Generational influences on academic dentistry

Generational Influences, Emotional
Intelligence, and Wholeheartedness
Roseman University of Health Sciences
College of Dental Medicine
Faculty Retreat – July 14, 2016
L. Kris Munk DDS, MS

 Observation of student behavior
 Brief overview of generational characteristics
 Implications of expectations from different generations
 Learning preferences and academic expectation of
Generation Y - Millennial students
 Clinical Teaching Tips for Generation Y - Millennials
 Emotional Intelligence in Dentistry
 Connection is the key to wholeheartedness
Check In

Your Participation is Crucial for
Authentic Connection, so Lean in!

What Have You Noticed About
Contemporary Students?
 Behaviors?
 Characteristics?
 Attitudes?
 Attributes?

• “My despair over the behavior and attitudes of this generation
of students, and I use the word “students” loosely, is so great
that it depresses me to consider the prospects for the future of
our nation.”
• “Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the
one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after
it.”
• “Elders would have nothing to do if they didn’t sit around and
disparage the rising generation.”
Can You Relate?

• “My despair over the behavior and attitudes of this generation
of students, and I use the word “students” loosely, is so great
that it depresses me to consider the prospects for the future of
our nation. Woodrow Wilson - 1906
• “Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the
one that went before it, and wiser that the lone that comes after
it.” George Orwell - 1949
• “Elders would have nothing to do if they didn’t sit around and
disparage the rising generation.” Benjamin Franklin - 1780
The More Things Change, The More
They Stay The Same

We May Want The Good Ole’ Days,

But Time Marches On and
Things Change!

Changes in Generational
Characteristics
Traditionalists
Before 1945
Baby Boomers
1946 - 1964
Generation X
1964 - 1982
Generation Y - Millennials
1982 - 2001

Traditionalists: > 70 years old
• Values: Discipline and
respect for authority
• Education: Not the norm
for most people
• Communication: Formal;
one-on-one, face-to-face;
rotary telephones
• Finance: Good savers and
pay in cash

Traditionalists: > 70 years old
• Leadership: Top down;
Commanding and authoritative
• Work preference: Formal
• Feedback Preference: No news
is good news; satisfied by a job
well done
• Motivation: “Your experience
is respected”
• Family: Traditional 2 parent
family; eat meals together

Baby Boomers: 1946 – 1964
Age 52 - 70

Age 52 - 70
 Values: Optimism and
personal improvement; be
more successful than
parents
 Education: a Birthright
 Communication: Call
anytime; touchtone phones
 Finance: Buy now, pay later

Age 52 - 70
 Goals: Peace; financial security;
independence; liberation
 Achievements: Most financially
successful generation
 Created the “Shop ‘till You
Drop” materialistic mentality
 Created “suburbs” and “malls”
 Didn’t trust institutions; a little
rebellious; protested
 “Make love not war”

Age 52 - 70
 Leadership: Consensus and
Collegial; more democratic
and affiliative
 Work preference:
Individual
 Feedback Preference: Job
title and monetary rewards
 Motivation: “You are
needed”
 Family: “Family” was
sacrificed to achieve the
“American Dream”

Generation X: 1964 – 1982
Age 33 - 51
 Values: Friends and Fun;
a little skeptical
 Education: A tool to
achieve goals
 Communication: Cell
phones; 1st to use the
internet
 Finance: Conservative
and cautious
 Family: Latch Key kids

Age 33 - 51
 1st Gen with 2 working parents
 1st Gen with single parent homes
 Observed parents struggle
financially; job security a myth
 Told they would not be as
successful as their parents
 Life not centered on work; equal
attention given to networking and
friends
 Not loyal to employers; “What is
best for me!”
 Values Transparency

Age 33 - 51
 Leadership: Challenge the status
quo and ask, “Why?”
 Work Preference: Entrepreneurial
and Enterprising; Teamwork
 Feedback Preference: Direct and
Immediate
 Motivation: “Do it your way”;
“Forget the rules, it’s the results
that count”; dissolve the 9 to 5
 Invented the Work/Life Balance

1982 – 2001 Age 16 - 33
 Millennials
 Net Generation
 Echo Boomers
 Boomer Clones
 Nexters
 Digital Generation

1982 – 2001 Age 16 - 33
 Grew up cherished, indulged,
nurtured, protected, pampered
 Hovered over by “Helicopter”
parents
 Not expected to think or fend for
themselves
 Minimal experience with failure
 Participation trophies

1982 – 2001 Age 16 - 33
 Values: Extreme fun; Be
entertained; Social and Cultural
Diversity; Humanism;
Volunteerism
 Education: Necessary and will
lead to success
 Communication: Texting;
Social media
 Finance: Earn to spend

1982 – 2001 Age 16 - 33
 Leadership: Pacesetting
 Work Preference: Groups and
Participative Teams
 Feedback Preference:
Encouraging and Immediate
 Motivation: “You will work
with bright and talented
people”; Pat-on-the-back
 Family: Blended
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

 Expect success – “I will continue to do well”
 Driven to succeed; goal setters
 Optimistic – see opportunities, not barriers
 Confident and self-reliant
 See value in higher education, but not at expense of
family, fun, and relationships
 Contributor – “I will make a contribution to society”
1982 – 2001 Age 16 - 33

 Millennials will comprise more than one in three Americans by 2020
 Millennials will make up as much as 75% of the U.S. workforce by 2525
 87.5% of Millennials disagree with the statement, “money is the best
measure of success”
 64% of Millennials would rather make $40K/yr at a job they love than
$100K/yr at a job they think is boring
 50% consider themselves politically unaffiliated
 29% consider themselves religiously unaffiliated
 20 % have one immigrant parent
 They send a median of over 50 texts per day
 Grew up with a belief that “everyone is a winner and no one is a loser”
Interesting Facts

Are These Characteristics Consistent
With Our Observations?
 Behaviors?
 Characteristics?
 Attitudes?
 Attributes?

How Well Do You Understand
Generation Y - Millennials?

1982 – 2001 Age 16 - 33

 Resemble skills needed to become adept at PlayStation
 Prefer trial and error over reading and asking for
assistance
 Caution: May get dental students into trouble during
unfamiliar procedures
 Faculty should not assume all is well if a student doesn’t
seek their input
 Faculty must be proactive with supervision
Millennials’ Learning Styles

 Millennials prefer learning from graphics or doing rather
than reading long texts or listening to long lectures
 They like doing things, not just talking about them
 They become bored if the class is too slow
 Students retain:
 10% of what they read
 26% of that they hear
 30 % of what they see and hear
 70% of what they say
 90% of what they say as they do something

 Millennials gravitate toward group activities
 Millennials are achievement oriented, but do not like
ambiguity. They like rules, priorities and procedures.
 Millennials like structure, plans, and exactness
 Millennials are not spontaneous
 Millennials like their education ATAW (anytime,
anywhere) and don’t see the need to be in class at an
exact time; like to access information at 2:00 am

 Millennials are very social and seek social interactions
with faculty outside the classroom
 Millennials watch entertainment on computers,
tablets, phones - not televisions
 Millennials do not see the need for a dress code as
they grew up with Steve Jobs (black T-shirt) and Mark
Zuckerberg (T-shirt and hoodie)

 Before Patient Treatment
• Explain your expectations (if this is first time
with student)
• Ask the student to provide an assessment of
the patient and treatment plan instead of
asking if the student reviewed the patient’s
dental and medical history.
• Give feedback to correct misconceptions (be
encouraging and immediate)
Clinical Teaching Tips

 During Patient Treatment
• Be available and check in several times. Remember
the student’s learning style is that of developing
expertise at PlayStation and might be reluctant to
call the instructor until the patient has suffered
irreversible harm.
• Remember the 4P’s: Praise in Public; Perfect in Private.
Make notes to remind yourself about following up
especially if supervising multiple students.

 After Patient Treatment
• Have a “close-out debriefing” by asking
questions that help clarify the student’s thinking.
• What lessons will you take away from this case?
• Has the case changed your thinking about…?
• What would you do different?
• What if …?
• Provide “wrap-up” feedback - both suggestions
and praise.
• Provide academic & personal support and
encouragement

 Feedback Tips
• Ask students to self assess; how can performance be improved.
• Raise issues with questions: “What is your assessment of …?".
• For problems, use “talk about” instead of questions:
“Talk about the difficulties with…”.
• Use “we” instead of “you” to describe problems: “When
did we first start to run into problems with the prep?”.
• Avoid “Why didn’t you” questions that make students defensive.
• Remember the 3 parts of feedback: problems, causes and
solutions.
• End with praise or encouragement.
Feedback Tips

That’s the Students – What about us?

What are the Characteristics of a
Good Dental Educator?

Three Characteristics of
Competent Academic Dentistry
McHarg, J., & Kay, E. J. (2009). Designing a dental curriculum for the
twenty-first century, British Dental Journal, 207(10), 493-497.
Head Heart Hands

The Head, Hands, and Heart
Cognitive Intelligence - the ability to reason, learn,
and solve problems (Thinking).
Technical Intelligence - the ability to perform well
when completing tasks (Doing).
Emotional Intelligence - how people handle
themselves and their relationships (Being).

Results Through Relationships
Relationships Before Tasks

Have You Ever Milked a Milked a Cow?

Stable or Wobbly?
Thinking
Doing
Being

Being = Emotional Intelligence
“The ability for recognizing our own feelings and those of
others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions
well in ourselves and in our relationships. It describes
abilities distinct from, but complementary to, academic
intelligence, the pure cognitive capacities measured by IQ.”
- Daniel Goleman

Journal of Dental Education ■ Volume
80, Number 1

Traditional Dental Education
 In traditional dental
education, how much
emphasis is placed on
Cognitive Intelligence
(Thinking)?
 How much on Technical
Intelligence (Doing)?
 How much on Emotional
Intelligence (Being)?

Traditional Dental Education
 Cognitive Intelligence – 44%
 Technical Intelligence – 49%
 Emotional Intelligence – 7%

As Dental Educators, We Must be
Models of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence Domains
Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Social Awareness
Relationship Management
Goleman D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2002). Primal Leadership.

Emotional Intelligence Competencies
Self-Awareness Domain:
 Emotional Self-Awareness: Recognizing how one’s
emotions and moods affect performance.
 Accurate Self-Assessment: Knowing one’s
abilities and limitations.
 Self-Confidence: A strong sense of one’s self-worth
and capabilities.

Self-Management Domain:
 Emotional Self-Control: Keeping disruptive impulses in check.
 Transparency: Maintaining honesty and integrity and acting
congruently with one’s values.
 Adaptability: Flexibility in handling change.
 Achievement: Striving to meet a standard of excellence.
 Initiative: Readiness to act on opportunities.
 Optimism: Persistence in pursuing goals despite obstacles and
setbacks.

Social-Awareness Domain:
 Empathy: Sensing others’ feelings and perspectives.
 Organizational Awareness: Reading a group’s
emotions and relationships.
 Service Orientation: Anticipating, recognizing and
meeting patients’ and others’ needs.

Relationship Management Domain:
 Leadership: Inspiring groups and individuals.
 Influence: Having a positive impact on others.
 Developing Others: Bolstering others’ abilities.
 Change Catalyst: Initiating or managing change.
 Conflict Management: Negotiating and resolving conflict.
 Teamwork and Collaboration: Working with others in pursuing
collective goals and creating group synergy.

 Empathy: Sensing others’ feelings and
perspectives.
meeting patients’ and others’ needs.

Principles of Social Awareness
perspectives.
 Listens attentively
 Is attentive to people’s moods and nonverbal cues
 Relates well to people of diverse backgrounds
 Can see things from someone else’s perspective

Social-Awareness Domain–
perspectives.
meeting patients’ needs.

 Able to detect crucial social networks and key power
relationships
 Understands the political forces within the organization
 Identifies with the organization’s guiding values
 Recognizes the unspoken rules of the organization

perspectives.
 Service Orientation: Anticipating, recognizing
and meeting patients’ needs.

Emotional Intelligence Deficiencies
Social-Awareness Domain –
 Service Orientation: Anticipating, recognizing and
meeting patients’ needs.
 Makes self available as needed
 Monitor’s patient satisfaction
 Fosters an environment that keeps patient relationships
on the right track
 Ensures that patient needs are met

1. Everyone stand and find a partner
2. Face your partner
3. There will be five parts and each part
will only last one to two minutes
4. Then you will be asked to stop talking
and listen for the next step.
Making Connections

 Say two things about yourself and then two
things about your partner, something that
might be considered small talk. For
example, “I like the color of your shirt”, or
“Aren’t we having great weather?”, or “How
was your vacation break”? Then your
partner will take a turn to say two things
about him/herself and two things about you.
 Then wait for the next instruction.
Making Connections – Step 1

 Remain standing and take a minute to
share with each other something that
you really value, something that is
precious to you, something you are
grateful for.

 Discuss with each other an idea or a
plan you might be willing to work on
together with your combined efforts
and talents.

 Share with your partner something that
makes your heart heavy, some burden
you are carrying (nothing too private), a
load maybe few people even know.

 Share with your partner the feelings of
your heart -- what you would want to
say if this were the last time you would
ever see each other in this earth life.
 Then be seated.

Wholehearted Connections
 How important is making
connections with others?
 What is the relationship
between authenticity and
connection?
 How do vulnerability and
tenderness relate to taking
the risk to connect?
 Does it take effort to
connect?
 Does connection bring
belonging and love?
 What does it mean to be
wholehearted?

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