Managers are charged with meeting diverse needs to maximize value and productivity. To be a competent leader and manager, your role is to create opportunities, empower others, and leverage the specialized skills of employees. One continuing challenge is managing multigenerational teams. The complexity of communication presents two core challenges. How do we increase quality and efficiency of knowledge sharing? How do we improve value? Collaboration and knowledge sharing practices are essential to solving problems, enhancing professional relationships, increasing productivity, and improving work quality. Building communities that continue to address knowledge sharing and collaboration systems is the key to remaining competitive. At the end of this seminar participants will be able to: a. Explore knowledge sharing techniques to stay ahead of the competition. b. Identify new and innovative ways that organizations share knowledge and collaborate. c. Explore ways to foster communities that embrace successful collaborative exchanges. d. Examine global and multi-generational knowledge sharing opportunities and challenges.

1. PLAYING IN THE SANDBOX:
Effective Strategies for Managing
Multi-Generational Teams

2. Learning Objectives
Enhance techniques for successful collaboration among teams
At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:
a. Explore knowledge sharing techniques to stay ahead of the competition
b. Identify new and innovative ways that organizations share knowledge and collaborate
c. Explore ways to foster communities that embrace successful collaborative exchanges
d. Examine global and multi-generations knowledge sharing opportunities and challenges
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3. What is a Multi-Generational Workforce?
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4. Workforce Generations
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5. As This Generation Grew Up…
1900 – 1945 1946 – 1964 1965 – 1980 1980 – 2000 2000- ongoing
Traditionalist Baby Boomer Gen X
Gen Y
“Millennial”
Gen Z
“Digital Native”
Hitler invades Russia World’s 1st heart
transplant
Global energy crisis Nelson Mandela released Social Media (Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram)
Pearl Harbor/WWII Birth Control Pill
introduced
AIDS identified Social Media Home schooling
Jackie Robinson joins
Major League Baseball
1ST moon landing Exxon Valdez oil spill World Trade Center
attacks (9/11)
Sandy Hook School
shootings
Korean War begins MLK leads march on
Washington DC
Berlin Wall falls Enron, Worldcom and
corporate scandal
1st African American
President
Disney’s first animated
feature (Snow White)
US sends troops to
Vietnam
Tandy & Apple market
personal computers
Hurricane Katrina Boston Marathan
bombings
Technology that shaped
them:
RADIO
Technology that shaped
them:
TV
Technology that shaped
them:
PC
Technology that shaped
them:
INTERNET
Technology that shapes
them:
SMARTPHONES/SOCIAL
MEDIA
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6. Spectrum of Behaviors and Attitudes
Born 1900 – 1945 1946 – 1964 1965 – 1980 1980 – 2000 2000- ongoing
Traditionalist Baby Boomer Gen X
Gen Y
“Millennial”
Gen Z
(Digital Native)
BROAD TRAITS
Loyalty,
Respect for authority,
Obligation to personal
and community needs
Sacrifice
You owe me,
Central focus
“Live to Work”
Build a stellar career
Self-reliance
Skepticism
Work/life balance
Motivated by money
Crave security
Immediacy
Confidence
Tolerance
Value social connection
Desire to rebuild
institutions
Appreciation for order,
structure
Strong work ethic
Value sense of
predictability in their
lives
FAMILY
Experienced traditional
nuclear family as
children, close to
extended family as
adults
Strong family values;;
leave legacy vs
inheritance
“Latch-key kids”,
witnessed mass layoffs
and divorce of parents
Value independence in
their own children
Very close to parents
Can “boomerang” back
to parents’ house if
needed
High home-schooling
rates and proportion of
one “stay at home
parent” families
Family as a secure base
DEFINING TECHNOLOGY Radio Television Mobile Phone & Email Online Search Engines
Tablet, Smartphone,
visual social media
WORK BEHAVIORS
No complaining, group
approach, get the job
done
Formal meetings, team work, dedication to employer,
work should connect to higher values, less concerned
with social causes
Show me the money!
Enjoys seamless blend of
work and personal life
Feel job should
contribute to great good
Less developed face-to-
face, social, and conflict
resolution skills
Ldr in online
collaboration
Susceptible to
distractions
PLANNING/WORKPLACE
PREFERENCES
Physical comfort
Acoustic privacy and
quality of meeting spaces
are most important
Comfortable with
engaging workplace
Accepts and uses new
workspace ideas with
practical application
At ease with the
ambiguity of an open,
unstructured, workspace
with high degree of
choice flexibility
Favors a “legible”
planning layout w/ clear
circulation, visual access,
and obvious intent of
spaces; needs mentoring
spaces & blended
online/face-to-face
collaboration
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7. A Little Test….
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Roller Skate Key

8. 8
Adapter

9. 9
Lite Brite

10. 10
Snapchat

11. 11
What video sharing website, created by three former
PayPal employees in February 2005, has come to
define the era of on-line video?

12. Challenges for Managers
Born 1900 – 1945 1946 – 1964 1965 – 1980 1980 – 2000
Traditionalist Baby Boomer Gen X Gen Y “Millennial”
Outlook Practical Optimistic Skeptical Hopeful
Work Ethic Dedicated Drive Balanced Ambitious
View of Authority Respectful Love/Hate Unimpressed Relaxed, polite
Leadership by: Hierarchy Consensus Competence
Achievement, pulling
together
Relationships Self-sacrifice Personal gratification
Reluctance to
commit
Loyal, inclusive
Perspective Civic-minded Team-oriented Self-reliant Civic-minded
Turn-Offs Vulgarity
Political
incorrectness
Clichés, hype
Cynicism,
condescension
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13. Myths and Reality
M: Older workers are not as productive as younger employees
R: No significant relationship between productivity and age, as measured by work output and
supervisory ratings
M: Baby Boomers have quit learning
R: Baby Boomers are enrolling in adult education and college programs at record rates
M: Gen Xers aren’t willing to work hard
R: They are, but believe it is unfair to expect a 70-hr week for 40 hrs of pay. They want a life
beyond work
M: Millennials have a sense of entitlement and want opportunities handed to them
R: A major survey of US employees revealed that Millennials have an entrepreneurial spirit
that makes them self-reliant
Although Gen Zers have yet to enter the workforce, negative stereotypes may be
developing without us even realizing it.
We, as leaders and managers, must address these negative stereotypes and outdated
notions at all levels in order to create a productive intergenerational organization.
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14. Principles for Managing
Generations Successfully
1. Collaborate across and initiate conversations about generations
2. Apply historical knowledge
3. Be aware of current trends and applications
4. Ask people about their needs and preferences
5. Offer options
6. Personalize your style; be flexible
7. Build on strengths
8. Pursue different perspectives
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15. Motivate & Retain
• Build good relationships
• Encourage and value feedback
• Increase accountability and trust
• Create a culture of respect
• Give meaningful recognition
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16. References
• AARP, 2007, Leading a Multigenerational Workforce. Retrieved from
http://www.aarp.org
• Morell, A. (2011). Minding the Gap. Retrieved from
http://www.meetingsfocus.com/ArticleDetails/tabid/136/RegionID/0/ArticleID/16061/Default.aspx
• Knoll, Inc. (2014). Workplace Research, What Comes After Y?
Generation Z: Arriving to the Office Soon. Retrieved from
https://www.knoll.com/knollnewsdetail/what-comes-after-y-generation-z-arriving-to-the-office-
soon
• Tanner, O. (2015) Motivation Best Practices for the Multi-Generational
Workforce. Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/OCTannerCompany/ss-motivation-for-all-ages2-3-1
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17. Panel Discussion
Moderator
Angela Jones
Program Coordinator
National Institute of Health
Panelists
Charles Crews Cheryl Partee Tage S. Smith
Vice President Chief Financial Officer Senior Manager - (IT)
Gas Operations Southwestern Division Global Business Services
Consumer Energy USACE Raytheon
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18. Conclusion/Wrap-Up
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