BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP MWEA Northern Michigan Operators Seminar September 25, 2018 Rhonda Oyer Department of Environmental Quality Waste Management and Radiological Protection Division 400 B. C. “[Our Youth] have contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders.” Key terms and concepts • Generation: a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously who have common knowledge and experiences that affect their thoughts, attitudes, values, and behaviors • Cusper: people born close to the dividing line between generations This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA Four Generations (soon to be Five!) • Matures/Traditionalists/Silent Generation: born before 1946 • Baby Boomers: 1946 - 1964 • Generation X: 1965 - 1980 • Generation Y/Millennials: 1980 – 2000 • Generation Z: born after This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA 2000 Signposts • Generational signpost: an event or cultural phenomenon that is specific to one generation • Personal signposts: experiences in our lives that significantly contribute to who we are • Group signposts: experiences of the group to which we belong and the society in which we live • Life laws: events that have social, political, or economic influence on our lives but occurred before we were old enough to remember any difference Stereotypes • What are some of the characteristics of each generation and prevailing stereotypes? – Traditionalists: unwilling to change and unable to adapt to technology – Boomers: driven workaholics – Gen X: slacker attitude and disregard for authority – Millennials: spoiled, self-centered, and entitled – Gen Z: the “reality-check” generation Critical Factors that shape a generation • Parenting trends – How we are raised is the greatest influence of how we will behave in the workplace • Economics – Our beliefs about money are forged early in life and impact our workplace decisions • Life Span – How long we think we have left to live affects what we do with the time we believe we have left More about Generation Z This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA Technology All of us have a different relationship with technology that is primarily driven by our age I remember when cut and paste involved a glue stick. We’re Friends on Facebook. What’s a browser? What do we all have in common?? • All generations have similar values • We all want respect • We all want leaders we can trust • We are all resistant to change • Loyalty depends on context • We all want to learn • We all want feedback What can we do to bridge the Generation Gap? • Encourage everyone to compromise, trust, and commit to make things work • Address three main issues (take into account the needs of different generations separately) – Technology – Feedback – Work/Life Balance This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND Bridging the Gap… • Make sure communications are effective for all – Different styles – Different media – Start listening—stop assuming – Ask questions rather than make statements – Paraphrase before answering – Be careful when using cultural or historical references What else can we do… • Value, recognize, and appreciate each person’s unique contribution to the team – We all want R-E-S-P-E-C-T – Our differences compliment each other – Focus on similarities rather than differences – If the other person was right after all—say so! • Take advantage of the fresh perspective of younger staff and the wisdom of the more experienced What you can do… • Give people the benefit of the doubt • Approach interactions by walking a mile in someone else’s shoes • Be open • Recognize change happens • Recognize the values and perils of the tried and true • Develop insatiable curiosity .