Recommended Training Resource: Anyone Can Be An Ally  Featuring subject matter expert Brian McNaught and commentary from numerous individuals, this program puts a face on issues that confront LGBT workers. Viewers learn about unwelcoming vs. welcoming behaviors and are shown how to build a workplace where everyone feels comfortable and fully able to contribute.

Group Instructions: Attempt to fill in your sheet by finding a person who can say “yes” or can respond appropriately to each question. Write their first name in the space provided. You may use each person’s name only once.

1. _________________________________________________ speaks more than one language. What languages are they?__________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________has traveled abroad in the last year.

3. _________________________________lived in another country for a significant period of time.

4. ___________________________________________________ has experienced acupuncture.

5. ____________________________’s ancestors come from the same country as one of your ancestors. Which country? ____________________________________________

6. _______________________ likes to watch TV shows about science and/or nature.

7. ______________________________________comes from a family of 4 or more children.

8. _________________________________________ attended private school as a child.

9. _____________________________________________ reads one or more books a month.

10. ____________________________________________has an LP (vinyl record) collection.

11. ____________________________________________________ has more than 2 children.

12. ___________________________ enjoys gardening.

13. __________________________ works as a volunteer more than 5 hours a month.  The volunteer service they provide is ________________________________.

14. _________________________ plays more than 10 hours of sports per month.

15. __________________________ has more than 10 apps on their smart phone.

Recommended Training Resource: A Peacock in the Land of Penguins.  Diversity in the workplace is sometimes met with intolerance of those who are different, or unique. Using parable and animation, this entertaining program shows how an appreciation of everyone can help the organization move forward in a positive way.

Who out there knows everything?”  (Recognize that I didn’t ask, “Who thinks they know everything?”) No human knows everything. None of us has had ALL experiences. All of us have incomplete knowledge when it comes to our world and the people and ideas in our world. All of us are missing some data—a lot of data relative to the universe of data. And if that’s the case, (that we lack sufficient knowledge in many areas and subjects of which we have little experience), do you suppose we could be wrong every once in a while, maybe even more than every once in a while? I think you know the answer to that question.

What might increase our chances of being correct? The short answer is having more knowledge and data, and specifically more knowledge and data from diverse sources (think diverse perspectives). Therein lies the power of diversity and the power of diverse groups. A problem, and especially a complex one, has a greater chance of being solved when one has many different perspectives gathered to try to solve the problem. It’s a simple matter of mathematical probability. The probability of finding a solution is increased when the number of potential solutions increases, and the number of potential solutions is greater as the number of “lenses” and different ways of thinking increases.

The logic is straightforward. Ideas are the result of experiences and the birthplace of solutions (i.e., innovations). The more experiences one has individually and collectively, the greater the probability of discovering a solution. And it’s not just having many diverse individual experiences — that’s helpful. It’s having many diverse collective experiences. That’s powerful! 

Staying in our comfort zones and only hanging out with people just like us contributes very little to building a diverse set of experiences and perspectives. It is self- and group- reinforcing behavior, and is a huge barrier to greater creativity and innovation.

Here’s how it works. We tend to gravitate toward people and ideas that are similar to our own. We find it very comfortable to surround ourselves with folks who think like us, act like us, look like us and who generally share the same values and beliefs. These folks are our buddies. Besides being a great support group, our buddies serve as a sounding board for us. They listen to what we have to say and the vast majority of time, they agree with us, especially on important “values”-type issues. We need people like this because they help us to navigate our world with some level of confidence. They serve as protective walls that shield us from weird and funny sounding ideas. 

However, walls can be seen not only as things that protect, but as things that imprison. Unfortunately, our buddies also serve to insulate us from ideas that, at times, we need to hear and critically entertain in order to solve problems and discover critical solutions. They prevent us from hearing and seeing alternatives to our current reality – alternatives that can only come from “outside” perspectives and sets of experiences different than our own. Within the comfortable “walls of sameness,” we are unable to recognize or even see the crucial perspectives and data that could lead us to different possibilities and solutions.

From the perspective of Systems Theory, the “walls of sameness” — if we are unwilling to venture out — create a closed system. Closed systems go into entropy – an eventual spiraling to death because they perpetually lose energy without taking in new energy.  When it comes to organizations, ideas can be thought of energy (especially in the idea and knowledge economy in which we currently live). Within closed organizational systems, new ideas are never introduced and the organization eventually dies out, giving way to dynamic organizations that are creative and can innovate (i.e., embrace different ideas in order to problem solve better). Intentionally or unintentionally creating homogeneity (sameness) is a big mistake for any organization or company that seeks to be more creative and innovative.

About the Author: Dr. Steve Robbins wears many hats as a highly sought-after national resource on issues of diversity, inclusion and cultural competence. He presents at numerous conferences and workshops across the nation inspiring people with moving stories, humorous anecdotes and powerful insight into human behavior.  He is the author of the book, What If? Short Stories to Spark Diversity Dialogue.  

Recommended Training Resource:  The brand-new video training program, Inclusion Insights, features Dr. Robbins who simultaneously challenges and motivates individuals and organizations to be more open-minded, mindful and intentional about inclusion and valuing people for their unique gifts, abilities and experiences.

By Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster

Most studies of different generations and how they behave at work focus on each generation’s values based on the cultural context of their upbringing.  We know that Gen Y employees are considered tech savvy, accustomed to positive reinforcement, and committed to work/life balance.  Gen X workers are presumably more independent, self-sufficient, and resourceful. Boomers equate work and position with self-worth, so they’re viewed as achievement-oriented, dedicated and career-focused. Finally, the over-65 Silent Generation is known to be hardworking, loyal, and technologically challenged.

While cultural context is extremely valuable, we think it’s important to approach the multi-generational workforce from a slightly different perspective.  We want to consider how one’s behavior at work is driven by more than cultural context and upbringing. In our view, each generation is also at a specific stage of psychological development.

This means that in addition to the economic, political and cultural influences of their upbringing, each generation is operating within a specific stage of their adult life.  And that psychological stage informs the employee’s needs, capabilities and limitations.  

Why is this important? Because, while you can see how a Boomer is frustrated with a Gen Y’s idealistic views of what technology can do, it may not be as clear that this Gen Y employee has the same idealism that her Boomer colleague once possessed when he or she was the same age.  Not true, you say? Think again. Research by Dr. Jean Twenge, professor of Psychology at San Diego State University proved that current claims that Gen Y adults are more idealistic than their Gen X or Boomer predecessors were at the same stage in life is false. 

This is because we all move through and experience the same stages of psychological development as adults.  Consider this example:

While leading a staff development retreat for a hospice organization, it became obvious that several Gen Y employees were feeling misunderstood and disrespected by their Gen X CFO.  These junior employees sat together in a group, with a look of fear on their faces, arms and legs crossed. The Boomers in the room could not understand what was happening. They did not take the CFO’s moody and dismissive behavior personally.  The Boomers (who included the CEO and VP of Patient Services) respected the CFO’s ability to repeatedly deliver excellent results.

From a developmental perspective, each group of employees at this retreat displayed age-appropriate behavior. The Gen Y’s were exhibiting responses typical of their stage in life: they were naturally self-conscious, peer-oriented, and unsure of themselves.  The Boomers were also reacting In a manner consistent with their stage in life: confident in their experience, able to take other people with a grain of salt, and appreciative of a job well done. Finally, the Gen X CFO, who’d been targeted as the problem, was simply doing what came naturally at her stage in life: Laying down the law, setting her standards, and expecting everyone around her to comply.

And therein lies the challenge:  A multi-generational workforce, where each player is operating from a specific stage in his or her adult development.

Awareness of these internal differences at each phase of adult life is the first step to managing all four generations (Gen Y, Gen X, Boomers and The Silent Generation) effectively.  There is no one-size-fits-all management strategy when dealing with such an age-diverse workforce.  Each generation needs to be managed based on their psychological needs and capabilities.  This can make the job of a manager quite complicated.

So here’s a sampling of what each developmental stage looks like:

Generation Y              Ages: late teens to late twenties

How they define themselves: “I am my relationships.”
Greatest focus: Peer relationships – being accepted and affiliated with friends and co-workers of a similar age.

New to the workforce, these individuals are idealistic and energetic. Although they may seem confident and entitled on the outside, inside they are unsure of themselves and very fearful of committing to the wrong career path.

Management needs: To try-out different jobs, and receive help with prioritizing.

Generation X            Ages: Early thirties to mid forties

How they define themselves: “I am my internal government.”

Greatest focus: Establishing a professional identity. Living by personal rules regarding career, family, community.

Having identified their chosen field or profession, they seek to make a mark and achieve results in the areas that matter to them.

Management needs: To be supported in achieving goals, obtaining credentials, and attaining work/life balance.

Baby Boomers                    Ages: Late forties to early sixties

How they define themselves:  “I am my experiences.” 

Greatest focus: Feeling a sense of mastery (and reward) in chosen field while incorporating a better quality of life.

Aware of the fact that they’re on the tail end of a career track, these individuals want to be recognized and rewarded for their hard-earned expertise.

Management needs: To be encouraged to showcase and share expertise; to continue learning new skills.

Silent Generation                   Ages: Mid-sixties to retirement

How they define themselves: “I am part of a larger whole.”

Greatest focus: Desire to establish legacy at work; interest in planning for retirement years.

Phasing out of formal work roles, these individuals focus on quality of life and doing the things they’ve always wanted to do.

Management needs: Allow flex-time and reduced schedule. Encourage documentation of institutional memory.

From this sampling of the generational orientations, we can point to some specific ways that management can help each generation work well with the others.

• If Boomers want to be appreciated for their expertise, is there a way that they can mentor Gen X and Gen Y employees – helping them figure out their career paths and establish their professional identities? 
• If Gen X’ers need to establish their credentials, can they use the idealism of Gen Y employees to accomplish their goals while being sensitive to this younger generation’s insecurity and need for reassurance? 
• If Gen Y employees have high ideals and technological savvy, can they appreciate the fact that their veteran colleagues need to be respected for their experience in order to follow their lead? 
• And what about the Silent Generation? Can their historical perspective and wealth of knowledge be documented so that it becomes part of the institutional memory of any organization?

The challenge of blending generations at work is not new. Our current workforce has one important difference: The youngest generation has the greatest facility with technology, and the older generations depend on that acuity for their organization’s growth. This dependence on the youngest generation to bring each company into the future has changed the balance of power in a way that is disconcerting for Gen X, Boomer and Silent Generation employees who’ve earned their experience the hard way.

With a greater understanding of each generation’s capabilities, needs and internal workings, you can lead the way in creating a workforce where the four generations grow more tolerant of each other’s differences while capitalizing on each other’s strengths.

About the Authors:  Kathi Elster and Katherine Crowley are authors of the books Working With You is Killing Me, and Working For You Isn’t Working For Me. Used with permission. Visit their website: http://www.ksquaredenterprises.com/

Recommended Training Resource:  While focused primarily on cultural influences, Please Respect My Generation! is a great program for sparking discussion on how people of varying ages can work best together.

The conventional wisdom about generational differences in the workplace is mostly wrong, according to a new book by Jennifer J. Deal, a research scientist with the Center for Creative Leadership.

The shorthand used to describe the four generations that now make up our nation’s workforce goes something like this:

    • The Silent Generation (born before 1946) values hard work
    • Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) value loyalty
    • Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1980) value work-life balance
    • Generation Y (the generation just entering the workforce, also known as Millennials) values innovation
       and change.

Or, in terms of negative stereotypes, the Silents are fossilized, the Boomers are narcissistic, the Gen Xers are slackers, and the Gen Yers/Millennials are even more narcissistic than the Boomers.

Not so, says Deal. She argues that the generations now of working age value essentially the same things. Her findings, based on seven years of research in which she surveyed more than 3,000 corporate leaders, are presented in her new book, Retiring the Generation Gap: How Employees Young & Old Can Find Common Ground (Jossey-Bass).

“Our research shows that when you hold the stereotypes up to the light, they don’t cast much of a shadow,” says Deal. “Everyone wants to be able to trust their supervisors, no one really likes change, we all like feedback, and the number of hours you put in at work depends more on your level in the organization than on your age.”

Clearly, people of different ages see the world in different ways. But Deal says that’s not the primary reason for generational conflict. The conflict has less to do with age or generational differences than it does with clout – who has it and who wants it. “The so-called generation gap is, in large part, the result of miscommunication and misunderstanding, fueled by common insecurities and the desire for clout,” says Deal.

Summary of Deal’s Findings

• All generations have similar values. For example, family tops the list for all of the generations. The most striking result of the research, Deal says, is how similar the generations are in the values that matter most.
• Everyone wants respect. Everyone wants respect, but the generations don’t define it in the same way. In the study, older individuals talked about respect in terms of “giving my opinions the weight I believe they deserve,” while younger respondents characterized respect as “listen to me, pay attention to what I have to say.”
• Leaders must be trustworthy. Different generations do not have notably different expectations of their leaders. Above all else, people of all generations want leaders they can trust.
• Nobody likes change. The stereotype is that older people resist change while younger people embrace it. These assumptions don’t stand up under the research, which found that people from all generations are uncomfortable with change. Resistance to change has nothing to do with age; it has to do with how much you stand to gain or lose as a result of the change.
• Loyalty depends on context. It is said that younger generations are not as loyal to their organizations as older workers. But the research shows, for example, that the amount of time a worker puts in each day has more to do with his or her level in the organization than with age. The higher the level, the more hours worked.
• Everyone wants to learn. Learning and development were among the issues brought up most frequently by people of all generations. Everyone wants to learn and to ensure they have the training to do their job well.
• Everyone likes feedback. According to the research, everyone wants to know how they are doing and to learn how they can do better.

For additional information, visit the Center for Creative Leadership Website at www.ccl.org

Article by: The Canadian Management Centre, a highly recommended provider of business development courses and marketing seminars. Canadian Management Centre is a leader in professional development with accounting courses in Ottawa.

Need more help in this area? Please Respect My Generation lets you examine the different world-views and life experiences of the 5 generations now in the workplace, while highlighting the strengths of each group.  Viewers see how to focus on finding common ground, respecting one another and striving for cross-generational collaboration.

1. Ringing cell phones
2. Conducting personal business over the phone, loudly enough for co-workers to hear
3. Whiny co-workers (especially those who complain about everything but are never willing to do anything to change things)
4. Checking voicemail with the “speaker phone” turned on (especially if you work in a cubicle)
5. Loud talkers
6. Wearing too much fragrance (cologne or perfume)
7. People who barge in, or interrupt, when it’s clear you are busy
8. Being “cc’d” on emails that don’t really involve you
9. People who use off-color language
10. Co-workers who: leave an empty coffee pot, neglect to refill the paper tray, use the last paper towel and walk away, etc.

The people who create these situations or act in this way usually don’t even know they’re bothering people. And the people who are negatively impacted by the behaviors are usually reluctant to do anything about it. But left unchecked, tensions can build over time.

Here’s a simple way you, as a leader or trainer, can get seemingly minor workplace annoyances out in the open and keep them from turning into full-fledged conflicts.

1) Add any other potential annoyances you can think of to the list above and send it to your staff. Ask people to identify the ones that bother them the most.

2) Tally the results and use the findings to illustrate how an action that didn’t bother some people, really bothered others. Use this as an illustration of workplace diversity and respect, and request that people accept and acknowledge everyone’s differences.

3) If you like, gather your team together in person to further discuss the results. You may wish to ask the following questions and/or make the following points: 

• •  What are some signs (body language, verbal cues, nonverbal cues, behavior) that might indicate someone at work is bothered by something you are doing?  
• •  What can you do to be more considerate of people even when you see a situation differently than they do?
• •  How do you feel when someone is thoughtful and considerate toward you? 
• •  Sometimes you’re not aware of what bothers someone else. Don’t be afraid to ask someone if they’re bothered. Be more aware of behaviors that might clue you in. 
• •  Consider situations that really bother some people but don’t bother you at all. These differences of opinion are a sign of diversity. Being considerate is about being more accepting of other people’s differences. 
• •  Remember—the workplace is a shared environment. Everyone has the same rights as everyone else. If we work at being thoughtful and considerate to everyone at work, we will do our job better and be more productive and more successful.

4) Pick 3 of the behaviors your group identified as most annoying and gain everyone’s commitment not to do these things for a week. Follow-up to see if the behaviors have been curtailed.

Taken, in part, from the Leader’s Guide for the CRM Learning program, Start Right…Stay Right.