During our September All Staff meeting we had a fun, interactive training presented by Jan Astani. With a staff of 25+ individuals we have just about every generation on board. Check out what Jan's morning with CCFI was like:
“Who did you see at your first concert” and “What was the
most popular girl’s name when you were in grade school?” Those were just two of
the fun questions that started off my morning of “Generational Leadership”
training recently with the awesome staff at Center for Children and Families in
Norman, Oklahoma.
The purpose of the training was to examine the
characteristics of each of the four generations and to
learn ways to appreciate the differences to create a more peaceful work place.
Traditionalists (born 1927 - 1945) are considered the “silent”
generation because they don’t rock the boat or cause conflict in the workplace.
They are loyal to the company and don’t question authority.
Baby Boomers (born 1946 – 1964) believe that hard work, long
hours and playing nice gets them ahead in the work place. They are honest and
ethical.
Generation X (born 1965 – 1981) are resilient, independent and
prefer working alone rather than in teams.
Millennials (born 1982 to present) make great team players,
possess a global mentality and know technology like the back of their hand.
(This group is sometimes called Generation Y.)
Conflicts often arise in the work place when one generation
thinks their way is the best. They don’t recognize and appreciate the talents
that other generations bring to the table. How can they all get along to create
a more harmonious, productive office environment?
1. Accept your mutual rightness. In other words, each generation’s way is right.2. Acknowledge your interdependence. Each generation needs each other.3. Appreciate your commonalities. Each generation is more alike than different.4. Assume responsibility for making relationships better. We don’t get to choose the people we work with. We do, however, get to choose how we respond to those co-workers.
5. Adopt the Platinum Rule – treat people the way they want to be treated.For more information on generational leadership, read The Generational Imperative by Chuck Underwood and Generations Working Together by Laura E. Bernstein.
Jan S. Astani
Speaker . trainer . writer
405.476.9138
Enjoy my blog at http://janastani.wordpress.com
