Eyes & Ears: Generational differences bring office symmetry

It's a generational thing; you wouldn't understand.

But should we?

Twitter, iPods and YouTube - should we even consider the lingo?

Thank you cards, time clocks and personal visits - should they come back in vogue?

Communications specialists and corporate consultants around the country now make their livings preaching generational equalities. Mass studies abound. A huge effort is under way to gain and share understanding of other generations - namely, their differences. Recently, I was stuck in the middle of a generational dialogue.

There was generations expert David Stillman staring at a room full of business publication executives telling us that talent wars are building a ferocious steam - regardless of the state of the economies on which we report. We were at the Hilton Minneapolis in Minnesota on June 25-27 for the Alliance of Area Business Publications Summer Conference, during which Springfield Business Journal earned two editorial awards - a first place for Best Scoop on a news story and a third place for Best Newspaper overall.

"The lack of knowledge transfer is haunting every generation," Stillman warned the lunch crowd, before describing traits of the four generations coexisting in workplaces today.

I was not expecting the conversations that followed the presentation by Stillman, who co-wrote "When Generations Collide" and owns Minneapolis consulting firm BridgeWorks. Publishers and editors exploded in discussions, passionately defending their generations and poking fun at others. Publishers swapped horror stories of their dealings with younger generations: the helicopter parent who makes calls to their child's boss about work tasks and volumes, or the reporter who left work early but made a Twitter post at 2 a.m. about finally wrapping up their story research.

While we might not all agree with these practices - and can point fingers until they fall off - the fact is that they're real and we must deal with them.

I walked away recognizing a resistance to even attempting to understand each others' behaviors, which are very much tied to generational experiences. Most businesspeople agree that knowledge is power. Yet that idea appears to be missing in generational terms, where understanding our employees' upbringings and worldviews empowers us to better manage them. As owners and mangers, we can then write the policy saying supervisors will or will not take calls from employees' parents or whether flex time will be permitted. It's liberating to have that say.

Prepare to collide

Generational collisions are happening, whether we like it or not. Why not be prepared for them? Experts say the first step is understanding that certain common behaviors are products of the world events that shape a generation. For instance, Stillman's research reveals:

• Traditionalist (born before 1946) experiences of the Depression, World War II, Roosevelt's New Deal and Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier produced a sentiment that puts self aside for institutions.

• Baby boomer (born 1946-64) experiences of Watergate, Woodstock, Vietnam and Kennedy's assassination produced a rise against adversity and high competition.

• Generation X (born 1965-81) experiences of MTV, computers, divorce and 24-hour media produced independence, entrepreneurialism and skepticism.

• Millennial (born 1982-2000) experiences of terrorism, Internet and cell phones produced pursuits of safety, technology and teamwork.

Responding to stereotypes

The next step is removing stereotypes. Here are a few to look out for in your office:

• Traditionalists' wisdom is not appreciated. Stillman put it this way: "They say, 'I've acquired some wisdom throughout the years, but there doesn't seem to be much demand for it.'"

• Boomers playing the game of internal politics; how else do you stand out among 80 million?

• Gen Xers challenging the status quo. "Xers believe they have a greater chance of seeing a UFO in their lifetime than receiving a Social Security check," he said.

• Millennials bringing into the workplace their parents, who they regard as heroes.

So how to respond? Stillman has this advice:

• Don't put Traditionalists out to pasture in your office or marketplace.

• Celebrate the small accomplishments of boomers. "If you think this generation is done ... guess again," he said.

• Increase communication with Gen Xers, and move their careers in any direction - it doesn't have to be up. "Xers are like sharks," Stillman said, "if they're not moving, they think they're going to die."

• Give two Millennials two jobs to accomplish and let them work together to figure it out.

It's not going to be easy. But I know Stillman provided me with the knowledge to relate to co-workers of varying ages and the power to best respond.

Above all, I think I'll remember that we're people first.Eric Olson is editor of Springfield Business Journal.