The importance of generational awareness for libraries

Sophie van der WaltSearch Librarian – Unisa

Tanya du PlessisPostgraduate Supervisor - UJ

Who Did I Talk To?

• GAELIC Libraries:• University of Johannesburg (UJ)• University of South Africa (Unisa)• North-West University (NWU)• University of Pretoria (UP)• University of the Witwatersrand

(WITS)

Purpose of todayTo shock you!

To illustrate how different ages of librarians prefer to work and work with one another

So what’s so shocking about librarians?

Australia

Canada

USA

South Africa

5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75%Australia Canada USA South

Africa

Total Popu-lation

0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115

Librar-ians

0.51 0.25 0.670000000000002

0

Australia

Canada

USA

South Africa

5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65%Australia Canada USA South

Africa

Total popu-lation

0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115

Li-brari-ans

0.509 0.25 0.67000000000000

1

0.51

There won’t be many left!

Retirement forecast for SA Academic Libraries

Imminent staff exodus

Planning and training programmes for new middle and top management positions

Succession planning

Retir-ing in 10-15 years51%

Retir-ing in 15-20 years26%

Stay-ing on23%

So how do we work together?

Group synergy or group conflict?

Who are “we”?

• Baby Boomers

• 1943 – 1962 (USA)• 1946 – 1965 (UK)• 1950-1969 (SA)

• Gen X• 1963-1983 (UK)• 1966-1984 (UK)• 1970-1989 (SA)

• Gen Y• 1979 – 2001

(USA)• 1985-2001 (UK)• 1990-2005 (SA)

• Traditionalists• 1923-1945 (USA)• 1918-1945 (UK)• 1930-1949 (SA)

Cusp

er

s

Cusp

er

s

Who are “we”?

How do we work together?Traditionalists

Work valuesStructured Top down

Management style

ConservativeLoyal to authorityFamily values

Work-life balance

Balance is towards Work, Family comes secondNeed: Retirement orientation courses

RewardsRespect A job

Reskilling MONEYRECOGNITION

RetirementDeserve retirement

Stay until mandatory age

Keep them: -Telecommuting-Shorter weeks/days- Job sharing

Working with others

Team playersSeeks agreement

Prefer not to be leaders

Find changes in teams/focus stressful

Baby Boomers

Work valuesPeople-people Workaholic

work ethicInformal office environment

Work-life balance

Balance is towards Work, Family comes secondNeed: Help to find meaning in their work/lives

RewardsStatus symbols

Visible rewards

MONEYRECOGNITION

RetirementDon’t want to retire

Have to work Re-tyrement

Working with others

Team playersTeam leaders

Credit for successBlame others

Resent lack of respectDislike being challenged

Gen X

Work valuesPositive environment

Prefers being a coach/mentor not boss

Work flexibilityFun, informal office environment

Work-life balance

Balance is towards Family, Work comes secondStruggle to divide their time between work, family and fun

RewardsManagement responsibility

Independence

MONEYRECOGNITION

RetirementCan’t/Won’t retire

Transferable retirement / sabbaticals

Re-tyrement via chaning jobs

Working with others

Individualistic Independent

Not team players

Input: task related not emotional

HOW DO WE REALLY WORK TOGETHER?

The evidence

Work values# 1

◦The main reason for Generation X'ers staying with their current organisation is because they feel that they are doing meaningful work

# 2◦Generation X’ers and Baby Boomers

placed the greatest importance on a positive working environment

Work values

# 3◦Traditionalists ranked security and

meaning or purpose as the work values they view as most important

# 4oBaby Boomers and Generation X'ers

viewed meaning or purpose as well as intellectual stimulation as most valued

Work valuesSurprise 1

oall three generations disagreed that a person should build a lifetime career with one company

Surprise 2◦more Traditionalists have changed

careers than Baby Boomers or Generation X'ers

Work-life balance

# 1◦Traditionalists are the generation that are

the most satisfied with the balance between work and family

# 2◦Generations X'ers disagreed most that

their family life kept them from getting work done on time. This shows that they seem to have achieved an agreeable work-life balance

Work-life balance

Surprise 1◦Baby Boomers agreed most that they’d

prefer a work schedule that allows them to spend time with their family, rather than doing challenging work or earning a high salary

Rewards

#1◦ Baby Boomers and Generation X'ers

were the generations to place more value on cash bonuses and paid training courses or skills development than the Traditionalists

Rewards

Surprise 1◦Baby Boomers was the generation to

place greater emphasis on paid training courses or skills development NOT cash

Surprise 2◦Generation X'ers placed greater

significance on cash bonuses NOT skills development

Retirement

# 1◦There will not be enough Generation

X'ers and Generation Y'ers to pay for Baby Boomers' and Traditionalists' pension

# 2◦Baby Boomers and Traditionalists would

prefer to delay their retirement through working shorter weeks or from home

Co-worker relationships # 1

◦Traditionalists focus more than any other generation on obtaining agreement and the inclusion of all parties in a team

#2 ◦Traditionalists are the generation with

the least preference to be the leader of a team

Co-worker relationships

Surprise 1◦Generation X'ers, more than the other

generation, prefer to work in a group or team

Surprise 2◦Generation X'ers, not Baby Boomers,

show the highest preference to be the leader in a team

Why should we care?Remember this?

Australia

Canada

USA

South Africa

5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65%Australia Canada USA South

Africa

Total popu-lation

0.18 0.11 0.18 0.115

Li-brari-ans

0.509 0.25 0.67000000000000

1

0.51

Retir-ing in 10-15 years51%

Retir-ing in 15-20 years26%

Stay-ing on23%