This is a presentation I did for a group of 15 supervisors. It is an interactive training session which requires an experienced facilitator. It is a great way to present generational differences using input from the group you are training. You can send the survey to participants in advance and add your company's demographics to the presentation to make it even more effective

1. Generational Differences

2. Categories of generations based on experiences and
values common to each generation
Veterans, born before 1945 AKA World War II generation. Came of
age during Great Depression and WWII, and these experiences
had a lasting impact on their development. [Population = 44
million]
Baby Boomers (born 1945-1964) grew up in a time of much more
prosperity, and their formative events included Vietnam War and
Watergate. [80 million]
Generation X (born 1965-1980) was raised on technology, with
everything from televisions and microwaves to videocassette
recorders and personal computers becoming more commonplace
early in their lifetime. [46 million]
Generation Y (born 1981-2000) are just now starting their working lives
and beginning to emerge with yet another unique generational
personality. [92 million]

3. GEN Y GEN X Boomer
11% 36% 53%
36 117 171
Baby Boomers (1945 to 1964)Generation X (1965 to 1980)Generation Y(1981 to 2000)
MAPLE PRESS DEMOGRAPHIC
GEN X
36%
Boomer
53%
GEN Y
11%
(Example) XYZ Company / DEMOGRAPHICS

4. BABY BOOMER
“Live-to-Work”
Or “Thank God it’s Monday”
Born 1945-1964
MAJOR INFLUENCES
 Suburbia
 TV
 Vietnam
 Watergate
 Protests
 Human Rights and
Women’s Movements
 Drugs
 Sex
 Rock ‘n Roll
CHARACTERISTICS
 Idealistic
 Competitive
 Question Authority

5. BABY BOOMER TRAITS
Born 1945-1964
 By next year [2014] 70 million Baby Boomers, including
manufacturing workers, supervisors, & managers will
retire. Baby Boomers are seen as hard, eager workers,
well-suited to be brought back as consultants or for
individual projects after their retirement.
 Motivated by $, title, recognition, promotion
 Willing to work long hours as long as they see they will
get ahead, earn $ and/or bonus
 On Work-Life Balance: “Work matters most” - divorced
or dual career
 Career Advancement mentality: Prove yourself with
long hours; pay your dues

6. GEN-X
“Work-to-Live”
“It’s 5 o’clock, I’m going home”
Born 1965-1980
MAJOR INFLUENCES
 Sesame Street, MTV
 Game Boy
 PC
 Divorce-rate tripled
 Latch-key children
 Left alone
CHARACTERISTICS
 Resourceful
 Self-reliant
 Distrustful of institutions
 Highly adaptive to
change & technology

7. GEN-X TRAITS
Born 1965-1980
 Generation X workers can be counted on in
situations where conditions are fluid or not
well defined.
 Members of this generation have grown up
and are comfortable with ever-evolving
technologies.
 They are also rated highly on their ability to
learn quickly and embrace diversity.
 Tend to work well in situations where
conditions are not well-defined or are
constantly changing.

8. GEN-Y
“It’s all about me”
“Children of Helicopter Parents”
Born 1981-2000
MAJOR INFLUENCES
 Expanded technology
 Natural disasters
 Violence; gangs
 Diversity
 Coddled by parents
CHARACTERISTICS
 Globally concerned
 Realistic
 Cyber-savvy
 Suffer “ADD”
 Remote control kids
 The Tethered
Generation………….
“I’m getting out of class
now and I’m on my way
to the cafeteria.”

9. GEN-Y TRAITS
Born 1981-2000
 Ultimate multi-taskers, e.g., listening to music, while texting , &
talking
 With low boredom thresholds & short attention spans expect
Gen-Y’s to have many job changes
 Having a sense of entitlement and indispensability, personal
fulfillment is their motivator
 Workplace flexibility should suit my needs
 Will work long hours; But not all at-work
 May switch careers frequently and fast
 Gen Y is not allowed to fail or even do average – 94% of
Harvard students graduate with honors
 People who are used to getting their way instantly may not be
able to handle even small rejections.

10. How applicable is trait to each of the
three generations in today’s workplace?
 Willing to navigate office politics
 Accepting of authority figures in
the workplace
 Ask for help when needed
 Need supervision
 Embrace diversity
 Give maximum effort
 Good at multitasking
 Learn quickly
 Like informality
 Like structure
 Plan to stay with the organization
over the long term
 Process-driven
 Respectful of organizational
hierarchy
 Results-driven
 Retain what they learn
 Seek work/life balance
 Technologically savvy
 Prefer to work alone
 Prefer to work in teams

11. BREAK-OUT ACTIVITY
One group for Gen-X ¦ One group for Gen-X
Gen-Y ¦ One group for Boomer-Gen
How applicable is each trait in today’s
workplace to Each Generation?
Decide as a team how you will rank these traits
as A B & C items
Select 6 items for each category with
 A category as most important
 B category as next most important
 C category as least important
Then within A category rank order the six items
selected from 1 to 6; with 1 as most important to 6 as
least important

12. Addressing issue of younger
workers who feel “stuck.”
Generation X and Y workers rate high on preferences for
informality and desire to seek work/life balance
They rate low on respect for organizational hierarchy plans to
stay with the organization over the long term.
Suggestions include:
– Expanding workers’ current job experiences, by establishing a
career path
– developing new skills and responsibilities
– training, or challenging employees within structure of current
position

13. COMMUNICATING
By far the most successful method of addressing
generational differences is communicating important
information in multiple ways increases the number of
people who are receiving the information in the format with
which they are most comfortable.
Additionally, it increases the probability that employees
will be exposed to the information multiple times thereby
ensuring that it is understood, since communicating
information in different formats addresses various
types of adult learning styles.

14. BABY BOOMERS
MOST
 Give maximum effort
 Accepting of authority
figures in the workplace
 Results driven
 Plan to stay with the
organization over the
long term
 Retain what they learn
LEAST
• Like informality
• Respectful of
organizational
hierarchy
• Need supervision

15. GEN-X-ERS
MOST
Technologically savvy
Like informality
Learn quickly
Seek work/life balance
Embrace diversity
LEAST
• Respectful
organizational
hierarchy
• Like structure
• Plan to stay with the
organization over the
long term

16. GEN-Y-ERS
MOST
 Technologically savvy
 Like informality
 Embrace diversity
 Learn quickly
 Need supervision
Gen-Y workers need for
supervision may not necessarily
be an inherent generational
trait, but because just entering
workforce and still “learning the
ropes.”
LEAST
• Respectful organizational
hierarchy
• Like structure
• Plan to stay with
organization over long
term

17. RETENTION
A less common occurrence is the issue of retention of
Gen X and Gen Y professionals who feel they are not
able to advance in their careers because Veterans and
Baby Boomers already hold the high level positions in the
company.
Additionally, some of this difficulty may come from the
younger generations of workers being impatient and
having no loyalty to the employer.

18. Different perceptions of what makes
an employee dedicated
Older generations may view willingness
to work long hours, professionalism and
punctuality as defining employee dedication.
Younger generations seem more likely to view
dedication in relation to the quality and quantity
of work completed.

19. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT BY DEMOGRAPHICS
Percent fully engaged by demographic: Fully engaged, 29%

20. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT BY DEMOGRAPHICS
Percent fully engaged by demographic: Fully engaged, 29%

21. Less than
half of U.S.
workers
employed
full- or part-
time feel
completely
satisfied
with most
of the
aspects of
work
measured
in the Aug.
9-12
survey.

22. Annual Gallup Poll Finds Employee
Engagement Nearing All Time Lows
Seventy-one percent of American
workers are "not engaged" or "actively
disengaged" in their work….
TRANSLATION:
1. Emotionally disconnected from
their workplaces
2. Less likely to be productive.

23. What makes one company more
successful than another?
Better products, services, strategies, technologies
or, perhaps, a better cost structure?
Certainly, all of these contribute to superior
performance, but all of them can be copied over
time.
The one thing that creates sustainable
competitive advantage and therefore ROI,
company value and long-term strength is….

24. THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE
The workforce… the people who are the
company.
And when it comes to people, research has
shown, time and again, that employees who are
engaged significantly outperform work groups
that are not engaged.
In the fight for competitive advantage where
employees are the differentiator, engaged
employees are the ultimate goal.

25. 2012 Dale Carnegie Study
1,500 employees surveyed on elements
affecting employee engagement.
Concluded: “Three key drivers impact
employee engagement”
– Relationship with immediate supervisor
– Belief in senior leadership
– Pride in working for the company

26. Importance of Immediate Supervisor
Employees said “It is the personal
relationship with my immediate supervisor
that is the key”.
The attitude and actions of the immediate
supervisor can enhance employee
engagement or can create an atmosphere
where an employee becomes disengaged.

27. Common Complaints about
Supervision
 No one at work encourages my development
 I don’t get recognition or praise for doing good work. So what’s
the point in going above and beyond the bare minimum?
 My boss doesn’t listen.
 My boss Ignores my opinions/suggestions
 Form of communication is leaving a post it note for you to find
when you come in the morning.
 No standard or expectation for how I do my job which means
there is no consequence for be a poor employee
 It’s easier to ignore a problem rather than take care of it.
 Supervisor has very low sensitivity levels when it comes to call-
ins and will literally badger me

28. IMPORTANCE OF A CARING
SUPERVISOR
The study revealed that a “caring”
supervisor is one of the key elements
that drives employee engagement.
– employees want their supervisors to
care about their personal lives, to take
an interest in them as people
– to care about how they feel and support
their health and well-being.

29. MOVING EMPLOYEES TO A
HIGHER LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT
Fostering a positive working environment
and long-term engagement starts with
– Good communication between supervisor and
employee
AND
– Good communication among co-workers

30. “PERSON-CENTERED” SUPERVISOR
Good Listener
Less focused on imposing own will than on hearing what other person is
saying
Perceptive
Able to understand subtle issues people are dealing with, as well as what
motivates and what doesn’t motivate.
Open Communicator
Approachable, candid, easy to talk to, available when needed
Calm Demeanor
Not excitable, able to remain cool under stress, I.e., opposite of hot
tempered.
Genuinely Concerned for others well-being
Care about people and can be trusted to keep their word.

31. Setting Person-Centered Goals
What are behaviors I will demonstrate
TODAY to let employee know s/he is:
• Important
• Valued
• Has responsibility
What can I do TODAY to Increase
• Communicating
• Recognizing
• Rewarding

32. COMMUNICATING MISSION & PURPOSE TO
EMPLOYEES
How many direct reports would check YES box if asked:
YES
 Have good understanding of mission & goals of organization.
 Understand how MY work directly contributes to overall
organization success
 Understand MY job is important in accomplishing the
mission of the organization.
 MY supervisor provides me regular information about the
mission and the goals of this organization.
 Familiar with and understand organization's strategic goals.
 Doing MY job well gives ME a sense of personal satisfaction

33. Treating Employees With Respect
How many direct reports would check YES box if asked:
YES
 MY supervisor always treats ME with respect
 I am always treated fairly by my supervisor
 MY supervisor is always consistent when
administering policies concerning employees
 MY supervisor listens to what I'm saying
 MY supervisor values my talents
 MY supervisor values the contribution I make
 MY supervisor cares about me as a person

34. Providing Employee Feedback
How many direct reports would check YES box if asked:
YES
 MY supervisor gives me useful & constructive feedback
 I am given adequate feedback about MY performance.
 MY supervisor gives me feedback that helps me improve
MY performance.
 I have an opportunity to participate in the goal setting
process.
 MY performance evaluations are fair and appropriate.
 My supervisor gives me praise and recognition when I do
a good job.
 When I do a good job, I receive the praise & recognition I
deserve.

35. Work/Life Balance Stress and Work Pace
How many direct reports would check YES box if asked:
YES
 The environment in this organization supports a balance
between MY work and MY personal life.
 MY supervisor understands the benefits of maintaining a
balance between MY work and MY personal life.
 I am able to satisfy both MY job and MY family/personal
responsibilities.
 The pace of work in this organization enables me to do a
good job.
 The amount of work I am asked to do is reasonable.
 MY job does not cause unreasonable amounts of stress in
MY life.

36. Opportunities for Growth
How many direct reports would check YES box if asked:
YES
 I have adequate opportunities for professional growth in
this organization.
 I receive the training I need to do MY job well.
 MY supervisor is actively interested in my professional
development and advancement.
 MY supervisor encourages & supports MY development.
 I am encouraged to learn from MY mistakes.
 MY work is challenging, stimulating, & rewarding.

37. For purposes of this survey,
categories of generations in the
workplace based on experiences
and values common to each
generation are:
· Baby Boomers (born 1945-
1964) grew up in a time of much more
prosperity, and their formative events
included Vietnam War and Watergate.
· Generation X (born 1965-1980)
was raised on technology, with
everything from televisions
(Sometimes called the MTV
COPY AND PASTE THE SURVEY TEXT BELOW ONTO A WORD DOCUMENT

38. COPY AND PASTE THE BREAKOUT ACTIVITY TEXT BELOW
ONTO A WORD DOCUMENT
Generation -X
How applicable is each trait in today’s workplace to
Generation-X?
Decide as a team how you will rank these traits as A B &
C items
Select 6 items for each category with
A category as most important
B category as next most important
C category as least important
Then within A category rank order the six items from 1 to
6 with 1 as most important and 6 as least important
Baby Boomer Generation

39. COPY AND PASTE THE BREAKOUT ACTIVITY MATERIAL BELOW
ONTO A WORD DOCUMENT.
ENLARGE TEXT TO 36 FONT
cut apart each sentences and give each breakout group a set of all 19 sentences
They will sort these into priority order as per instructions on prior slide
Willing to navigate office politics
Accepting of authority figures in the workplace
Ask for help when needed
Need supervision
Embrace diversity
Give maximum effort
Good at multitasking
Learn quickly
Like informality
Like structure
Plan to stay with the organization over the long term

40. The Manufacturers’ Association
160 Roosevelt Avenue
Suite 400
York, PA 17401
Phone (717) 843-3891
Fax (717) 854-9445
www.mascpa.org
Generational Differences