Millennials Rising
“The Millennials are Coming”
Dr. Tom [email protected]
IRWA Federal Agency Update
Four Generations of Right of Way Employees- 2008
Veterans
1922-194632 million
Boomers
1946-196476 million
Generation Xs
1964-198045 million
Millennials
1980-200080 million
“ I Remember…”
Veterans
1. Generational Values
1. Work first, pleasure later
2. Appreciate tradition and history
3. Believe in logic, not magic
4. Like the personal touch
5. Chain of Command
Boomers
1. Generational Values
1. Like the fair and level playing field that comes with seniority
2. Securing Promotions
3. Teamwork oriented
4. Think of themselves as the “stars” of the show
5. Put careers first, family second
Boomers
2. On the Job1. Money, title, and the corner office2. Experience with change of
command3. Very sensitive to performance
feedback4. Ignore interpersonal conflict5. Believe in the magic of leadership
Boomers
3. Leadership Practices
1. Consensus decision making
2. Offer socialization opportunities
3. Stress that “we need you”
4. Talk about career paths
5. Reward seniority and work ethic
Generation X
1. Generational Values1. Self-reliant and skeptical
2. Lifestyle balance is a critical concern
3. Have a nontraditional orientation to time and work location
4. Prefer informality in work relationships
5. Technologically savvy
Generation X
2. On the Job1. Prefer to work independently
2. Suspicious of management
3. Attach little value to networking
4. Impatient with non-performers and lack of progress
5. Prefer projects over recurring work
Generation X
3. Leadership Practices1. Facilitate personal competence2. Ask for input 3. Assign projects with limited
controls4. Provide frequent and positive
performance feedback5. Focus on technology and training
awards/rewards
Millennials are also called… Generation Y Gen Y Gen Yers Generation Next Internet Generation Net Generation Digital Generation Dot Com Generation Gaming Generation Nexters Nintendo Generation Echo Boomers Generation 2001 Tethered Generation Generation M (as in “media”) Digital Natives
Why are the Millennials so important?
Their Numbers
They are the largest generation since the Baby Boomers, and nearly twice the size of Generation X immediately preceding them.
The Large-Scale Retirement of the Baby Boomers
An increasing proportion of skilled workers from that generation are fast approaching retirement age and that personnel gap will need to be filled in large part by the Millennials.
They are the Most Techno-Savvy Generation Yet
They have grown up in a world profoundly dominated and defined by technology.
Millennials
1. Generational Values1. Technologically sophisticated2. Have positive expectations about
work and life3. Are comfortable with diversity4. You can do whatever you want to
do5. Comfortable with the team process
Millennials
2. On the Job1. Optimistic2. Comfortable with multi-tasking3. Need supervision and structure4. Avoid “difficult people” work
environments5. Like a “you can be a hero” work
environment
Millennials
3. Leadership Practices1. Foster a teamwork environment2. Don’t command, collaborate3. Provide “value-added”
orientation to work assignments4. Facilitate interactions with
veterans5. High maintenance, high
performance
“The Millennials are Coming”
To get results, avoid the tendency to:“flea-dip” your employeesRemember, no one has better values, they only have different values
Pearl Harbor - Veterans
Pearl Harbor – Veterans
Boomers
Generation Xs
Generation Xs
Millennials
Top Related