Full presentation about Generation and Culture Management.

2. Speakers
Kirsten Jansen – Communication Manager
Gyuri Vergouw – Owner Vergouw Consulting

3. To get the best out of my team, I have to
take into account the generation- and
cultural differences of my team members.

4. Talking ’Bout My Generation
Making
Intergenerational Management Work
Breakfast Meeting
Undutchables
Gyuri Vergouw MSc MMC

5. Discussion
• Generation management has been dominated by
the ‘Anglo-Saxon-School’ which up till now has
underestimated the big generational differences
between cultures and regions (i.e. China, Russia,
Africa).

6. Summary
• How can we define and identify a generation?
• What different kind of generations do we see?
• Are there generational differences between the
Anglo-saxon, the Eastern European and the Far
Eastern World
• What is the best way to manage these differences
between generations?

7. Definition
• Karl Mannheim, German-Hungarian Sociologist (1928):
Das Problem der Generationen.
• Being born in the same time is not enought to define a
generation.
• Only when young people undergo the same cultural
influences, the development of a generational unit will take
place.
• This also means that existing cultural paterns should be
disrupted.

8. Disclaimer
• Generationmanagement is not an ‘absolute’-
science
• Qualitative versus Quantitative Research
• Different definitions, different divisions in
era’s, different names, different viewpoints
• Domination of Anglo-Saxon world
• Research: business-literature, internet,
interviews

9. My Grandfather in 1936
• Board of Amsterdam Society of Catholic Contracters
(meeting transcript):
• Mr. Jansen: ‘The younger carpenters
do not even know how to handle a hammer’
• Mr. Vergouw: ‘We should help them and teach them
and then everything will be allright in the end.
We cannot expect them to know everything from the start
and maybe they have ideas of their own.
I believe we should have more traineeships in our business’.
• (My grandfather started as an apprentice-carpenter in 1911
and became a contracter in 1923)

10. Generational Divide

12. Generational Divide
Generation V Millenials Sandwich generation
Generation X Silent Generation ‘Me’-generation
Generation Y Generation YEP Stalinistic generation
Generation Z Traditionalists Khrutchev Thaw
generation
Sreenagers The War and PRC
Generation
Pride and Patriottism
generation
Echoboomers The Cultural Revolution
Generation
Perestroika and Glasnost
generation
Linksters Recovery generation Free market generation

13. Some Stats
• 6 out of 10 current students say they are not considering a career
in business, 48% say they have not been encouraged to do so
• Approx. 60% of business decision makers give college
graduates a C grade for preparedness for first job
• 68% of corporate recruiters say it is difficult for their
organisations to manage Millenials
• 74% of non-Millenials agree that Millenials offer different skills
and work styles that add value to workplace

14. Traditionalists
1925-1945
• The Silent
generation
• Rebuild the
country
• Only small part
still works
(RvC/DGA)
• Conservative
• Traditional
• Loyal to country
and employer
• Respect authority
• Good teamplayers
• Do not initiate
conflict
Baby Boomers
1945-1955
• Still in key
positions
• Part has to stay
on board longer
• Creating
commitment
• Structuring
• Idealising
• Status
• Visionaries
• Culture of
meetings
• Political players
• Achieved what
they wanted
Generation X
1956-1970
•Caught between
babyboomers and
pragmatic generation
•Adapting
•Personal
development
•Quality
•Building bridges
•Sceptics
•Short term
orientation
•Family oriented
•Did I achieve what I
wanted
Pragmatics
1971-1980
•Take over position
of baby boomers
•I want and I can do
anything
•Selfassured
•Interactive
•Work-Life Balance
•Direct &
Enrepreneurial
•Resultdriven
•Innovation above
hierarchy
•Open and
constructve team
spirit
Screenagers-
Generation Y
Millenials
1981-2001
•There here!
•Multitaskers
•Inventing oneselve
•Seeing (Screening
versus reading
•Me-Inc.
•Focus on strenghts
•Do not like
control/steering
•Fun
•Superficial
•Personal
development
Generation
Z - 00?
• >2001
onwards
Anglo-Saxon Generations

15. Generation Z Quotes
• ‘I saw on Facebook that daddy is single
again; mommy did not know that still’
• ‘Not being connected is like a severe
punishment, I really can’t cope with that’
• ‘After you finish school you find a job at a
company you really like’.
• ‘I am going to change the world; really,
social media can do that’

16. Generatie Z
• Digital Natives
• Play games / Gaming to get a job
• Live in an information-economy
• Pragmatic view in a changing world: move of
powercentre to BRICT
• Global talent shortage
• Focus on depletion of natural resources
• Distrust business (financial crisis; privitization)

17. Stalinistic
Generation
1925-1953
• Hard working
• Fatalistic
• Enduring
• Practical attitude
• Affiliating with the
right people
• Fear
Khrutchev Thaw
Generation
1953-1961
• Liberalisation of
some politics
• Opportunities fr the
bst and brightest
•
Pride and
Patriottism
Generation
1961-1970’s
• Strong sense of
competition
• System selected who
advanced in scece and
education and politics
• Leadership in the
world (Yuri Gagarin)
• Possessive mothers as
result from war
Perestroika and
Glasnost
Generation
1980’s-1990’s
•Independent
•Self-reliant
•Hyper responsibility for
caring for parents
•Entrpreneurial
•Willing to assume risks
•Eager to generate wealth
quickly
•Pragmatic
•Short term focus
•Able to deal in chaotic
circumstances
‘Free Market’-
Generation
1990’s-2000
• Economic downturn
• Optimistic for the
future
• Seeing opportunities
in more open
economy
• Hard working
• Willing to sacrifice
work-life balance
for carrer
advancement
• Sense of immediacy
Russian Generations

18. One very special
Dutch generation!

19. Post WW2 / PRC
Generation
• 1945-1956
• Revolution 1949
• Rise of Communist
Party/ Mao Zedong
• Hyperinflation,
destroys middle-
class
• After 1953 only
growth of economy
till 1985 (ex. 58-
62)
Great Leap
Forward
Generation
• 1956-1965
• Great Leap
Forward (’58-‘61)
• From agricultural
to industrial
economy
• Collectivization
• Private farming
prohibited
• Famine (’58-’62)
• Closed economy
Cultural
Revolution
Generation
• 1966-1976
• Hard work
• Urban to
Countryside
• Life time
employment
• Much economic
activity halted due
to ‘revolution’
• Chaos
Sandwich
Generation
• 1977-1990
• Caring for both
parents and
children
• Economic
downturn is when
GDP increases by
only 8%
• Tienanmen square
students
‘Me’-Generation
• 1990-2000
• Money first
• Rich, happy and
young
• ‘naked resignation’
• Apolitical
pagmatism
• > 300 million under
30’s
• Wearing Nike’s,
drinking Starbucks
et cetera
• Proud of what has
been achieved
Chinese Generations

20. ‘Special’ Generations
• Generation V: 40’s-50’s
• Generation YEP: Young Ethnic Professionals
• Linksters/Facebook Generation >1995
• Millenials = Generation Y = Echoboomers = Net
generation = Next generation

21. Cultural Differences
• Generation Y in BRIC: Focus primarily on
money
• Generation Y in western world: Focus
primarily on personal growth
• Generation Y in Arabian World: first to
challenge authority, problem with finding
balace between tradition and modernity.

22. What’s the Use?
• Generation management teaches us to
respect and make full use of differences
between generations
• To each his/her own
• (Big) differences in engagement levels
• (Big) differences in approaches
• 1+1+1+1+1 = 6?

23. Tips to motivate Babyboomers
• Make rewards and recognition known
• Communicate in an open way. They count
on your energy and dynamism.
• Connect to and involve them during all
phases of the decisionmaking process.
• They are inspired by transparancy and
democracy. They want to be involved!

24. Tips to motivate Generation X
• Earn their respect– even if it takes some time before you
will get theirs.
• Do not control thm, offer them flexibility
• Act with integrity and you will be able to close the
generationgap.
• Give surprise rewards for unusuals performances.
• Fun is a serious business! Create a stimulating and
productive workplace
• Try a reversed mentoringprogramme, in which young
employees help older managers so that they are able to use
the latest technology.

25. Tips to motivate Generation Y
• Lead! This generation has grown up under the guidance of parents who
believed in ‘borders’ and are active rolemodels. They are sensitive to
leaders with integrity.
• Give structure and clear guidance and always clear procedures and
approaches for reaching specific goals. Although they might seem
selfassured, they do need the input of management.
• Make metoring available. Generation Y likes to work with the older
generation in a practical way.
• Encourage and allow them to use the latest technology in the
workplace.
• Let them try new things. Give them projects from which they can
really learn – they like the challenge.

26. Tips and Tricks
• Do not focus (mainly) on the problems, focus on the added
value of different generations within an organisation.
• Make a generational division of the employees within the
organisation.
• Decide what the ultimate mix of generations within the
organisation should be. To do so: focus on the nearby
future.
• Do you have the ultimate mix within the organisation?

27. Thank You For
Your Active Participation!
Gyuri Vergouw Msc MMC
www.vergouw.com
www.1minutemanager.nl
vergouw@vergouw.com

28. Discussion
- Understanding different generations and
focussing on and using their specific talents
is a major challenge AND opportunity for
organisations
- We have hardly scratched the surface of
generations management. Managers should
be more aware of its challenges and its
implications.

29. Discussion
• Generation management has been
dominated by the ‘Anglo-Saxon-School’
which up till now has underestimated the
big generational differences between
cultures and regions (i.e. China, Russia,
Africa).
• In the setting of the Netherlands, a manager
should take into account more than just the
Anglo-Saxon view on generations.

30. Thank you
We hope you have enjoyed
this meeting and look forward
to welcome you at one of our
next events.
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http://www.managementsite.nl/
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