Critical Thinking

Managing Employee Assets

G eneration matters Surprisingly (to me), many of the people I spoke with indicated there are real generational differences between the skills, values, work ethics, and needs of workers born in different eras. While using stereotypes and generalizations can be very dangerous, some of the following may help you deal with each generation in your w ork­ force. Ignoring the trends repre­ sented by generations of workers who grew up in differing environ­ ments can be a mistake. The time periods and attributes are just approximate guides, but some gen­ eralizations can be informative.

TRADITIONALISTS

Born about 1927 to 1945 These workers were influenced by the Great Depression and directly impacted by World War II.

Essentially all of them are out of the workforce by now. They are typically your current employee's parents, grandparents, or older, but they may have left a lasting imprint on many of the older firms and some of their typical characteris­ tics are worth knowing.

They value hard w ork and thrift, are loyal employees and many have worked for a single firm over their entire career. They are team players and prefer face-to-face communications. For Traditionalists, telephones were the high tech of their formative years. They may be slow to adapt to, or are uncomfort­ able with, technology. Tweeting, SMS, IM and blogs w ill mean little or nothing to them.

Characteristics/interests: Discipline, conformity, respect

for authority Communication: Face-to-face,

written memos Fiscal Philosophy: Save, avoid

credit, pay cash

5E JPCL March 2015 /

B A B Y BOOMERS

Born about 1946 to 1964 These w orkers grew up in an America that was booming; infra­ structure in the form of new fre e ­ ways, near universal e le ctrifica ­ tion, telephone service, television and the space program. These w orkers remember the protests against the Vietnam W ar and Nixon’s resignation. At this stage in th e ir career, they probably expect you to be confident in their abilities, with a hands-off approach. Listening to their con­ cerns and comments seriously, and a bit of a bonus or personal "thank you" when things go well, are powerful motivators.

Baby Boomers are currently senior and mid-level managers in most firms. They tend to live for their jobs and w ill jump in w hen­ ever and w herever needed. Phones and email are their pre­ ferred form of communication. They have seen big changes over their careers and w ere strong idealists in their youth. They may be somewhat cynical or disillu­ sioned by now that they haven't changed the world. "Show me the money" and "Give me the title and the authority" describe the attitudes of many. They tend to be competitive and expect bosses to let them do their jobs w ith a mini­ mum of interference. They know their place in the chain of com­ mand and still aspire to move up.

Characteristics/interests: Involvement, dedication to the

job, work hard/play hard Communication: Meetings, email,

phone Fiscal Philosophy: Buy what you

want, charge it please

paintsquare■com

GENERATION X

Born about 1965 to 1980 (although some make a distinction

of 1978 to 1982 as the "MTV Generation")

"Change" is probably the single word that best describes the Gen Xer's philosophy. If we think we live in turbulent times, consider that this generation grew up with man land­ ing on the moon, the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Gen Xers lived through the 1973 oil crisis, 1979 Iran Hostage situation and energy crisis, stagflation (stag­ nation and inflation), savings and loan failures, AIDS and the Challenger explosion; not to mention the rise of personal computers, videogames and the dot-com bub­ ble. The U.S. was mostly at peace during their formative years and they have little use for politics and government leaders. Gen Xers tend to be quick studies, but are impa­ tient with rigid guidelines, produc­ tion quotas and authority in general.

They tend not to w ant to be in positions of authority. They are ambitious and hard working but mostly as individuals and entrepre­ neurs. Gen Xers value diversity, cre­ ativity and personal challenge. They are more likely to prioritize home and family life. Being constantly on the road is not attractive. Gen Xers generally want the freedom to figure out their own methods rather than being mentored and are very willing to change employers if they think it makes sense for them. They have no patience with endless meetings and are attached to their cell phones (not just for calls, but for emails and texts). They w ant to be able to leave the job at the office or worksite when they go home. They are the first generation who tends to earn less (in constant dollars) than their parents.

Characteristics/interests: Flexibility, skepticism, independence

Communication: Immediate and direct, email, cellphone, text

Fiscal Philosophy: Cautious and conservative

GENERATION Y

OR MILLENNIALS

Bom about 1980 to the early 2000s Gen Y is fully immersed in technolo­ gy. It may be hard to peel them away from Facebook on their iPhones. If you w ant to get their attention, a text may be more effec­ tive than talking to them directly. This generation has never known a world w ithout ubiquitous comput­ ing, satellite TV and internet. Social status is critically important. Work tends not to be their highest priori­ ty, their diverse interests, short attention span and focus on social­ ization make building them into your team tougher. Their job is not their identity or prime focus. They work to live, rather than live to work. On the other hand, they may be much more receptive to the attention and mentoring of management. Knowing that the owner, or a simi­ lar person of high status, is paying attention to and investing in them will increase their own status and can be very effective. Most Millennials know they are just start­ ing their careers and don't have an "I already know it all" mentality, but they see w ork as an entitlement, rather than the other way around, and are constantly evaluating w hether their current employment provides w hat they w ant — the proper environment, career enhancement, and satisfaction. If not, they'll be looking to move on.

Characteristics/interests: Social interaction, technological "early adopters," confidence Communication: Texts, tweets,

Facebook, FaceTime, Instagram Fiscal Philosophy: Make money to

spend it

Copyright of Journal of Protective Coatings & Linings is the property of Technology Publishing Network and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.