How to Get the Best Out of All Four Generations in Your AAUW Community

How to Get the Best Out of All
Four Generations in Your
AAUW Community

Who am I?
Author, Speaker, Trainer,Coach, Consultant, Blogger
In nonprofit sector 8 years
Interested in nonprofits, capacity building, leadership, diversity, social media
My mission is to empower a new generation of leaders
Why are you here ?

Baby Boomers
Gen Y
Gen X
Silent Generation

What do other generations think of you? What do you wish other generations knew about you? Take 5 minutes to discuss your thoughts with the group.

Silent Generation
Born 1925 to 1945, parents served in WWI, grew up w/o TV
Conformists, cautious, loyal
Senator John McCain
Respect hard work, sacrifice, discipline, hierarchy
Offer mentorship, history, stories, legacy

Baby Boomers
Born 1946 to 1964 post- WWII, 80 million strong
Immortality, optimism
Sex, drugs, rock & roll
60’s counterculture, later turned conservative
Movements civil/women’s rights
Offer influence, authority, power

Generation X
Born 1965 to 1979, “Slacker Generation”, 45 million strong
Desert Storm, Clinton years, HIV/AIDS
MTV, video games, grunge rock, informal, individualistic
Offer experience, networks

Generation Y
Born 1980 to 2000, 80 million strong, “Millennials”
School shootings, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Iraq
High student debt, hi-tech
Confident, social, celebrate diversity, collaborative
Offer skills, education, passion

Racial Makeup of Gen Y

Acknowledge their work and contributions
Support their relevancy now, not just in the past
Recognize the legacy they are leaving

Acknowledge younger generations’ leadership, ideas and vision
Provide information and advice based on their experiences that will help younger leaders be more effective
Share power, recognize newer generations will be leading social change in the future

What is leadership, anyway?
Share your definition.

Two Truths
1. Each of you holds the success of the AAUW community in our own hands.
2. All generations have something to teach and something to learn.

the new organizational landscape requiresa new kind of leadership

we need more leaders, not more followers

A metaphor for organizations A starfish and a spider appear to be structured similarly, but if you crush a spider's head, it dies. Cut a starfish in half, and you'll end up with two.

everyone’s a leader + anyone can lead

More trust, less control
Make it easy to innovate
Mine knowledge at the edges
Push power to your networks

Raised millions of dollars
Engaged thousands of
volunteers
Supporters took the
message viral
Millions moved to action for a clear purpose
Mission accomplished!

Different generations, different roles

Gen Y: Development

Gen X: Establishment

Baby Boomers: Assessment

Silent Generation: Contribution

How older leaders communicate
Silent Generation
By nature Silents are private, the "silent generation". Don't expect members of this generation to share their thoughts immediately.
For the Silents, word is his/her bond, so it's important to focus on words rather than body language or inferences.
Face to face or written communication is preferred.
Don't waste their time, or let them feel as though their time is being wasted.
Baby Boomers
Boomers are the "show me" generation, so your body language is important when communicating.
Speak in an open, direct style but avoid controlling language.
Answer questions thoroughly and expect to be pressed for the details.
Present options to demonstrate flexibility in your thinking.
Phone, face time, email, certain forms of social media (don’t forget that many Boomers were “early adopters” of technology)

Messages that Motivate Silents
“Your experience is respected here.”
“It’s important for the rest of us to hear what has, and hasn’t, worked in the past.”
“Your perseverance is valued and will be rewarded.”

Messages that Motivate Boomers
“You are important to our success.
“We recognize your unique and important contribution to our team.”
What is your vision for this project?”
“You are valued.”

How younger leaders communicate
Generation X
Use email as a primary communication tool.
Talk in short sound bites to keep their attention.
Ask them for their feedback and provide them with regular feedback.
Share information with them on a regular basis and strive to keep them in the loop.
Use an informal communication style.
Phone, face time, email, certain forms of social media
Generation Y
Use action words and challenge them at every opportunity.
They will resent it if you talk down to them.
They prefer email communication.
Seek their feedback constantly and provide them with regular feedback.
Use humor and create a fun learning environment. Don't take yourself too seriously.
Encourage them to take risks and break the rules so that they can explore new ways of learning.
Facebook, Twitter, IM/text, email, blogs

93% of teens ages 12-17 go online, as do 93% of young adults ages 18-29.
75% of Millennials have created a profile on a social networking site.
1 in every 5 Millennials have posted a video of themselves online.
41% of Millennials use only a cell phone and have no landline.
Over half of YouTube’s users are under 20 years old.
53% of the total blogging population is 21-35 years old.

Messages that Motivate Gen Xers
“Do it your way.”
“We’ve got the latest computer technology.”
“There aren’t a lot of rules here.”
“We’re not very corporate.”

Messages that Motivate Gen Ys
“We provide equal opportunities here.”
“Your mentor is in his/her sixties.”
“You are making a positive difference to our company.”
“You handled that situation well.”

How established leaders can build & share leadership
Silent Generation
Mentor Gen X & Gen Y
Remind baby boomers to prepare future leaders
Offer honest assessments of history
Remind others of values
Listen & reminisce when asked
Baby Boomers
Partner with Gen X, bringing them into leadership & giving them authority
Challenge & push Gen X to build leadership skills
Encourage Gen Y
Recognize that social change doesn’t start & end with the Boomers

How emerging leaders can build & share leadership
Generation X
Partner with Boomers to move work ahead & make needed changes
Expect pressure from Gen Y to institute new ways to do the work
Support the development of Gen Y & learn from their ideas
Generation Y
Learn from Gen X & Boomers: content of the work & how it’s currently done
Make mistakes & learn from experiences
Respect contributions of older generations
Confront older generations by raising new ways to do the work

How will you lead differently?

contact
rosetta@rosettathurman.com
rosettathurman.com
@rosettathurman

sources
Book: Working Across Generations: Defining the Future of Nonprofit Leadership
Book: The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations
Report: “Millennials: A Portrait of Generation Next,” Pew Research Center
Report: “Tips to Improve Interaction Among the Generations,” The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association Office of Diversity at the University of Hawai’i

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How to Get the Best Out of All Four Generations in Your AAUW Community

by Rosetta Thurman on Jun 19, 2011

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How to Get the Best Out of All Four Generations in Your AAUW Community — Presentation Transcript