Navigating Generational Differences in the Workplace

I Got the Job! Now What?? J. David McMahon 69 Associate Director Texas A&M Career Center

Its not what we know that gets us in trouble. It s what we know that ain t so. - Will Rogers 2

Four Generations Generations Matures Born Between . 1922 1943/46 Baby Boomers 1943/46 1960/64 Generation Xers 1960/64 1980 Millennials 1980 - 2000 3

Generation Differences Matures Boomers Gen X'ers Millennials Success because Fought hard & won Team player Reward for hard work Born into it and should have it Have 2 jobs Teanacity Self-absorbed Entrepreneur Team player Style is . Point of life Relief A way to get ahead Part of life Leisure is .. A dream A birthright Life long Spend parents money Wireless Education is Managing money Save Rotary Spend Touch tone Hedge Cellular Spread sheets Phone is . Technology Slide rule Calculators Nintendo 4

Matures on the Job Assets Liabilities Stable Detail oriented Thorough Loyal Hard working Inept with ambiguity & change Reluctant to buck system Uncomfortable with conflict Reticent when they disagree 5

Baby Boomers on the Job Assets Service oriented Driven Willing to go the extra mile Good at relationships Want to please Good team players Liabilities Not naturally budget minded Uncomfortable with conflict Reluctant to go against peers Put process ahead of results Sensitive to feedback Judgmental of those who see things differently 6

Gen Xers on the Job Assets Liabilities Adaptable Technoliterate Independent Not intimidated by authority Creative Impatient Poor people skills Inexperienced Cynical 7

Millennials on the Job Assets Liabilities Collective action Optimism Tenacity Multitasking capabilities Technological savvy Need for supervision and structure Inexperience, particularly with handling different people issues 8

How Do Employers Grade A&M Students - 2016 100% 100% A A 90% 90% 80% 80% 70% 70% B B 60% 60% 50% 50% C C 40% 40% 30% 30% 20% 20% D D 10% 10% 0% 0% F F

Do You Have a Career Plan? 39% of college graduates do not have any career plan 69% lack knowledge to make an informed career plan If you don t know where you are going, any path will get you there. Alice in Wonderland What can you do with your major? What do you really want to accomplish with your major and career? Do something fulfilling, then go home and do what you love. - Penelope Trunk, Brazen Careerist, Oct 2015 10

Do You Have a Career Plan? What brings that sparkle to your eye or fire in your belly? What are the 3 to 5 things you see yourself doing with your degree for the company? What future jobs in the company excited you, that you see yourself doing? Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career Earl Nightingale 11

Realistic Expectations Needing Improvement Employers Feedback 72% Oral communications 71% Written communications 64% Entitlement attitude 63% Constructive criticism 42% >40 Hour work week 41% Pay for performance 41% Not automatic promotions 26% Professional dress 12

Realistic Expectations There is no such thing as a dream job. Don t expect a 6 figure salary. You are not going to be CEO in 5 years. Every job comes with unpleasant responsibilities Dealing with customers, overtime, weekend/night duty, cleaning up, budgets, appraisals. You are not entitled to raises and promotions, you have to earn them. What are you going to contribute to the company? vs. What can the company do for me? Volunteer for tough projects or solve problems outside of your job role or responsibilities. 13

Realistic Expectations Profit Sharing The company has to achieve a profit first. You don t always get rewards. You ll be working in global cultures they don t pamper Americans no kudos if you don t contribute. No trophy for just showing up to work. Everyday is an 8 AM class. There is no drop a class. Not just a 40 hour week. Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. -Albert Schweitzer 14

Economics 101$$$$ Do you know who is paying your salary? Are you contributing to making a profit? Have you added profit or saved costs that is at least 1 year s worth of your salary and benefits? There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. - Sam Walton 15

Realistic Expectations 80/20 Rule 80% of the loss is caused by 20% of the problems. Never mistake activity for achievement. - John Wooden Your first appraisal will probably be a C . Employees are ranked. Highly valued, run-of-the-mill, lowly valued. You must be better than good to be considered indispensable. It s not what you do between 8 and 5 it s what you do between 5 and 8. - A&M Recruiter 16

Realistic Expectations Figure out the unwritten rules is your workforce really empowered? Do you know how to take notes in a meeting? Employees who embrace and implement change prosper while those who don t struggle throughout their careers. The ones who can solve problems, get promoted. The ones who complain get to complain about working for them. If you're doing something the same way you have been doing it for ten years, the chances are you are doing it wrong." - Charles F. Kettering - American inventor and businessman 17

Realistic Expectations Company is not paying you to spend as much time as you want checking your Facebook or MySpace account, or responding to every text or e-mail message when it appears on your screen or phone, you are faced with rules and policies curtailing their use. Especially if it is a company supplied Cell phone or computer. What are the rules of communication within your new work environment: is it okay to send a message with wallpaper or border; address your boss in an e-mail as Hey Jessica ; or forward a mass e-mail or YouTube video to a few co-workers? 18

THE GOLDEN RULE Them that have the gold, make the rules! As long as it isn t illegal or immoral, you probably ought to do it the company way. 19

You Earn Respect When You Give Respect Manners Needed to Comeback, Readers Digest Facebook Followers, July 2011 Looking people in the eye when spoken to. No cursing in public. A handshake with a proper greeting. Written thank-you notes. Calling people Mr. , Mrs. , or Ms. . Chewing with your mouth closed. Yes, please , No, thank you , Excuse me , or I m sorry . A covered buttocks. 20

Anticipate Failure Learn from your mistakes. Have you failed yet? Most great people have achieved their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure - Napoleon Hill You are expected to complete assignments, on time! When things don t go your way, GET OVER IT! Don t take it to the TOP! Embarrass your boss (or co-worker) and you lose their loyalty. I really didn t say everything I said Yogi Berra 21

Employers Rank Most Important Skills/Qualities in New College Hires Make decisions, solve problems Verbal communications in/out company 4.6 Obtain & process information Plan, organize, prioritize work Analyze quantitative data Technical knowledge Computer software proficiency Create and/or edit written reports Sell or influence others 4.7 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.2 4.1 3.7 3.6 (5-Extremely Important, 4-Very Important, 3-Somewhat Important) NACE: Job Outlook 2014 Spring Update 22

College Graduates Exhibit Less Professionalism Than Employers Expect Behaviors mentioned most as being characteristic of professional employees Personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect Ability to communicate, which includes listening skills Work ethic which includes being motivated and working on a task until it is complete Appearance Inside Higher Ed (10/23/09, Moltz) 23

Your Momma Don t Work Here Think and act for yourself Employer hired you, not your parents Work out your own problems Figure out what needs to be done vs. waiting for your boss (Mom) to tell you the next step 24

Top 6 Reasons for Firing College Graduate New Hires 28 % Unethical behavior 18 % Lack of motivation/work ethic 14 % Inappropriate use of technology 9 % Failure to follow instructions 8 % Late to work 7 % Missing assignment deadlines 2007 survey of Employers by Collegiate Employment Research Institute 25

How to Be the Employee Your Company Can t Live Without Glenn Shepard, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2006 Create your own job security by making yourself a highly valued employee Learn what your supervisors values are Be highly productive, pro-active and low maintenance Things come to those who wait, but only the things left behind by those who hustle. - Abraham Lincoln Answer questions before your boss asks them Earn your paycheck, the company will not exist if it doesn t make a profit 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 26

How to Be the Employee Your Company Can t Live Without 6. Do whatever needs to be done, whenever it needs to be done 7. Take great pride and be the best at whatever you do 8. If you can t be on time, be early 9. Minimize unnecessary mistakes and learn how to handle reasonable mistakes 10. Polish your social graces if you want to influence others Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment Ben Franklin 27

How to Be the Employee Your Company Can t Live Without 11. Adopt a strong work ethic don t let the monkeys pull you down your ladder of success Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work Thomas Edison 12. It s hard to soar with eagles when you surround yourself with turkeys 13. Be proud of what you do, but let others know you appreciate their work also check your ego at the door 14. Your raise will become effective when you become more effective 15. 85% of people get promoted due to personal work skills, only 15% is due to their education28

How to Be the Employee Your Company Can t Live Without 16.Understand the difference between failing and making mistakes "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." -Nelson Mandela 17. Have a desire to solve the company problems, succeed in solving those problems, earn a reputation for your problem solving skills We have no problems; however, we do have lots of challenges and opportunities David McMahon 18.Don t confuse activity with accomplishment; don t give ultimatums; don t break the chain of command; don t underestimate your duty to serve your employer 29

Bill Gates Advice Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it! Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self- esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice- president with a car phone until you earn both. Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity . 30

Bill Gates Advice Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try de-lousing the closet in your own room. 31

Bill Gates Advice Rule 8: Schools may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. Some schools have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time. Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. 32

George Bush (41) Advice 1. Don t get down when your life takes a bad turn. Out of adversity comes challenge and often success. 2. Don t blame others for your setbacks. 3. When things go well, always give credit to others. 4. Don t talk all the time. Listen to your friends and mentors and learn from them. 5. Don t brag about yourself. Let others point out your virtues, your strong points. 33

George Bush (41) Advice 6. Give someone else a hand. When a friend is hurting show that friend you care. 7. Nobody likes an overbearing big shot. 8. As you succeed, be kind to people. Thank those who help you along the way. 9. Don t be afraid to shed a tear when your heart is broken because a friend is hurting. 10. Say your prayers. 34

Two Wolves One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, Which wolf will win? The old Cherokee simply replied, The one you feed. 35