1. GENERATIONS
IN THE WORKFORCE
Collaborate for maximum success without
sacrificing principles along the way
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

2. Flow
• Set the stage: Small Group Activity
• Explore: Workplace Interactions
• Train the Brain: A – B – C
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

3. Question #1:
Describe a high point from your professional
career
– an experience or outcome for which you
feel particularly proud
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

4. Question #2
Describe a learning moment from your
professional career
– an outcome/event that presented a
learning that you still carry with you today
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

5. Universal Truths
Each of us knows something.
No one knows everything.
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

6. WORKPLACE INTERACTIONS:
MULTIGENERATIONS
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

7. Nuclear family,
close to extended family High Divorce Rate
Traditional Families
to Suburbia
2-Income HH
Latchkey Kids
Internet
Color TV PC
Radio
Movies w/
Sound
Corp Downsizing Global
JFK Assassination
Warming
WWII Iraq War
Womens Fall of Berlin Wall
Rights Vietnam
Great War
Depression
WTC
Civil Rights Challenger
Disaster
1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
BIRTH Baby Generation
YRS Traditionalists Boomers Xers Millenials Gen-?

8. Below the surface, we have
VALUES
 Established by
adolescence
 Unlikely to be changed by
external influences
 At our core
 Career Success
 Honesty
 Prominence
 Good citizenship
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

9. Values
Trad’lsts Boomers Gen-X Millenials
Optimism
Pragmatism Confidence
Loyalty
Equality
Self- Diversity
Conformity
Reliance
Team
Civic Duty
Work Hard
Informality
Personal
Family-
Frugality Growth &
Balance centered
Gratification
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

10. Below the surface, we have
VALUES BELIEFS
 Established by  How we think the world
adolescence works
 Unlikely to be changed by  Shaped by experience and
external influences interactions with others
 At our core  Can outlive their usefulness
 Career Success  Nice guys finish last.
 Honesty  Those people can’t be trusted.
 Prominence  If I work hard, I’ll be rewarded.
 Good citizenship  If I want to get ahead, I have to take
care of it myself.
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

11. Workplace Interactions
Trad’lsts Boomers Gen-X Millenials
Relationship to
Formal Personal Informal Casual
Superiors
Dealing with
Debate &
Different Points of Defer to Seniority Avoid It Open Dialogue
Challenge
View
Informal team
Follow the Leader Fluid sense of team
Work in Teams structure /
How Work Gets
Independent
Done Focus on Process & Challenge the
Bend the Rules
Rules Rules
Change the Rules
Brutal honesty - Expressive &
Clear Expectations Coached for
Don’t do Tolerant
Reserved Improved
workplace politics
Communication Performance
Appreciate fresh
Appreciate their
Appreciate how perspective &
experience Appreciate them
they work ideas
Learn from patterns, yet collaboration requires that we let go of the silos!
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

12. All of our differences –
The many sources for what each of us ‘knows’
izational Dimension
Organ s
Functional Level/
Classification
ernal Dimensio
Ext Geographic ns
Work
Management Location Content/
Status Marital Field
Income
nal Dimension
Status
In ter s
Age
Generation
Parental Race Gender Personal
Status Habits
Personality Division/
Union Department/
Affiliation Appearance Thought process Sexual Recreational Unit/
Ethnicity Values Orientation Habits
Group
Physical
Work
Experience
Ability Religion Segments
Work
Educational
Background Of
Location Seniority
‘1’
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

13. CONTINUUM OF BELIEFS WORKING
WITH OR FOR EACH OTHER
Employment If I work hard, they Add value to Can’t expect I’ll take care of
‘Terms’ will take care of me be rewarded anything me
Hierarchy, Consensus Competence Everyone
Leadership Command Chain Leads -
Collaborative
Rewards Satisfaction
of doing a
Money,
title,
Freedom Fill personal
meaning
good job recognition
Coworkers Part of
Chain
Competition Independent
Partners
Essential key to
Team
Feedback No news is Seldom, well Requested, At the push of
good news documented real time a button
Work AttitudePay your Live to work Work to live Work to
dues Contribute
Career Legacy Achievement The Future Balance
Goals
Information
13
Personal
filing cabinet
Yours, mine,
and ours
Unlimited, at
my fingertips
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 © 2010 Confluency, LLC

14. What’s In Common
 Respect (remember our first exercise?)
 Fairness – broader the definition
 Fair ≠ Same
 Professional Growth
 Sense of Community – goals, purpose, & fun!
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

15. TRAIN THE BRAIN… A – B – C
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

16. Appreciate the person
Who they are, not what they do
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

17. Be curious
Learn before judging
Ask open questions
Requires listening first
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

18. Complement others
Start where the other person ‘is’
Bring values into the
conversation
Inspire Both / And thinking
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC

19. Action plan
• What is one thing you
will do to create a
collaborative work
environment for all?
Shelly Melroe Sep 25, 2012 Confluency, LLC