The document discusses leveraging different generations in the workplace. It defines the four main generations currently in the workforce (Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials) and examines their work styles and motivations. The document also addresses leadership gaps as older generations retire and discusses strategies for improving communication and collaboration across generations to attract, retain, and develop talent. These strategies include surveying employees, creating opportunities for informal and scheduled updates, setting communication guidelines, and using technology and mentoring programs.

1. Workplace Evolution
Sherri Petro, VPI Strategies
Emily Davis, EDA Consulting LLC
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

2. Welcome and Introductions
 What is Workplace Evolution?
 Sherri Petro, VPI Strategies
 Emily Davis, EDA Consulting LLC
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

3. Outcomes
 Define the generational mix
 Identify leadership gaps
 Address issues that will affect recruitment and
retention.
 Provide creative strategies and solutions for leveraging
every generation for your organization’s mission or
bottom line
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

4. What is the generational mix?
 Traditionalists
 Generation X
 Born 1925-45
 Born 1965-80
 64-84 years
 29-44 years
 Baby Boomers
 Generation Y
 Born 1946-64
 Born 1981-?
 45-63 years
 18-28 years
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

5. National Landscape 2006
6.5%
22.5%
Traditionalists
Baby Boomers
41%
Generation X
Generation Y
30%
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

6. Why leverage generational knowledge?
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Attracting and retaining talent is a big concern
More employees going out than coming in
Workers are changing jobs frequently
Productivity decreases and turnover costs increase
when workers change jobs
 Performance problems are more about relationships
than skills or motivations
 You already have answers to your issues
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

7. Defining the Leadership Gap
 The period of time when executive Boomers are
preparing to leave their leadership roles to when new
leadership is installed.
 Describes not only temporal gaps, but perceptual gaps
in what well-qualified leaders look like.
 The lack of communication, preparation, and support
available among multiple generations of leaders.
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

8. Leadership Gap – Crisis or Opportunity?
According to a 2004 Annie E. Casey Foundation
survey, “more than 2,200 nonprofit organizations
found that 65 percent of respondents expected to go
through a leadership transition by 2009, while just 57
percent had experienced a transition during the past
10 years (2005, p.2).”
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

9. How has this affected your org?
 Work ethic
 Work priorities
 Time sensitivities
 Company loyalty
 Different
 Meeting management
communication vehicles
 Retention
 Subscription to
technology
 Change
 Level of respect
 Entitlement
 Training
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

10. Traditionalist Work Style
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Respect for authority
Loyal
Command and control
Can be tough for them to use their own judgment
Why customize?
Believe in the value of work more than finding
personal meaning
 Separation of work and home
 Acknowledged for what they know as well as what they
don’t
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

11. Baby Boomer Work Style
 All about respect
 Self-improvement
 Strong work ethic
 Desire flexibility
 Optimistic and idealistic
 Struggle with work/life balance
 Into symbols of recognition as rewards
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

12. Gen X Work Style
 Stay in a job for 3.5
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years, 2 years in high
tech
Money-motivated
Like to solve their own
problems
Multi-taskers
Fiercely independent
Direct communicators
versus reading in
between the lines
 Job movement
 Want to be valued
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immediately for their
skills
Informal
Results-oriented
Quick study
Sound byte processing
Work solo and yet on
teams
Need for external
recognition as reward
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

13. Millennials Work Style
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Digital natives
Menu-driven thinking
Work on their own terms
Think globally
Have positive
expectations
 Want customization
 Desire interactivity
 Express to express -- not
impress
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Multi-taskers
Desire mutual respect
Ready for collaboration
Are looking for a cause
Want to make a
difference
 Celebrate diversity
 Acknowledgement for
being here
 Looking for an
experience
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

14. Motivations of Emerging Leaders
 Reasons for working for an NPO:
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Enjoy giving back to the community - 82%
Personal sense of satisfaction - 81.5%)
Positive work environment - 58.3%
Professional challenges - 57.2%
Co-workers - 56%
Working with clients: 42.7%
Encouraging and supportive leadership: 40%
Professional development opportunities: 37%
Other: 3.4%
Financial compensation: 2.8%
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

15. Where are we similar*?
 We receive great reward
 For the work we do
 From the people we work with
 And the belief that we are contributing to society and
our current jobs
 We receive great satisfaction from our
accomplishments at work
*CCL Emerging Leaders Research by Ross DePinto, 2003
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

16. Generational Similarities
 We have
 A desire to learn
 A desire to be acknowledged
 A desire to be rewarded
 We want
 To be trusted, valued and respected
 To succeed
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

17. Generational Similarities
 Harmony is preferred
 We want to be on the same wavelength
 We all need clear communication
 People do not like to operate out of fear
 Everyone likes to have fun
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

18. Org Dynamics and Leadership
 Anticipate shifts in leadership styles along with
personal and professional boundaries from young
nonprofit professionals which may require more
flexibility than in the past;
 “…valuing new ideas...by setting aside biases borne
of [Boomers’] early movement experience and by
nurturing young leadership with contemporary
and critically needed perspectives both within and
outside of their organizations (Kunreuther, 2005).”
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

19. Org Dynamics and Leadership
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Set a foundation of trust and confidence.
Collaboration.
Identify and nurture more leaders of color.
Examine current organizational structures.
Consider the benefits and limitations of any new
management and leadership style and
 Be willing to take calculated risks.
 Process for communication.
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

20. Communication Mindset
 Commit to educating and leveraging generational
differences. Concentrate on similarities.
 Employ a student and teacher mindset
 Enlarge ideas instead of taking sides
 Dialogue vs. debate
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

21. Communication Tactics
 Conduct a temperature check survey on being
valued, trusted and respected
 Have informal & scheduled times to
brainstorm, update and coach
 Create healthy conflict resolution guidelines
 Honor energy, intuition and instincts
 Delegate well
 Define the objective
 Agree that getting to the objective is the most important
and not necessarily HOW – unless unethical
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

22. Communication Technology
 Think wiki (open systems)
 Internal blog
 SharePoint
 Virtual candidate skill assessment techniques
 Facebook – social utility
 LinkedIn
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation

23. Next steps
 Acknowledge each
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generation’s value
Recruit more emerging
leaders into board roles
Promote work/life balance
Create
internships/mentorships
Invest in professional
development
 Consider succession
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planning
Plan for retirement
Make it possible to hand
over leadership
Create opportunities to
share information cross
generationally
Learn communication
strategies
Workplace Evolution - Leveraging Every
Generation