GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKPLACE Metropolitan Fire Chiefs

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKPLACE Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference 2019

GENERATIONS (WESTON, BLAUTH, MCDANIEL, PERRIN) Group of people born in the same general time span who share some life experience Historical events Pastimes- Sports, Movies Heroes Work experiences

MOVIE QUOTES “I’m Gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” “Yo Adrian” “To Boldly go where no man has gone before” “Fear does not exist in this dojo does it? ” “No Sen’ se’” We’ll need 1. 21 gigawatts “You can’t handle the truth” “I’ll be back” “ To infinity and beyond” “Frodo, I wish this ring had never come to me” “May the odds be ever in your favor” “Show me again the power of the darkness grandfather. ”

WHO ARE YOU? Traditionalists (1900 – 1945) – Great Depression, WWII, Korean War, … John Wayne, Joe Di. Maggio, Elizabeth Taylor Boomers – (1946 -1964) – Suburban sprawl, television, Vietnam, Watergate, … Martin Luther King Jr. and Bill Clinton, Meryl Streep Gen X-ers – (1965 – 1980) – Sesame Street, MTV, PCs, Divorce, latch-key kids, … Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Jennifer Lopez Millennials - Gen Y – (1981 – 2000)- digital cameras, social media, You. Tube, 9/11, Katrina, … Mark Zuckerberg.

FIRE SERVICE AND UNION LEADERSHIP Today, there at least three distinctive generations in the workforce. Boomers are team players, love social interaction at work and invest time to work their way up Gen X-ers are skeptical, determined to do a good job but also go home and have a life Millennials (Gen Y-ers) have little patience, if they’re not happy… They leave.

BOOMERS (1946 -1964) Focus on the American Dream Value loyalty Equal rights Team Oriented Good communication skills Live to work Competent Want to make a difference Able to handle crisis Ambitious Ethical

GEN X-ERS ( 1965 -1980) Latch-key kids Angry but don’t know why Confident Some pampered by parents Results driven Self sufficient Project oriented Willing to take on responsibility Work/life balance is important Close to family (*Not Parents)

MIL / GEN-Y CHARACTERISTICS (1981 -2000) Refuse to work a job that does not bring them a sense of joy. Text one another, IM, watch each other on You. Tube, and sometimes do all three at the same time! Do NOT care about what you have to say unless you have been endorsed by their friends. They care about what their community says, and they take each others recommendations VERY seriously.

Traditionalist Baby Boomers Generation X-ers Millennials / Gen Y-ers Core Values Respect Authority Conformers Discipline Optimism Involvement Skepticism Fun Informality Realism Confidence Extreme Fun Social Family Traditional Nuclear Disintegrating Latch-key Kids Merged Families Education A Dream A birthright A way to get there An incredible expense Communication/ Media Rotary phones One-on-one Written memo Touch-tone phone Call anytime Cell phones Email Internet Text messaging Photo phone Social media Money Pay cash Save Buy now/ pay later Cautious Conservative Save Earn to spend

Work Ethic Traditionalist Baby Boomers Generation X-ers Millennials / Gen Y-ers Work Ethic • Hard Work • Respect authority • Sacrifice • Duty before fun • Adhere to Rules • Workaholics • Work efficiently • Crusading cause • Personal fulfillment • Desire quality • Question authority • Eliminate the task • Self-reliance • Structure and direction • Skeptical • What’s next • Multitasking • Tenacity • Entrepreneurial • Tolerant • Goal oriented Work Struggles • Respect for Diversity • Uncomfortable with conflict • Reticent to take leave • Technology • Sharing praise/rewards • Balancing work and family • Career development • Office politics • Skeptical / distrustful of authority • Respectful communication • Functional literacy • Supervision • Structure

GEN -Y INVENTED BY THE BOOMERS Boomers raised Gen Y to believe that they can do anything and be anything. NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND culture Boomers made their lives easy enough that they now believe they deserve to live first and work second. (How dare them!) So the first thing Boomers need to do is stop being pissed off at their own creation and embrace the brilliance of this Gen Y community.

MILLENNIALS/ GEN Y-ERS Larger group than Boomers / 50% larger than Gen –Xers Millennials are 35% of the workforce. By 2020 they’ll be 46% of the working population. Committed to family/community/ teamwork Its members marry later than baby-boom predecessors —the median age at marriage has risen to 26 for women and 28 for men (from 20 for women and 23 for men)– Prenuptial agreements– Savings (from living with parents) and School Loans Can-do spirit

GEN Y’S FOUR MAIN MOTIVATORS Challenging, stimulating and varied work -work on a variety of projects , learn and use new skills Pay (ROI)- high self esteem /high expectations, and if pay is low, they feel undervalued. May also be paying off school loans. Career growth learning and development - need to know how the tasks they are assigned now will fit into the “big picture” of overall career. – Most want to perform– don’t accept you tolerating low performance Enjoyable work environment - interacting with their peers…don’t want to be isolated. Want their work environment to be fun.

GEN Y-ERS Demotivated by four factors: Boredom A lack of respect or recognition An inability to learn, grow and develop Having a bad boss– *They like to get personal

HOW DO YOU REACH THEM? Understand that Gen Y is an “experience” culture. Don’t want to be told what to like or what to do. Want to experience the world for themselves and pass their own judgment. Prefer to work in teams. Love to be in the trenches of life, and they want to be there with their friends.

HOW TO EARN THEIR RESPECT AUTHENTICITY They don’t waste time on people who are not being real with them. Authentic is cool. Authentic is truthful. This generation has seen it all, from televised wars to 9 -11 to the hanging of Hussein. They know real when they see it, and it takes them all of three seconds to pass that judgment.

HOW TO CONNECT WITH MILLENNIALS? START by listening Hang out with them. Experience life with them. Give instant feedback. Respect them. (Really? ) Personal relationships - Their outlook on life will change you. -------------- Note: Tattoos (36 percent of them have at least one tattoo)

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT=

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing OMW =

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing OMW = On my way

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing OMW = On my way NVM=

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing OMW = On my way NVM= Never Mind

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing OMW = On my way NVM= Never Mind TYVM =

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing OMW = On my way NVM= Never Mind TYVM= Thank you very much

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing OMW = On my way NVM= Never Mind TYVM= Thank you very much gratz =

TXTING: CAN U CNCT? XLNT = Excellent ROTFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing OMW = On my way NVM= Never Mind TYVM= Thank you very much gratz = Congratulations

MILITARY: MILLENNIALS/ GEN YERS Communicate through text, handhelds, videos, audio mixes, blogs and social media pages. They are adept at gathering and sharing information They tend to be quick and effective decision makers Amazing ability to multitask Their openness can be used to break down barriers q. Training procedures must address this issue if privacy or secrecy is necessary

MILITARY: OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW Are younger service members -‘millennials, ’ soft? Are they too reliant on technology? Are they buried so deep in social media that face-to-face communication becomes impossible? Are they too busy questioning orders to follow them?

MILITARY: OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW Inexperience in negotiating agreements Deficient in face-to-face skills Inability to ‘win hearts and minds’

MILITARY: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Combine best aspects of networks and best aspects of ‘command control’ Infuse the organization with a sense of urgency and unified mission Make people responsible for taking commonsense actions Seamless communication, speed, agility, and ability to multitask Balanced leadership should provide direction, discipline, and cohesion

THE MISSION: ALL GENERATIONS MUST FULFILL THE MISSION Differences can be tolerated as long as they do not interfere with the mission Cell phones on emergency responses Taking their time when alarm goes off (can’t get out of bed– or won’t stop task) Disregarding a command because you don’t’ like the tone of the officers voice (or don’t like the officer) Disregard policy Tobacco - (chew because you can’t smoke)

FOCUS ON SHARED VALUES Similar ‘top’ values – Family tops the list for all generations Everyone wants respect – though not defined the same way. Boomers – “give my opinions the weight deserved” Millennials/ Y-ers – “listen to me…pay attention to me” Nobody likes change – age is not a factor… Has to do with what you will loose/gain

FOCUS ON SHARED VALUES Loyalty depends on context – e. g. hours at work – older workers may spend more time because they are at a different level. Everyone wants to learn – want to have the education needed to perform well Everyone likes feedback – want to know how they are doing/ what they can do better

WORKFORCE ISSUES … NOW By 2025 - (6 years) 75% of workforce will be Gen-Y- Millennials Work environment – landlines, email, and face-to-face discussions are challenging Gen Y’s Expect handholding and rewards– they like collaboration and feedback Question Authority – they want to know that the options presented are the best way Benefits – Gen Ys less concerned with traditional benefits… more about quality of life now (shifts)

IDEAL LEADER FOR ALL GENERATIONS Lead by example Act as a coach/mentor Be accessible Give clear understanding of what is expected Encourage followers by helping them see how they contribute to organization Challenge followers Hold others accountable

WHAT’S NEXT? Get ready for Generation Z (i. GEN or The Plurals) They’re smarter than Boomers, and way more ambitious than the Millennials.

GENERATION Z They are the early adopters, the brand influencers, the social media drivers, the pop-culture leaders. Gen Z’s have been born into the crisis period of terrorism, the global recession and climate change. They are predicted to spend their young adult years in a time of economic and social renewal. They are students and university graduates, employees and consumers of tomorrow.

GENERATION Z Socially Aware - 60 % of Gen Zs want jobs that had a social impact… compared with 31 % of Gen Ys. Entrepreneurial - 72 % want to start their own businesses Community-oriented- 26 % already volunteer Prudent - 56 % said they were savers, not spenders. Tolerant (more than Gen Y) of racial, sexual and generational diversity, and less likely to subscribe to traditional gender roles. Smoke, drink and fight far less than previous generations (*though they’re more likely to text while driving)

GENERATION Z QUESTIONABLE TRAITS… REALLY? … Gen Zer’s are smarter, safer, more mature than Gen Y at comparable age… and they want to change the world… Zs will be wary with their money. After seeing their parents lose jobs and their older siblings move back home, this generation will avoid debt.

GENERATION Z QUESTIONABLE TRAITS… REALLY? … Their heroes …Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani education campaigner, survived the Taliban, world youngest Noble Prize recipient. Another hero rising is Greta Thunberg Climate change activist

1998 - Ongoing Gen Zer’s Core Values Leaders Strong Work Ethic Like predictability Emotional/sincere Family High home school rates Stay at home parent Education Valued – learn to serve Communication/ Tablet, smart phone, visual social media Media Work Value Online collaboration, susceptible to distractions Millennials /Gen Y-ers Realism Confidence Extreme Fun Social Merged Families An incredible expense Text messaging Photo phone Social media • Multitasking • Tenacity • Tolerant • Reward oriented

WORKING WITH ALL GENERATIONS Boomers = Thinkers Data collectors- facts, background, trivia Objective, serious, analytical Goal oriented Teaching Methods Lectures with visuals Handouts Graphs/charts Debates

WORKING WITH ALL GENERATIONS Xers = Feelers Sentimental, empathetic Want everyone to feel good and agree Like to tell and listen to stories Teaching Methods Share ideas Relate content to examples Use real life examples

WORKING WITH ALL GENERATIONS Millennials (Yers) = Sensors Task oriented Doers Easily bored Teaching Methods Doing – Trial and Error Solving problems by testing ideas How’s this work?

WORKING WITH ALL GENERATIONS Gen Z = Intuitors Active Imagination, dreamers Enthusiastic Uninhibited, flexible Creative Teaching Methods Self discovery Creative approaches – activities Variety

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKPLACE Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference 2019