative with resources ● Attention to Detail community around them ● Clear expectations ● Less dependent on ● People that feel like ● Close connections with services knowledge and experience friends ● Making do with what create power ● People that value you have ● People that follow rules encouragement and ● Knowing what the ● Prefer in person support actual rules are communication ● Connections to people they ● Advocate for what ● Resilience to try don’t know personally they believe is right something, even if it may ● Technology to bridge the ● Value for hard work not work gap ● Extensive knowledge ● Open discussion for ● Alternative ways to in cooking/fixing/ brainstorming and communicate creating problem solving ● Knowing lots of people ● To be involved in their communities What would benefit people in services?

Same Goal Convey interest and appreciation

CONVEY interest in what they are saying, have to offer, and think.

APPRECIATE what they are bringing to the team with them. We keep waiting for them to think/act like us. That’s not good for the person supported!

You may not value their perspective, but they surely do. Capture and value (or VALIDATE) their perspective so they don’t have to hammer it in so often. Does it matter how we get there?

As a group, take 5 minutes to share your perspectives on the following questions:

● How do you show you care? ● Growing up, how did you know that you did a good job? ● What does a great life look like to you? ● Why did you sign the position acceptance for this job? Identify and remember the common goal

Typically people work for us because they care. What does caring look like? To you? To them?

Typically people wake up and want to do the What do you think the right thing is? What do right thing that day. they think the right thing is?

Typically people that work for us want people What does a great life for this person in with disabilities to have great lives. services look like to you? Is that the same for others on the team? Typically people that are a part of this team, care. We knew what the salary was and still Why are you a part of this team? You probably accepted the job. all serve different purposes. Together, you’ve got it covered. Look at the lists we created earlier

How can we use the How can we use the positives to benefit people negatives to benefit people in services? in services?

74% of Gen Xers agreed with the statement “hard work is the key to getting ahead.” [Reader’s Digest] Perhaps due to living through an era that had different working conditions, 41% of baby boomers & veterans believe that once a person has a job, they should give their employer at least five years before looking for a new job elsewhere. They will never be what you are.

If you keep holding your breath waiting for that shift, you will die. (metaphorically speaking) ● Use Snapchat and Instagram as their main forms of communication isn’t appealing ● Do not prefer clear expecta ● Watch videos and live chats for research/information Generation Z gathering ● Care more about what the What to expect (maybe who you world thinks and less about are serving now) what their family thinks ● They create the path they want, they don’t follow something thations or deadlines Thanks for all the work you do!

From my family to yours. Thank you for coming.

Keep kickin’ a$$ in your own way!! (just remember to work well with others)