“Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.” – George Orwell “There is a problem in the workplace, a problem of values, ambitions, views, mind sets, demographics, and generations in conflict. The workplace we inhabit today is awash with the conflicting voices and views of the most age- and value-diverse workforce the world has known” (Zemke, Raines, & Filipczak, 2013, p. 11). At no time in our history have so many and such different generations with such diversity been asked to work together shoulder to shoulder, side-by-side, cubicle-to-cubicle. Though today it is not unusual for all of the 4 major generations to be working side by side. Each generation has different views on work ethic, and loyalty to the organization and its culture. Understanding the culture of an organization is a very important aspect in the continuity of leadership. Generational differences equate to differences in workplace characteristics and values of employees. Through experience and research, a key element in leading an organization is to understand and accept the values and beliefs of different generational gaps that make up today’s workplace. Not only is this key as a leader, but also it is crucial to the success of the organization. This research is intended to examine the four generations in the workplace, and research different management styles to be an effective leader in an ever-changing environment.

1. Adapting to Generational
Change in the Workplace
Thomas Baloga
Wilkes University

2. Introduction
 Implications
 Defining/Understanding Generations in the Workplace
 Motivating Employees
 Policies/Practices
 Management/HR
 Problems/Tips
 Conclusion

3. Implications
 Employers will need to recruit and embrace diversity in
the workforce
 The fasted growing occupations across developed
nations are knowledge based, meaning the position
requires a formal education or advanced training
 Given that knowledge is a scarce resource, companies
must capitalize on it by inviting and nurturing the best
people
 Companies must welcome retiree-age employees to
remain on board and transfer skills

4. Understanding Generations
• Never before has there been a workforce and workplace so
diverse in race, gender, and ethnicity
• First time we have four generations working shoulder to
shoulder, cubicle to cubicle
• All generations have unique experiences and attributes which
influence their attitudes towards work
• Psychologists, sociologists and everyday managers have
identified important differences between generations in the way
they approach work, work-life balance, employee loyalty,
authority and other important issues
• Differences could be attributed to individual differences, such
as levels of experience, levels of financial and family
commitments, depth of person development, political
awareness, and emotional maturity
• A lack of understanding across generations can have detrimental
effects on communication and working relationships and
undermine effective services

5. Defining Generations in the
Workplace

6. Working Generations in the U.S.

8. Traditionalists
 The “Silent Generation” or “Veterans”
 Viewed as being self-sacrificing
 Rooted in value systems built upon structured, formal roles, patriotism,
duty, self-sacrifice, top-down management and clear lines of authority
 Group of hardworking employees who respect authority and adhere to
rules
 Have a strong work ethic, being very loyal, disciplined, and
knowledgeable due to their experience
 They have a strong respect for authority and prefer formality in
relationships; prefer formal titles such as Mr. and Mrs.
 Disciplined to adhere to rules
 Well-respected group of individuals in the workplace because they are
likely to have great knowledge and experience in the field

9. Baby Boomers
 Born post WWII
 Approximately 74.9M of the U.S. population
 Characterized in the workplace as possessing the work ethic qualities of
being efficient and logical with a “do what it takes” attitude
 Came of age during an era of civil rights movements, the breaking
traditional family life, illustrated by an increased rate of divorce and
higher number of women pursuing individual careers and working outside
home
 Higher education was no longer a dream come true, but a given, and
computer science and technology was introduced
 Represent the aging workforce
 Committed and considered workaholics
 Spent most of their careers with one organization, which gives them the
characteristic of being loyal to their organization

10. Generation X
 Approximately 75.9M of the U.S. population
 Characterized as being cynical and skeptical
 Research shows events such as The Persian Gulf War, increases in
divorce rates, increases in crime, and the spread of AIDS may be
contributing factors
 Work style tends to be more informal than that of their parents,
and they take pride in their independence
 Grew up during a time of change in America
 First generation on a larger scale to experience both parents
working
 Exposed to more pop-culture and world events
 Witnessed their parents dealing with job insecurity as they
entered the workforce during an economic downturn, which lead
to their concern with retaining employment

11. Generation Y (Millenials)
 Referred to as the spoiled generation due to being pampered as
children
 Grown up with technological advances with the internet and
other forms of electronic communication
 Also known for being one of the most diverse groups in the
workforce
 Grew up with the attitude that everything was focused around
them, coined as “Me-Focus”, to include the belief that “We are
the future”
 Been present for times of war and acts of terror
 Helped build the spirit of patriotism, similar to other generations
 Grew up watching the world change daily, and became aware of
their community
 Possess traits like confidence, tolerance, and diversity

12. Motivating Employees
 Many factors influence efficiency
 HR
 Leadership perspective
 It’s a necessity to understand the characteristics of your
workforce to set an example, and to train and prepare the
workforce for efficiency and effectiveness
 When leaders understand the HR field and their own
workforce, they are able to implement and communicate with
their employees from different generations
 Leaders must adapt when:
 They grasp an understanding of each circumstance
 They properly communicate and implement with specific
generations to be effective

13. Traditionalists
 Authoritative leadership style
 Value authoritative leadership and one who “takes charge”
 Clearly outline and state objectives
 Prefer written, formal, and chain-of-command forms of
communication
 “Consult Individually Style”
 Experiential knowledge and loyalty
 Leader presents a problem to team members individually,
getting their ideas and suggestions
 Consulting this generation

14. Baby Boomers
 Leadership should be Face-to-Face and personable
 Resilient to electronic communication and changes in
technology
 Beneficial to recruit and retain Baby Boomers
 Strategy to maintain age diversity
 Take initiative
 Greater company loyalty
 Seasoned competencies
 Strong work ethics
 Established networks of contacts

15. Generation X
 Consensus leadership
 Desire for feedback
 Does not want to be micro-managed
 Ability to multi-task and prefer to learn by discovery
 Provide with fundamentals on a subject the let will use
their preferred techniques to come to their own conclusion
 As a leader it is important to incorporate and create a
mixture of all these preferences in order to meet the
needs of not only Gen X but all generations

16. Generation Y
 Teamwork leadership
 Outshine other generations by not following the crowd
 Very individualistic
 Thrive off praise and appreciation
 Not afraid to rewrite the rules
 Do not struggle with the changing structure of any company
 As a leader it is important to:
 Be open to their ideas and encourage them
 Task with “hands on” tasks because they are “hands on”
learners and choose projects they feel they can personally
make a difference in

17. Dealing With Generational Differences
Bridging Differences
Identify values
Assess value differences
Acknowledge implications
Change behaviors
Communicate needs
Build on commonalities
Accept differences
Tap into motivations
Manage Differences
Set clear goals
Share a common purpose
Expect mutual accountability
Give real recognition
Adapted from:
Recognition Management Institute, 2000

18. Policies and Practices
 Building Relationships
 Level of trust toward authority
 Overall views
 Education
 Religion
 Work/life balance
 Data
 Understanding the broad demographics of the workforce
 Understanding the broad demographics of your consumer
base

19. Management and HR
 Factors That Influence Efficiency in the Workplace
 Characteristics of your workforce
 Training
 Efficiency and effectiveness
 Approaches to Leadership Styles
 Examples by Industry
 Local shop
 Guard
 Google

20. Leadership and Authority
 Traditionalist
 Authoritative – Leadership
 Respectful – Authority
 Baby Boomers
 Consensus – Leadership
 Love Hate – Authority
 Generation X
 Competence – Leadership
 Unimpressed – Authority
 Millennials
 Teamwork - Leadership
 Respectful, but autonomous - Authority

21. Challenges
 Retention
 Recruitment
 Recognition
 Productivity
 Employee satisfaction
 Customer satisfaction

22. Retention Tips
 Hire selectively
 Offer competitive benefits package salary
 Based on skill and experience
 Supply and demand
 Geographical location
 Worker seniority
 Provide a comfortable work environment and culture
 Make more time for orientation of new people
 Communicate goals clearly
 Recognize accomplishments

23. Recruiting Tips
 Find out what motivates them
 Find out what would cause them to leave the
organization
 Treat them as they want to be treated
 People work for people not a company
 Hire the best person for the job

24. Recognition Tips
 Recognition is personal. Find out preferences for type of
recognition
 Recognition is about people and relationships, not things
 Learn to say and show “thank you” in many different
ways
 Demonstrate that you trust people
 Making time for recognition is simply a choice

25. Productivity Tips
 Ask people how they learn best
 When people ask for tools to get the job done, provide those
tools
 Provide the latest technology as money permits
 Plan for personal and professional development
 Communicate about how well they are doing and where they
can improve
 Set goals and help with the plan to achieve them
 Provide quarterly reviews

26. Conclusion
 Recommendations/Opportunities
 Taylor your own style
 Appreciate your workforce
 Adapting to values and beliefs
 Training
 Synergy
 Adjusting leadership style
 Becoming a successful leader

27. References
Dittmann, (June 2005). Generational Differences at Work.
Saunderson, R. (2000). Managing Generational Differences
in the Workplace, Recognition Management Institute.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02,
2016, from http://www.bls.gov/