Leaping the

Generational Gap
 Tracy Blair MSN RN
Leaping the Generational Gap

• Learners must sign the attendance roster and fill out and turn
in evaluations to successfully complete this program.

• There are no relevant financial relationships related to this

presentation/program.

• There is no sponsorship/commercial support of this

presentation/program

• The content being presented will be fair, well-balanced and

evidence-based.
 Objectives
• The learner will be able to identify and gain a
better understanding of the different
generational groups and their characteristics.
• The learner will improve communications and
team work by understanding the differences
among generations.
• The learner will learn how to leverage the
benefits of generation gaps at work; provided tips
and suggestions for overcoming generational
differences.
Generations
 Definition
A generation gap or generational gap, is a difference
of opinions between one generation and another
regarding beliefs, politics, or values.
In today's usage, "generation gap" often refers to a
perceived gap between younger people and their
parents and/or grandparents
Or Co-workers/colleagues
 Generations
GI (1901-1921)
Traditionalist (1922-1942)
Baby Boomers (1943-1960)
Generation X (1961-1980)
Millennials (1981-2000)
Generation Z (2001-present)
 Timelines
1920’s: 95 1970’s: 50
1930’s: 90 1980’s: 40
1940’s: 80 1990’s: 30
1950’s: 70 2000’s: 20
1960’s: 60 2010’s: 10
 U.S. Population

TRADITIONALISTS
BABY BOOMERS
9%
24%

GEN Xers
GI/GEN Z
20%
20%

MILLENNIALS
27%

316,200,000 in 2013
www.scouting.org/filestore/marketing/ppt/GenerationalDiversityintheWorkplace.ppt
 GI Generation:
1901-1921
Education is……Life lessons
Attitude toward authority: Patriotic & Loyal
Schedules: Hard workers
Career: No retirement, work till you die
Technology: Grew up without modern conveniences
Interactive Style: Team Player
Work is….strong loyalty, labor union spawning
Characteristics: Assertive and Energetic do-ers, Strong Community-minded
Message that motivates: “Use it up, Make it do, or do without”
 Generation Z
2000 to present
Predictions:
Less Focused
Better Mulit-Taskers
Full of Early Starters
More Entrepreneurial
High Expectations
Individuality
More Global
Generations in the Workplace
What
makes one Shared Life
generation Experiences
different
from
another?
Events and Experiences that
Shaped Generations
Traditionalists Baby Boomers
Attack on Pearl Harbor Assassinations
D-day in Normandy Civil rights
FDR & New Deal Credit cards
Great Depression Feminism
Korean War Vietnam
Radio Scientific advances
Stock market crash Space travel
Telephone Television
World War II Woodstock
 Events and Experiences
that Shaped Generations
Generation X Millennials
AIDS 9/11
Challenger disaster Boston Marathon
Corporate downsizing Child-focused world
Desert Storm Continual feedback
Divorce-working mothers Enron/WorldCom
Energy crisis Internet
Fall of the Berlin Wall Iraq/Afghanistan
MTV School shootings
Stock market crash Social networking
Technology revolutions
Video Games: 1967 to present
 What This Means In Our
Workplace
• When groups have the same values and attitudes,
communication and other dynamics typically go smoother.
• When there are multiple groups and each group brings
their own style, values, and attitudes, this could create
tension and other issues if not paying attention.
• Generation gaps at work means more work is needed to
cultivate an environment that respects each generation’s
perspective and way of life.
• This also means the manager has to be observant and
knowledgeable of the various traits associated with each
generation.

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Traditionalists:
1922 to 1942
Education is……a dream
Attitude toward authority: Honor & Respect
Schedules: Mellow
Career: Means for living and for life
Technology: Hope to out-live it
Interactive Style: Team Player
Work is….an obligation
Characteristics: Veterans, structured, loyal,
follows rules, individual
Message that motivates:
“Your experience is respected”
Also know as the Mature or Silent Generation
Enjoyed postwar happiness: Peace! Jobs! Suburbs!
Television! Rock ‘n Roll! Cars!
Pre-feminism women; women stayed home generally to
raise children, if they worked it was only certain jobs like
teacher, nurse or secretary
The richest, most free-spending retirees in history
Disciplined, self-sacrificing, & cautious
Baby Boomers:
1943 to 1960
Education is……a birthright
Attitude toward authority: Replace them, challenge them
Schedules: Frantic
Career: General focus
Technology: Master it
Interactive Style: Self-absorbed
Work is….an exciting adventure
Characteristics: Question authority, driven, optimistic, efficient, team player
Message that motivates: “You’re important to our success”
Two sub-sets:
1. The save-the-world revolutionaries of the 60’s and 70’s
2. The party-hardy career climbers (Yuppies) of the 70’s and 80’s

Even though their mothers were generally housewives, responsible for all child rearing,
women of this generation began working outside the home in record numbers,
thereby changing the entire nation as this was the first generation to have their own
children raised in a two-income household where mom was not ubiquitous.
 Generation Xers:
1961 to 1980
Education is……a way to get there
Attitude toward authority: Ignore leaders
Schedules: Aimless
Career: Irritant
Technology: Enjoy it
Interactive Style: Entrepreneur
Work is….a difficult challenge
Characteristics: Latch-key kids, do it my way, survivors, self-
reliant, independent
Message that motivates: “Do it your way”
Millennials:
1981 to 2000
Education is……an incredible expense
Attitude toward authority: Leaders must respect you
Schedules: Volatile
Career: Always changing
Technology: Employ it
Interactive Style: Team Player
Work is….a means to an end
Characteristics: Asks why, structured, supportive,
creative, team participant
Message that motivates: “You and your coworkers can turn
this place around”
 Generations in the
Workplace
Traditionalist
4%
Millennials
8%

Baby
Gen X Boomers
44% 44%

154,975,000 in 2013
http://employeeengagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Gallup-2013-State-of-the-American-Workplace-Report.pdf
 Baby

Generations Boomers
(>1955)

at CHW
5%

Baby
Millennials Boomers
(1982- (1955-1965)
2000) 40% 21%

Gen X
(1966-1981)
34%
Challenges
Effects on the Workplace
Background
Attitude
 Trads Boomers Xers Millennial
Service
Adaptable and Multitaskers and
Job Strength Stable Oriented/Team
Techno-Literate Techno-Savvy
Players
Outlook Practical Optimistic Skeptical Hopeful
Unimpressed and
View of Authority Respectful Love/Hate Polite
Unintimidated
By Pulling
Leadership By Hierarchy By Consensus By Competence
Together
Personal Reluctant to
Relationships Personal Sacrifice Inclusive
Gratification Commit
As long as I get the It’s quitting time – I
Visibility is key
Time on the job Punched the clock job done, who have a real life to
“Face Time”
cares live
Ethnically
Diversity Integration began Integrated No majority race
segregated
Wants feedback at
No news is good Once a year with Interrupts and asks
Feedback the push of a
news documentation how they are doing
button
Balances everyone
Work/Life Wants balance Need flexibility to
Needs help shifting else and
Balance now balance activities
themselves

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 Work Together?
To-the-Point: Make your communication brief and succinct
Adapt: Change the method of communication for your audience
Professional: When in doubt, communicate professionally

AFFINITY
GROUPS
What are they saying??

Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Boomers, Gen Xers, and Gen Yers in the Workplace. (2013) Zemke, R., Raines, C. Filipczak, B.
Immense Information
 Communication
CARE stands for the following behaviors:

• Collaborate. Your team should be exposed to an environment where ideas are

exchanged and at times challenged. Set ground rules in your meetings on how to
handle disagreements. Encourage other points of view. Make sure all
participants are involved. Be fair in your assessments and use objective means to
determine the best ideas.

• Acknowledge. Teach your team to acknowledge each other’s value. In addition,

teach them how to deliver the feedback. Do not assume they know how to do
this. Remember that feedback is behavior-based.

• Respect. Teach your team how to show respect to each other by using proper
greetings and posture towards each other. Set the expectation that derogatory
remarks about age are not tolerated by anyone.

• Equal. Teach your team that all members of the team are equal in value and
contribution they bring. Age is not a factor.

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My Own Experiences

Created a website:
MU Pediatrics-
Google Site
Retention
Greatness in Gaps
Questions?
 References
Gursoy, D., Maier, T. A., & Chi, C. G. (2008). Generational differences: An examination of work values and generational gaps in the
hospitality workforce. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 27(3), 448-458. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2007.11.002

Keepnews, D. M., Brewer, C. S., Kovner, C. T., & Shin, J. H. (2010). Generational differences among newly licensed registered
nurses. Nursing Outlook, 58(3), 155-163. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2009.11.001

Lancaster, L., & Stillman, D. (2002). When generations collide at work: traditionalists, baby boomers, generation xers, millennials.
Who they are. Why they clash. How to solve the generational puzzle at work. New York: HarperCollins.

Moore, J., Everly, M., & Bauer, R. (2016). Multigenerational challenges: Team-building for positive clinical workforce outcomes.
Journal of Issues in Nursing, 21(2), 1-1.

Nelsey, L., & Brownie, S. (2012). Effective leadership, teamwork and mentoring – Essential elements in promoting generational
cohesion in the nursing workforce and retaining nurses. Collegian, 19(4), 197-202. doi:10.1016/j.colegn.2012.03.002

Olson, M. E. (2009). The “Millennials”: First year in practice. Nursing Outlook, 57(1), 10-17. doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2008.06.001

Stewart, J. S., Oliver, E. G., Cravens, K. S., & Oishi, S. (2016). Managing millennials: Embracing generational differences. Business
Horizons. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2016.08.011

Wilson, B., Squires, M., Widger, K., Cranley, L., & Tourangeau, A. (2008). Job satisfaction among a multigenerational nursing
workforce. Journal of Nursing Management, 16(6), 716-723. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2008.00874.x

Zemke, R., Raines, C., & Filipczak, B. (2013). Generations at work: managing the clash of veterans, boomers, xers, and nexters in your
workplace. New York: AMACOM.

http://www.vajaycee.org/training-resources.html
2015 CORE Communications Millennial CSR Study: http://www.conecomm.com/research-blog/2015-cone-communications-millennial-csr-study#download-research
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 Thanks for coming & learning!
The NEXT generation thanks you!