Generations in the Workplace: Insights from Adolescent Health

1. Generations in the Workplace: Insights from Adolescent Health Christine M. Gilroy, MD, MSPH Associate Professor Div. General Internal Medicine

2. Disclaimers • I don’t do OD work, but because my husband does….. • Thanks to Jennifer O’Donnell, PhD, and Mountain States Employers Council for sharing resources • This is usually an 8 hour seminar

3. Warning When this information is used to pigeonhole people, it becomes a dangerous weapon. When we use it to ask ourselves “How can I be more effective?” it becomes a valuable tool.

4. Physicians as Managers • As physicians we manage • Patients • Ancillary staff • Residents/Interns/Medical Students • Data and Strategies from Best Management Practices can inform and ease our practice as physicians, teachers, and managers

7. Objectives • What is a “generation?” • What shapes each generation? • How does each generation show up? • How can we relate to each generation more effectively?

8. Guess When… “Pupils entering school cannot write well. Their thoughts are immature, they are miserably expressed, and they do not know how to spell.” ~ 1694, Harvard University

9. Guess When… “Our earth is degenerated in those latter days; there are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end; bribery and corruption are common, and children do not obey their parents.” ~ around 2800 BC, hieroglyphic inscription on an Assyrian tablet

10. Generational Peer Groups Peer group = a group whose members share a common historical location and have similar experiences

11. Generational Markers • Adversity/the economy • Social events • Politics • Education • Organizational structure/practice • Technology & media

12. Adversity/The Economy Depression WW2 Nuclear proliferation Pensions Cash or lay-away 14%  mortgage “A penny saved” More security US as dominant world power Explosion of products Consumption Credit More mobility Children in the spotlight Suburbia Return to adversity Stock-market crash Gas lines Recession (avg of 10 wks/year) Layoffs Downsizing No more pensions 40%  mortgage Dow Jones records Affluence Globalization “You deserve this” Parents both work Very positive outlook

13. Social Events Women’s rights Segregation Unions Low mobility Strong community Strong family structure Time’s 1967 Man of the Year Civil rights Malcolm X Dr. King Sit-ins and protests The pill Rock & roll Drugs Communes Woodstock Space exploration AIDS Challenger explosion Both parents work Divorce soars Latch-key TV violence Diversity Dot-com boom PC movement 9/11 Columbine Children-focused Overplanning Helicopter parents WIKI

14. Politics FDR 12 years The New Deal WW2 ERA (1923) Prohibition McCarthyism The Bomb Cold War Patriotism Social Security Vietnam Watergate Civil rights Assassinations Roe v Wade Brown v Board of Education Watergate Nixon resigns Gulf War on TV Berlin Wall fell Cold War Perestroika 9/11 Terrorism/fear Desert Storm Clinton scandals Globalism Immigration Women in leadership roles

15. Education 8th grade education Limited access Segregated schools Learning through experience Sputnik (1957) Brown v Board of Education More women in college Graded on more than academics Graduate degrees Creative education Independence Inclusion School safety Advanced degrees Home-schooling Student-led curricula Mobile education Helicopter parents

16. Organizational Structure/Practice The Industrial Age Hierarchy Clear authority Unions Promotion based on tenure Manual labor Loyalty to US companies Hierarchy Team-oriented More women Low diversity Reward for how much they work The Technology Age Free agency Contract work Flatter organizations Entrepreneurial No more pensions Reward for quality of work The Knowledge Age Flatter organizations Multi-cultural, global businesses Mobile “offices” Worthy causes

17. Work Ethic Dedicated Dutiful Willing to pay dues Climb ladder with longevity Loyal to the company Task-focused Driven Climb ladder by working harder Personal identity tied to work Team-oriented Process-focused “Live to work” Balance Fun Quality of life Climb ladder by working smarter Work is place to grow, not age “Work to live” Determined Tenacious Achievement-focused Climb ladder with good ideas, potential Do exactly what’s asked

18. Work Culture & Relationships Fair & consistent management Methodical approach Respect chain of command Directive Clearly-defined roles Clear expectations Humane work Democratic Cordial, non-confrontational Real work teams Treated as whole beings Treated as friendly equals Strong relationships Balanced Training valued Respectful of autonomy Independent Casual Reluctant to commit Fast-paced Creative Flexible Efficient Earned titles Hands-off manager Egalitarian, inclusive culture Fun Organization is making a difference Positive, optimistic Multiple roles encouraged Diversity embraced Coaching, support Collaborative Achievement-oriented

19. Leadership Style Autocratic Authoritarian Hierarchical Inaccessible “Football team” Participative By consensus Accessible “Soccer team” Self-directed Hands-off Collaborative “Swim team” Cooperative Collaborative Inclusive Open “Anyone can join our team”

20. View of Authority Respectful Follow the rules By-the-book The final word Love-hate Anti-bureaucracy Relationships come first Need to know “why” Unimpressed Skeptical Not fond of rules Polite Relaxed Respectful Help create the rules

21. Communication: Preferences One-way Top-down Limited Reluctant to disagree Respectful of power structures Two-way Lateral Open Unafraid to challenge, ask “why?” Expressive Egalitarian Direct Unafraid to challenge PC Brief Informal Facts, details Cell, email, text message Inclusive Respectful All-way Open Networking Lots of information

22. Communication: Dos Written, typed On letterhead Signatures in ink Face-to-face Direct Respectful, tactful Correct grammar Formal, polite Face-to-face In groups, meetings Attention to detail Honest, open Provide the context Confirm to close the loop PC Brief Informal Facts, details Cell, email, text message Very informal Immediate, FAST Cell, email, text message, IM, blogs Expressive

23. Communication: Don’ts Profanity Slang Emotional language Disorganization Poor grammar Disrespect for their experience Assuming can address them by first names Brusqueness Unfriendliness Not showing interest in them Shows of power War metaphors Schmoozing Inefficient use of time Flashiness Exaggeration Corporatespeak Acronyms Complex policies Meetings Cynicism Sarcasm Unfairness Condescension Divisiveness

24. Misperceptions of Millennials? • Millennials are a polarizing generation. • “Millennials are far too demanding when it comes to needing guidance, frequent performance appraisals, rapid career advancement, work life balance…they are well educated…but suffering from a deficit of common sense”. • Ron Alsop, “The Trophy Kids Grow Up”

25. “Millenials, You Raised Them, Now Manage Them” • Nadira Hira, Fortune 5/28/07

26. Adolescence • The psychosocial development of a child into an adult • A cultural construct • Age span has changed significantly since Piaget first described in 1948 • Starts with puberty, and changes in information and emotional processing associated with sexual development • Ends with physical and financial independence, formation of mature relationships, assumption of a profession or vocation, the capacity for formal inductive reasoning, and socially responsible participation in society

27. Ages of Adolescence

28. Tasks of Psychosocial Development

29. Independence • Overprogramming • Privacy, Day-dreaming, Fantasy, Play necessary for internal development, particularly in early adolescence • The Trophy Kid • Preparing for college since nursery school • “credentials-driven” • The Helicopter Parent • Fear of Independence • Growing old • Reflected glow • Repair relationship with parent by not causing kid to rebel

30. Peer and Social Relationships • Web 2.0 • Wide networks of shallow relationships • Display very personal information very widely • Social currency through number of contacts instead of personal relationships • Delayed Intimacy • Average age of sexual debut, marriage increasing • “Friends with benefits”

31. Risk-Taking • CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey ’07 • Increased age of sexual debut • Decreased teen pregnancy • Fewer teen sex partners • Decreased episodes of binge drinking • Fewer teens using substances

32. Risk-Taking • Pew Research Center Survey of 18-25 yo • 75% believe casual sex more prevalent • 70% believe more violence in relationships • 70% believe there is an increase in binge drinking • 63% believe there is increased illegal drug use • 20% have abused prescription and OTC drugs

34. Perceived vs. Actual Sexual Risk

35. Cognition • Brain Maturation • Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Parietal Cortex, and Superior Temporal Cortex not fully myelinated until mid-20’s • Amygdala is more active in teens and early adults • Nucleus Accumbens responds minimally to small rewards, exaggeratedly to medium and large rewards • Giedd, J, JAH April 2008

36. Cognition • mPFC, Amygdala, and STS are involved in • Executive Function • Risk Assessment • Decision Making • Impulse inhibition • Social Cognitive Ability • Facial emotion recognition • Perspective taking • Parietal Cortex involved in abstract reasoning • Blakemore, S, QJ Exp Psych Mar 2007

37. Cognition • Reward Center on overdrive • Immature impulse control • Immature task focus • Brains work much harder to filter competing tasks/choices • Misinterpret emotional faces • Can’t consistently project outcomes of an action • Jordan, K, Nature April 2002

38. The Silent Generation Youth should be guided, molded. Too much affection or praise would make a youth weak, dependant, conceited. Values: Society > Family > Self Baby Boomers Permissive Parenting Held the psychoanalytic view that full gratification of infantile sucking, excretory and genital needs is essential for secure and healthful adult personalities. In 1946, Dr. Spock’s edition of Baby and Child Care recommended that children be granted maximum freedom of expression. Generational Parenting Styles

39. Authoritative Parenting

40. Aspects of Parenting Styles • Demandingness or Control • Active monitoring, setting and enforcing clear standards of behavior, demanding, limit/standard setting, discipline, maintaining structure and regimen in child’s daily life. NOT: physical punishment, love withdrawal, shaming, or infliction of guilt. • Responsiveness or Warmth • Affectionate, accepting, comforting, reliability, supportiveness, recognition for achievement, love, nurture, caring.

41. Millennial Parenting Experience • High Warmth • Control expressed mostly through expectations, few boundaries • 2006 study of 32 graduate schools • 56% of business students had cheated • 47% of non-business students had cheated • Few Choices with Consequences • High Involvement, Low Autonomy

42. The New Golden Rule Do unto others as they would want you to do unto them

43. Boomers and Xers overly ambitious aim to please rigid too corporate judgmental workaholic not serious overly challenging abrupt, aloof too independent not a team player neglects r’ships

44. Boomers and Millennials too serious too into their jobs lecture too much overly reminiscent aim to please overconfident inexperienced overly competitive

45. Gen Xers and Millennials cynical patronizing not inclusive standards are unrealistic too naïve overly optimistic unfocused

46. 4 Main Areas of Intergenerational Work Conflict • Choosing where/when to work • Communicating among team members • Getting together • Finding Information/Learning environment • Tammy Erickson, Harvard Business Journal 2/16/09

47. Choosing Where/When to Work • “Going to work”—synchronous workplace • Younger workers view work as something you do—anytime anyplace • Is someone who arrives at 9:30 working less hard than someone who arrives at 8:30? • Is it ok for some members to work from alternate locations? • Is adherence to time/place norms important to accomplish a task? • Do some view this as an important sign of team commitment?

48. Communicating Among Team Members • X and Y more comfortable with e-communication • Tech-based team misunderstandings based on interpretation of others intentions • Younger members accustomed to rapid responses • May feel frustrated or rejected if don’t hear from older colleagues in “timely” manner • Older members may be uncomfortable with digital communication • May feel offended by lack of “face-to-face” communication of left out of loop

49. Getting Together • Boomers and X’ers are planners and schedulers, Gen Y are coordinators • Gen Y will ascertain need to meet, use e-comm to obtain immediate coordinates, and home in. • Older colleagues prefer pre-planned schedules…don’t like “seat of the pants approach” • Gen Y see planned schedules as stultifying and inefficient

50. Finding Information or Learning New Things • Boomers and Silents are linear learners—attend classes, read, then do. • Gen Y are “on-demand” learners • Particularly reach out to personal contacts with relevant expertise for information as needed • Gen Y are likely to be turned off by lengthy training phase • X’er and Boomers may be annoyed by Y’s frequent questions and requests for input