READY OR NOT HERE THEY COME! UNDERSTANDING AND MOTIVATING THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION PRESENTED BY GUSTAVO GRODNITZKY, Ph.D.
Companion Guide What s the Problem? 3 G.I. Generation 5 Silent Generation 5 Baby Boomers 7 Generation X 8 Generation Y (the Millennial Generation) 9 Generational Cycle 10 The Fourth Turning 11 What Gen Y Wants at Work 11 Gen Y and the Economy 12 Recruiting and Retaining Gen Y: Gen Y Magnet Factors 12 Suggested Action Steps: 18 In Closing 20 About Dr. Gustavo Grodnitzky 21 GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 2
A problem cannot be solved on the same level of consciousness at which it was created. Albert Einstein What s the Problem? Currently, Gen Y makes up 20-25% of the workforce. By the year 2020, they will represent 49% of the workforce. This shift will create a vacuum, increasing demand and competition for young employees. Generation Y requires more from management: more attention, more direction, more flexibility, more feedback, and more remediation of skills. Managers will have to learn how to lead and coach Gen Y if they are gong to have influence over them. Managers face major challenges as they struggle to understand, collaborate with, and integrate Gen Y into their teams. But, business leaders will have to learn to think, communicate, and behave differently if they are to attract and keep these new employees. Large Fortune 500 companies are already seeking to implement programs to attract and retain Gen Y; medium- and smaller-sized companies will have to do the same in order to stay competitive. What will attract Gen Y to us? What will make them stay? What do they want? How do we get them to work more effectively and add to the bottom line without driving us crazy? These questions and many more plus specific strategies will be answered in Ready or Not, Here They Come!. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 3
UNDERSTANDING GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES There are three points that are key to understanding this presentation: 1. Generations are nothing more than groups of people, bracketed by certain years, that share common experiences. Those experiences can be world events, national events, regional events, local events, and parenting styles. All these things shape generations as does technology. Point number one is: technology shapes generations. 2. We know from psychology that personality is a tendency to behave in a particular way. We also know that environment is a better influencer of behavior than is personality. Environment trumps personality. The environment in which your employees live and work is called corporate culture. In short, culture trumps personality. 3. We create the characteristics of those that follow us in the workforce. I will illustrate that with what I call pendulum swings of actions and reactions from one generation to another. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 4
G.I. Generation The G.I. Generation was born between 1900-1924. As of the 2010 US Census, there are only five million remaining. A Civic Generation is defined as a generation whose members are born into a period of time called an unraveling, when social institutions start coming apart, and they come of age and move into adulthood during a period of time that is called a crisis. Silent Generation The Silent Generation, born 1925-1945, is called Silent because they tended not to challenge authority, not to push the edge of the envelope, and to accept things the way they were given to them. This is the oldest generation still participating in the workforce. As of the 2010 Census, there are 35 million remaining in this generation. They are referred to as an Adaptive Generation a generation that is born into the period of crisis (the Great Depression, WWII) and they come of age (move into adulthood) during a period of time that s called an economic high. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 5
What two characteristics define this Silent Generation in the workforce? 1. 2. UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORKFORCE: COMMUNICATION: No news is good news. WORK ETHIC: Loyalty to the company. Do not draw attention to yourself. CAREER GOAL: Build a legacy. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 6
Baby Boomers Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are called Baby Boomers because they represent the generation that began with a baby boom with the return of the G.I.s after WWII. There are 84 million Boomers in the United States. The Boomers are an Idealist Generation because they were born into a period of time called an economic high and they came of age during a period of time that was called an awakening. What two characteristics define this generation in the workforce? 1. 2. UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORKFORCE: COMMUNICATION: Annual review with documentation. WORK ETHIC: Face time. Loyalty was given to the team. CAREER GOAL: Stellar career. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 7
Generation X Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1981, and they number 68 million in the US population. They are a Reactive Generation. This is a generation born into a period of time that is called an awakening, (late 60s and 70s), and they come of age during a period of time called an unraveling. Again, an unraveling is a period of time when social institutions start coming apart. What two characteristics define this generation in the workforce? 1. 2. UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORKFORCE: COMMUNICATION: Talk to you regardless of your position. WORK ETHIC: Productivity. Loyalty to their skillset. CAREER GOAL: Work-life balance. Portable career. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 8
Generation Y (the Millennial Generation) These are people who are born between 1982-2001. There are 79 million Millennials in the United States. WE CANNOT ESCAPE OUR DEMOGRAPHICS In the USA, there are: 84 MILLION BOOMERS 68 MILLION GEN XERS 79 MILLION GEN YS 1946-1964 1965-1981 1982-2000 TECHNOLOGICAL NATIVES The Millennials are the first generation to be referred to as technical natives. The rest of us are technical immigrants. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 9
GENERATIONAL CYCLE Gen Y is the next Civic Generation. This means they have similar characteristics to the previous G.I. Generation (often referred to as the Greatest Generation ). They were born into a period of unraveling and are coming of age in a period of crisis. UNIQUE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORKFORCE: COMMUNICATION: CONSTANT! WORK ETHIC: Relationships: Gen Y employees DO come to work to make friends. Cause: Defined as meaning, significance, big picture or purpose. CAREER GOAL: Parallel career. Blended life. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 10
The Fourth Turning As mentioned earlier, The Fourth Turning (1997), was written by two historians named William Strauss and Neil Howe. They went back more than 500 years to document that, over the half millennium, Western civilization has had four generational types and four eras which simply cycle. Below is a graphic of this cycle: YEARS ERA TYPE GEN TYPE GENERATION 1901-1924 Unraveling Civic G.I. 1925-1945 Crisis Adaptive Silent 1946-1964 High Idealist Boomer 1965-1981 Awakening Reactive Gen X 1982-2000 Unraveling Civic Gen Y 2001-20?? Crisis Adaptive Gen Z?? What Gen Y Wants at Work Make the world a better place Boss who is mentor or coach Collaborative work culture Work-life integration (Blended life) 77 % 79 % 88 % 88 % Pew Millennial Survey, 2014 GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 11
Gen Y and the Economy CENSUS DATA: Adult Children Living at Home 7.4 % 15.7 % 18.6 % 1970 Based on 1970 Census 203 Million 2007 Based on 2000 Census 281 Million 2012 Based on 2011 Census 311 Million Recruiting and Retaining Gen Y: Gen Y Magnet Factors TIME Time is defined as time outside of work. Traditional companies are still using three buckets of time: Vacation, Holiday and Sick. Progressive companies are using PTO (Paid Time Off) and LWOP (Leave without Pay). 1. 2. 3. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 12
FLEXIBILITY Flexibility is defined as time at work. This is related to time (outside of work) but it specifically refers to one s ability to manage his/her own time at work. We must also consider that accountability precedes flexibility. Comp time Flex scheduling 4-day work week Job sharing Self-managed teams Self-directed teams 1. 2. 3. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 13
GROWTH Growth means organizational and personal growth. Interested in learning Relaxed/friendly culture Career advancement Want more responsibility Idea sharing 1. 2. 3. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 14
RELATIONSHIPS Building relationships in an organizational culture is an extension of taking a genuine interest. The difference here is that you are driving those behaviors through your entire organizational culture rather than just practicing those behaviors at an individual level. Great boss/supervisor Take interest in ENTIRE world Provide and REQUEST feedback Be a friend at work Opportunities for socialization 1. 2. 3. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 15
CAUSE Meaning, significance, big picture, and purpose in one s activities. We also stated that cause is something that we must drive down to even entry-level positions. Finally, I indicated that it doesn t matter if you make widgets; what matters is how the widgets you make change the world or change human experience in the world. This is what defines cause for the Millennial generation. Changing the world Changing human experience in the world Being a part of something bigger than themselves Having a sense of purpose 1. 2. 3. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 16
TAKING ACTION (Group Exercise and Debrief) Time Flexibility Growth Relationships Cause GROUP DISCUSSION In groups, please answer the following questions: 1. Of these 5 factors, which ones are strengths in your organization? 2. Of these 5 factors, which ones are challenges in your organization? 3. What can you do in the next 30 days to begin to overcome your organizational challenges? GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 17
Suggested Action Steps: 1. Time 2. Flexibility 3. Growth GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 18
4. Relationships 5. Cause GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 19
In Closing Change is inevitable. Struggle is optional. Meet Gen Ys where they are, building a single culture for every generation in the workforce. GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 20
ABOUT DR. GUSTAVO GRODNITZKY Dr. Gustavo Grodnitzky, best known as Dr. Gustavo, is a speaker, consultant, psychologist, and author whose diverse background brings a unique and multidimensional perspective to his global clients. After obtaining his Ph.D. in clinical and school psychology, he completed post-docs in both cognitive therapy and forensic psychology. He has previously run an inpatient drug rehabilitation unit in a correctional institution and an outpatient mental health center. For the past 15 years, Dr. Gustavo has focused on engagements with corporate clients, and he has worked with Global 1000 companies around the world, as well as with smaller, often family-run, businesses. As a consultant and professional speaker, he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations on a variety of topics, including corporate culture, emotional intelligence, anger management, and integrating multigenerational workforces. Dr. Gustavo s recent book, Culture Trumps Everything: The Unexpected Truth about the Ways Environment Changes Biology, Psychology, and Behavior, investigates the powerful ways that organizational culture impacts the creation of quintessence in organizations. It is this quintessence or lack thereof that ultimately determines the success and sustainability of organizations. If we want to ensure the best possible outcomes for ourselves and our organizations, we must focus on developing organizational cultures that foster quintessence, because culture trumps everything. When not traveling to see clients or give presentations, Dr. Gustavo lives in the mountains west of Denver, Colorado with his wife and his Black Lab. CONTACT DR. GUSTAVO AT: WEBSITE: DrGustavo.com EMAIL: Gustavo@DrGustavo.com LINKEDIN: Gustavo Grodnitzky, Ph.D. GOOGLE+: Gustavo Grodnitzky TWITTER: @CultureTrumps GUSTAVO@DRGUSTAVO.COM 720.505.2662 WWW.DRGUSTAVO.COM 21