Millennials Bending the Rules in the Workplace by CTR

Culture Transformation Resources, LLC * www.CTRConsultingServices.com
MILLENNIALS
BENDING
THE
RULES
IN THE WORKPLACE.
By Andre S. Harris, Culture Transformation Resources, LLC

> 3 years in a job
60%
Source: Financial Post, “Like it or not, Millennials will change the workplace,” 09-16-13

want to have a job where they can have an
72%

say that giving back and being
c i v i c a l l y e n g a g e d a r e t h e i r
h i g h e s t p r i o r i t i e s .
70%

MILLENNIALS.
BENDING AND CHANGING THE WORK RULES.
Millennials are bending and
breaking the traditional rules,
while becoming fast,
aggressive new competitors.
They’ve been described as
the “Me Generation” and:
•  Get bored quickly
•  Seek meaningful work
•  Enjoy constant change
•  Desire professional
development
•  Crave instant gratification

THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE.
A CLOSER LOOK AT MILLENNIALS.

FOUR GENERATIONS.
BIRTH YEARS & AGE.
TRADITIONALISTS 1925-1945
69+
years
BABY BOOMERS 1946-1964 50-68
GENERATION X 1965-1979 35-49
MILLENNIALS 1980-1996
18-34
years
Source: Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” 2013

FOUR GENERATIONS
IN THE WORKPLACE.
Source: Gallup’s “State of the American Workplace” 2013

We are in the middle of a historic
evolutionary leap driven by digital innovation
and technology. It has created a
generational divide that holds both
promise and peril for leaders.
For the first time in U.S. history, we have
four separate generations working side-by-
side.
While there is no magic birth date that
makes a member of a specific generation,
one’s experience and sharing of history
h e l p s s h a p e a “ g e n e r a t i o n a l
personality” during their formative years.
When a generational
divide occurs at work, the
results can be:
•  Reduced productivity
•  Hiring challenges
•  Increased turnover
•  Decreased morale
•  Reduced profitability

“A lack of understanding across generations can
have detrimental effects on communication and
working relationships and undermine effective
services.”
-Constance Patterson, Ph.D.

HOW THEY DIFFER.
Social, Political & Economic
Influences
Family Structure & Influence
Education
Values / Morals
Work Ethic
Leadership Approach
Motivational Buttons
Communication Style
Interaction with Others
Approach to Feedback
View towards Company
Work vs. Personal Life
Desired Rewards
Financial Behaviors
Relationship with Technology
General Expectations

So much of what is going on in
our lives is seen through our
own generational lens.
C o m p a n i e s N E E D a
multigenerational workforce.
To succeed in business today,
i t t a k e s a r a n g e o f
generational insights and
varied perspectives to make
smart business decisions.
Educating employees on
generational differences and
their unique contributions can
boost:
•  Understanding
•  Respect
•  Collaboration
•  Productivity
•  A Working Together Culture
GENERATIONAL INSIGHTS.

WORKERS SEEM TO BE
GETTING YOUNGER BY THE MINUTE.

OVERVIEW.
MILLENNIALS.
BIRTH
YEARS
•  1980-1996
AGE •  18-34 years
US
POPULATION
•  92 Million
AKA
•  Gen Y
•  Echo Boomers

CHILDHOOD.
MILLENNIALS.

CHILDHOOD.
MILLENNIALS.
The most monumental financial boom in history
Steady income growth through the 90’s
Still great disparity between races
Saw their parents lose all their stocks and mutual
funds during early 2000’s
Average age of parents higher than ever before
Smaller families (10% with single child)
More parental education: 1 in 4 families have
parent with college degree

IMPORTANT EVENTS.
MILLENNIALS.
September 11th
Clinton/Lewinsky
Scandal
Columbine High
School Shooting
Princess Diana’s
Death
Iraq War & Peace-
Keeping Mission
Oklahoma City
Bombing
Hurricane Katrina
Nelson Mandela
Freed

CORE VALUES.
MILLENNIALS.
Timeliness
Making a
Difference
Tolerance
Environmental
Stewardship
Authenticity Family
Global
Perspective
Technology
Personal
Freedom

Prince
William
Lady
Gaga
Michael
Phelps
Gisele
Bundchen
Shia
LaBeouf
Beyonce
FAMOUS
MILLENNIALS.
LeBron
James
Justin
Timberlake
Justin
Bieber
Miley
Cyrus
Mary-Kate
& Ashley
Olsen
Kim
Kardashian

COMMON TRAITS.
MILLENNIALS.
Grew up in mini-vans,
protected car seats,
“Baby on Board” signs
Child Protection Laws Technology Savvy
Social Networking,
online lives
Social Networking,
online lives
Multi-taskers, short
attention span, high
expectations
xyz

COMMUNICATION.
MILLENNIALS.

THE GREAT DIVIDE.
MILLENNIALS’ PERCEPTION OF THEMSELVES.
[Source: A Beyond.com survey of 6,361 job seekers and veteran HR professionals 2013]
People Savvy
Tech Savvy
Loyal to their employers
Fun Loving
Hard Working
Hey I have
1,999
Facebook
Friends
These daysit’s hard
work just
to get a job
People Savvy
Tech Savvy
Loyal to employers
Fun Loving
Hard Working
I guess I doknow my wayaround a
Smartphone
Really
?

Harry
Potter
iPod,
iPhone
Reality TV
Beanie
Babies
Pokemon
Friends
Barney
Tickle Me
Elmo
Google
American
Idol
CULTURAL MEMORABILIA.
MILLENNIALS.

FOUR GENERATIONS
IN THE WORKPLACE.

Traditionalists •  Loyal
Boomers •  Driven
Gen X •  Balanced
Millennials •  Eager
WORK ETHIC.
FOUR GENERATIONS.

VIEW OF WORK.
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Traditionalists
•  It’s necessary
•  An obligation
Boomers
•  It is exciting
•  Adventure
Gen X
•  It is a challenge
•  A contract
Millennials
•  It is done to make a
difference
•  A means to an end

EXPECTATIONS OF WORK.
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Loyalty,
Respect
Authority
Common
Goals
Performance
Compensated
for doing job
Competitive
Optimistic,
Team-
Oriented
Results
Reward for
Results
Self-Reliant
Skeptical,
Career-
Oriented
Results + Fun
Reward for
Outcomes
Pack-Oriented
Self important,
Loyalty to
Others
Career
Seek rapid
success

TRADITIONALISTS
Individual
BABY BOOMERS
Team Player
Loves Meetings
MILLENNIALS
Participative
GEN X
Entrepreneur
INTERACTIVE STYLES.
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Source: Greg Hammill, “Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees

WORK STYLES.
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Traditionalists
•  Hierarchical organizational structures
•  Consistency and uniformity
•  “These are the rules.”
Boomers
•  Coined “team building”
•  Live to Work, until Retirement
•  “Let’s talk about the rules.”
Gen X
•  Work to live, not live to work
•  Flexibility in work, life
•  “Break all of the rules.”
Millennials
•  Exceptional multi-taskers
•  Flexibility in work hours and dress code
•  “Redefine the rules.”

LEADERSHIP STYLES.
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Traditionalists
•  Directive
•  Command-and-control
Boomers
•  Consensual
•  Collegial
Gen X
•  Everyone is the same
•  Challenge others
•  Ask questions
Millennials
•  TBD

TRADITIONALISTS
Satisfaction of a job
well done
BOOMERS
Money, title,
recognition,
the corner office
GEN X
Freedom, self-
manage, time to
prioritize own
projects
MILLENNIALS
Work that has
meaning, flexibility;
growth and learning
opportunity; praise
MOTIVATORS.
FOUR GENERATIONS.

RESPECT AND LOYALTY.
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Traditionalists
•  To the organization
Boomers
•  To the profession
Gen X
•  To the individual
Millennials
•  To co-workers and friends

MANAGING AND LEADING
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Recognize
their loyalty,
experience.
Select
activities that
show what
they know.
Focus on
evolution, not
revolution.
Acknowledge
their
contributions.
Be aware of
competitive
nature.
Offer
continued
training on life
skills, balance.
Respect their
skepticism;
establish your
credentials.
Use humor.
Let them know
you like them.
Talk career,
not job.
Provide
ongoing and
remedial
training.
Teach in short
modules.
Test often.
Make it fun.
Allow
collaboration.

TRADITIONALISTS
Loyal to their clients
and/or customers
BOOMERS
Making a difference
GEN X
Building a career
MILLENNIALS
Work that has
meaning
#1 REASON TO STAY OR LEAVE JOB.
FOUR GENERATIONS.

COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES.
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Traditionalists
•  Let’s have a conversation
•  Face to Face
•  Formal
•  Memo
Boomers
•  Call me on my cell anytime
•  In person
•  Semi-formal
Gen X
•  Send me an email
•  Irreverent
•  Call me only at work
•  Direct and Immediate
Millennials
•  Text me or IM me
•  Twitter
•  Fun, Informal, Slang
•  Email or Voicemail

COMMUNICATION GAP.
“Grandpa is showing us how they
sent a text when he was a kid.”

IMPROVING FEEDBACK AND COMMUNICATION.
FOUR GENERATIONS.
Traditionalists
•  “No news is good news.”
•  May not be receptive to feedback
•  50% have not received feedback training
Boomers
•  “Once a year; formal and documented.”
•  Don’t appreciate it
•  Initiate weekly informal talks; document talks
Gen X
•  “Sorry to interrupt, but how am I doing?”
•  Give immediate and regular feedback
•  Be direct and to the point
Millennials
•  “I want it with the push of a button, anytime.”
•  Consider electronic connections; use visuals
•  Allow an active role in creating work plans

COMMUNICATION DIFFERENCES.

www.CTRConsultingServices.com
Please contact us for the complete presentation or other presentations:
•  Get Ready for Gen Z – Gen Z on Fire
•  Unlocking Secrets of Baby Boomers
•  Gen X Xtreme to Xhausted
•  Leading Multigenerational Employees
•  Five Generations Working Together

Ms. Harris is available for keynote presentations, management training, leadership retreats and
other corporate and non-proﬁt engagements.
Andre S. Harris
President & Proud Gen X
Culture Transformation Resources, LLC
www.CTRConsultingServices.com
Andre@CTRConsultingServices.com
1-877-CTR-1236 OR 1-877-287-1236
@AndreHarrisCTR
Andre Harris CTR
www.linkedin.com/pub/andre-harris/31/56a/744/

Millennials Bending the Rules in the Workplace by CTR

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