89
with Chuck Underwood
with
Chuck Underwood
How Generations Happen
3 Truths
1. Formative years mold core values.
2. Five living generations.
3. Generational values guide decisions.
GenX
Birth Years: 1965 – 1981
Current Age: 27 to 43
# born: 58,541,842
Formative Years: ’70s, ’80s, ’90s
GenX
“We’re not what
you thought.”
(1997)
GenX
“all about survival”
Divorce
Time-poor parents
Permissiveness
Mobile Society
GenX
“a rising tide of mediocrity…
that threatens our very future…”
A Nation At Risk1983
GenX
“… disturbing inadequacies in
the way the educational process
is conducted”
A Nation At Risk1983
GenX
Core Values
Independence
Self-reliance
Distance from older generations
Marriage is disposable
Us-Against-Them
GenX
Media Isolation
Radio
Television
GenX
From media togetherness to media isolation
GenX
THE COMPUTER GENERATION
GenX
Self-focused
Peer-focused
Appreciate parents’ hard work
GenX
African-American X’ers
Post-Civil-Rights
Careers
Suburbs
Black/white gap shrinking
GenX
The Cosby Show
1984 to 1992
GenX
A Different World
1987 to 1993
GenX
1986
MLK Holiday
GenX
“Their mothers used drugs, and now it’s the children who suffer”
(1991)
GenX
Strong female generation
Males seek identity, masculinity
GenX
Fight Club (1999)
GenX
TV spot - Secret Deodorant
GenX
TV spot – Best Buy
GenX
X’er Men: Female Denigration
Television programming
Advertising
Music
Video games
GenX
TV spot – Miller Lite
GenX
TV spot – Hummer
GenX
Formative Years
Unimpressed with authority
Cynical towards older generations
Distrustful of major institutions
Disempowerment
Disengagement
GenX
“How can we repair all the damage
we inherited?”
Winona Ryder
Reality Bites
GenX
Today
Save the neighborhood
No ideology / pragmatic
Make marriage work
Be there for children
GenX
“Why more young moms are opting out of the rat race”
GenX
Xers In The Workplace
Creative, entrepreneurial
Self-reliant
Survival of the fittest
Technologically savvy
Time-efficient
GenX
Xers In The Workplace
Individualistic, results-oriented
Self-focused rather than team
Don’t expect/promise loyalty
“Career free agents”
GenX
Xers In The Workplace
Comfortable with change
At ease with co-worker diversity
Open-minded
GenX
Xers In The Workplace
Career gender benders
Willing to work hard
Want to make money, succeed
Seek work/play balance
GenX
Xers In The Workplace
Might be skeptical of elders
Might be skeptical of large organizations
View jobs as steppingstones, temporary
GenX
Xers In The Workplace
Like start-ups, small firms
Might choose city first, then job
Might not socialize with co-workers
GenX
Xers In The Workplace
Don’t buy “pay-your-dues”
Demanding: want it fast
Seek skill-building opportunities
Seek respect and input
What’s in it for me?
GenX
Recruiting X’ers
Describe assignment in detail
Explain time demand !
Can you describe career path?
Be tech-forward
Enhance their skill-set
Reward individualism, creativity
GenX
Managing X’ers
Offer mentoring
Give individual and specific feedback
Don’t dominate – let them in !
Build their “toolbox”
Quantify their performance
GenX
Managing X’ers
Be alert for: attitude towards ethics
Be alert for: self-focus
Be alert for: cynicism, pessimism,
distrust
GenX
Managing X’ers
Flexible schedules for parenting?
Number of single dads growing
Enhance maternity/paternity leave ?
Help them deal with time-poorness
GenX
Managing X’ers
Teach accountability
Teach business courtesy
Teach interpersonal skills
Teach them about other generations
GenX
Managing X’ers
Judge by merit, not seniority
Create fun atmosphere
Let them discover solutions their way
GenX
Millennials
Birth Years: 1982 – Present
Current Age: birth to 26
# Born: 80,000,000+
Formative Years: 1980s to 2010s
Millennials
Optimistic and enthusiastic
Respectful of authority
Focused on education
Close relationship with parents
Millennials
TV spot – Coca Cola
Millennials
Grade pressure
Time pressure
Adult-supervised
Millennials
Team players
Community-active
Declining teen social pathologies
Millennials
“The September 11th Generation”
Millennials
“Katrina”
Millennials
High School Community Service
1984: 900,000 Students
2003: 6,200,000 Students
Millennials
“Today’s teens are helping others in record numbers.”
Millennials
TEEN SOCIAL PATHOLOGIES DECLINE WITH MILLENNIALS
Millennials
Spirituality Rising
“Young people want to know something bigger than themselves.”
Marcus Robinson, college senior
TIME
Millennials
Problems
Drug Use: Down, But Not Out
Sex Bombardment By Many Media
Adult-World Ethical Failures
Millennials
“More college women regularly get drunk.”
Millennials
Sex bombardment by commercial media
Millennials
Adult world ethical & moral failures
Millennials
“Schools react to recent spate of scandals”
Millennials
Concerns
Over-parented?
Non-creative, non-risk-taking?
Over-stressed?
Millennials
“Parents who hover too much…”
Millennials
“My role models, confidantes, weekend buddies”
Millennials
Grade Pressure
Not creative?
Not risk-taking?
Not independent thinking?
Millennials
“Nearly 1 in 2 undergraduates will become severely depressed at some time during college…”
Millennials
Growing rich–poor separation
Millennials
“At every level of education, they’re falling behind.”
Millennials
“Girls Are On A Tear.”
“Boys are falling behind.”
Millennials
Nurtured
Feel Like A Generation
Millennials
DO NOT CALL US
Generation Y
Echo Boomers
“Those names are upsetting. Nobody I know wants to use them.”
Leslie Milner, Millennial
Millennials Rising
Millennials
“An Army Of One”
Millennials
TV Spot – U. S. Army
Millennials
“Extended Adolescence”
Live at home
Job Sampling
Have fun
Postpone marriage, parenthood
Millennials
• College debt
• Credit card debt
• Job insecurity
• Will work 80+ yrs.
• What’s the rush?
Millennials
Millennials At Work
Disciplined – good with deadlines
Comfortable with elders
Like team/group environment
Like – and need - clear goals, structure
Optimistic, good spirit
Millennials
Millennials At Work
Tech-savvy
Want to do job well
Will become competitive career’ists
But seek “work-life integration”
Millennials
Millennials At Work
Job security sounds pretty good
Old-line organizations appeal
Prefer diverse workforce
Not loyal – yet
Millennials
Millennials At Work
Seek relevant, meaningful work NOW
Want in on creative decisions
Flawed sense of entitlement
Unrealistic expectations
Crave variety and change
Millennials
Millennials At Work
Often distracted by technology
Seek highest authority, might ignore chain of command
Require lots of personal attention
Millennials
Recruiting Millennials
Internships can be effective
Stress organization’s stability
Diversity-friendly
Commitment to individual
Stress civic involvement
Millennials
Managing Millennials
Strong orientation to ensure good start
Fast immersion into the process
Give structure and clear rules
Millennials
Managing Millennials
Teach realistic expectations
Soft? Might need “protection”
Reward them with more responsibility
Help them develop clear career path
Millennials
Managing Millennials
Offer variety
Constant, specific feedback
Criticize them with kid gloves
Use their “we” approach
Millennials
Managing Millennials
Personalize their work
Teach generational differences
Establish clear rules on tech use
Establish clear rules on dress code
Millennials
Pro - labor?
Pro - union?
Anti - CEO?
Millennials
Executive Excess ?
Millennials
EPIDEMIC OF EXECUTIVE CORRUPTION
Millennials
“That sucks.”
Generational Strategy
1. Understand each generation’s unique formative years…
2. Understand each generation’s unique core values…
3. “Connect” with each generation in the workplace, marketplace, and living room.
Nine Hours
Amazon.com
Contact Chuck
The Generational Imperative, Inc.
Cincinnati
513 – 221 - [email protected]
www.genimperative.com
