Next Generation Next Destination

THE CROSS-GENERATIONAL APPLE STORE EXPERIENCE

I wrote the piece below 3 weeks before Steve Jobs’ passing as a script for one of my Cross-Generational Conversation videos (others of which can be found on YouTube). So it is not really related, but it’s a tribute on an aspect of Apple that I haven’t seen in the tons of articles on Jobs I have been soaking up like a sponge. After one of my Apple One-to-One training sessions, it occurred to me what a truly vibrant example of cross-generational conversation the Apple Stores present.

24/7 you can see people of all ages shopping and playing together. And my favorite part is the superb training. I’ve been coming to the Fifth Avenue/NY store for my Apple one-to-one training for some time. I say it’s superb because the mostly Gen Y and younger Gen Xer trainers are not only savvy but also fun to spend time with. Even with my sometime tech frustrations, I always leave in a good mood. I find them to be courteous, eager for us to learn and helpful beyond what is required of them. I’ve had situations where they literally just won’t let me go and won’t let go of a problem they’ve never come across before, seeking extra help from whatever “genius” they can grab.

But back to the cross-generational aspect. It is not so unusual to see Traditionalists in their 70s and even 80s enthusiastically learning from 20 and 30-somethings exhibiting patience, pleasantries and professional demeanor. And there are plenty of Boomers like me – now learning moviemaking so I can build up my YouTube channel and other video exposure for my business. As a workplace generational challenges expert, this warms my heart!

And there’s more: My young trainers have really resonated with the content off my video podcasts on professionalism through generational lenses and participated in my survey. I’m thrilled!

Apple has created a great example of how cross-generational conversation enables all parties to learn from each other in a fun and non-threatening environment.  Steve Jobs has been hailed as a brilliant innovator and game-changer in many ways. I want to add the Apple in-person one-to-one training to the list. It not only helps to sell product – Apple’s business objective – but also facilitates the cross-generational conversation and inter-generational rapport that I believe is crucial for us to thrive in this unpredictable world.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot     www.pdcounsel.com 

 

 

ATHLETIC GENERATION GAP: HEADS-UP TO RECRUITERS

#generations. You know Gen Y Athletes are serious about social media when they only respond to scouts/college coaches by Facebook and Twitter, not phones. ”Coaches New Friends”

 

MAKING THE MOST OF UPSIDE-DOWN REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS - Part 2

In the previous post I provided guidelines for the more senior in age team member who is assigned to work for a younger supervisor.  Sometimes this happens after a long career, possibly including leadership positions. The demographics of the current and future workplace are resulting in some unconventional structures. The younger manager, though ostensibly in charge, may feel as awkward as the older colleague. Even if not feeling insecure in the role, there are things the younger manager can do to foster a harmonious and productive relationship.

Here’s some advice to promote trust and cooperation.

• Keep in mind the purpose of your work. What are the common goals for team members?
• Show respect for experience.  (Some day you will be the experienced, older person.)
• Ask for advice, even if you think you know what the best approach is. Invite input and listen.
• Build allies among the older generations on your team for advice and support.
• Surmount “just a kid” perceptions through your performance and involving others. Use your collaborative skills and don’t make a show of coveting praise and credit.
• Get your older team members what they need to do their jobs well – resources, approvals, etc. (That will help them make you look good.)
• Give seasoned team members freedom, but establish boundaries and communications requirements upfront.
• Identify what motivates each individual and what type of recognition is meaningful to each.
• Give appropriate credit to others and arrange for their recognition.

A solid and harmonious relationship with older colleagues will pay off in spades for building your career, access to their (often high-powered) networks, and organizational success. Demographics indicate that this is the wave of the future.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot    www.pdcounsel.com

 

MAKING THE MOST OF UPSIDE-DOWN REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

One workplace reporting relationship that used to be fairly rare is older workers reporting to younger managers. This is a growing phenomenon and will become more prevalent until the younger Boomers stop working in any form. As Boomers transition from leader and top expert roles to new roles that allow the next generations to move up the ladder, we will see what traditionally have been unconventional structures.

Though some people deal with it well, in many cases at best it is awkward, at least at first. At worst, it has led to a lawsuit. But serious tensions and confrontations can be avoided.

Both the younger and the older parties to the relationship can feel uncomfortable. A new young manager may feel insecure and even intimidated. An older team member can be unsure of how to react as well.  Having worked extensively with all the generations, I will offer some tips in a 2-part blog post.

In this first piece, here are some guidelines for the older subordinate.

• Establish common goals. Focus on the purpose of your work.
• Be open to new ideas and methods. Don’t obsess on differences in how you were taught, what always has served you as the best method, or whether the manager has preconceived notions about how you think and operate.
• Be generous about giving advice – when asked. Create a non-threatening environment so you will be asked. Don’t be pedantic about advice and unsolicited opinions.
• Seek out younger co-workers, and learn from them in a mentoring partnership.
• Find opportunities to disprove myths and perceptions of older workers.
• Be appreciative of how your young manager gives you support and provides tools to allow you to achieve top results.
• Be clear about preferred communication styles and media and about appropriate boundaries.
• Identify the younger manager’s motivations.
• Be appreciative of recognition you are given, and reciprocate.

These tips will help start the relationship off on an even keel and minimize expending of negative emotional energy.

Next up: what the younger manager can do to build a collaborative and non-threatening environment.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot    www.pdcounsel.com

CROSS-GENERATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM

A few days ago I was thinking about stories to tell at a conference where our panel is discussing the issues and solutions at the intersection of generations and gender. Most of the attendees are women partners in law firms or senior in-house counsel.. My perspective is not as a player in the midst of management and internal politics of the issues, but as a problem-solver seeing the bigger issues 

Immediately coming to mind was another conference months off at which I was asked to moderate a panel on relationship skills relating to the value equation of inside/outside counsel collaborations. Interestingly, surprising to me, the panel selected by the organizers is all women as are almost all the speakers besides the male conference co-chair.

Next racing through my mind my mind was a fundraising message I had received again this morning from a not-for-profit organization with a mission to enhance the lives, personally and professionally, of women over age 50, which restricts membership to that demographic.

What these three events have in common as I see it is that the focus, intentionally or not, will turn out to be Boomer and older half of Gen X cohort women talking primarily to themselves, preaching to the choir.

I’ve pointed out in each case the need to have all the stakeholders in the room, all with a voice, and all talking freely with each other. Where are the male leaders with the clout to lead change? Where are the younger people who need to be engaged, not only for their career development, but also to sustain the success of organizations? Are the more senior women, many of whom consider themselves a minority demographic – as they are in leadership roles – making assumptions without inviting the voice of others whose support they are only likely to have when the conversation feels comfortable for all genders and generations and other aspects of diversity, including diversity of thought?

I truly believe we need cross-generational conversation and cross-gender, cross-race and other diverse elements as the beginning of the solutions to many problems and to sustainable success for our businesses and our institutions.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot      www.pdcounsel.com

 

 

 

AGE DIVERSITY AND DISCRIMINATION CHALLENGES - WEBCAST

Phyllis Weiss Haserot, president of Practice Development Counsel, will be presenting and moderating a webcast for the West LegalEdCenter on March 31, 2011 on "Conquer the Newest Age Diversity & Discrimination Challenges." She will be joined by two employment lawyer panelists, Bonnie R. Klugman of Becker, McGlynn, Melamed & Muffly LLP and John P. Keil of Collazo Florentino & Keil LLP. Click here for information and to register.

http://westlegaledcenter.com/program_guide/course_detail.jsp?courseId=35531672&title=Conquer_The_Newest_Age_Diversity_and_Discrimination_Challenges

 

TRANSITIONING AND WORKING FOR A YOUNGER BOSS

As Boomer and Traditionalist professionals stay in the workplace longer or come back through encore careers or recruitment by organizations eager for their skills, we are poised to see the number of older workers reporting to younger managers increasing substantially. That non-traditional reporting structure has the potential for tensions and even more serious conflict. If you or someone you know is transitioning to a new position or planning to do so, be prepared for possible awkwardness as the younger generations are promoted into management positions.

Why is working for a younger boss so difficult?

That question is asked from the older worker’s perspective. I think it’s important to note that the relationship is very often difficult from the younger manager/supervisor’s perspective as well. But it doesn’t have to be for either if both parties are respectful and focused on the goals for the business, the client and/or the task at hand. Having said that, these are non-traditional reporting relationships. It is potentially difficult for an older worker to have a younger boss because both older and younger typically make assumptions about the other’s attitudes capabilities, level of experience, willingness to see things differently, try new things, including new technology, level of judgment and maturity. They may have different communication styles as well as preferences about tools to use. They may have differing definitions of teamwork, different expectations about amount and type of feedback and flexibility about work style, and more. They may have different visions for the organization, somewhat relating to the expected timeframe they see for themselves staying at the organization and the amount of history they have with the organization and its culture.

So there are many possible areas of disagreement or conflict, but they can be avoided or resolved. In a future post I will give some tips that I’ve used in training, coaching and facilitating.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot    www.pdcounsel.com

 

SELF-ESTEEM IN THE HIERARCHY OF PROFESSIONALS' NEEDS

 

A study by Brad J. Bushman, Scott J. Moeller and Jennifer Crocker, ”Sweets, Sex, or Self-Esteem?” to be published in the Journal of Personality concluded according to the Wall Street Journal weekend Ideas column that “college students would rather have their self-esteem stroked that eat their favorite food, have sex or drink beer.” The sub-title of the article is “Comparing the Value of Self-Esteem Boosts with Other Pleasant Rewards.”

To gauge the addictive qualities of each pleasure a ratio of “wanting” to “liking” was used. College students said they liked ego stroking, sex and beer more than they wanted them, but the gap between wanting and liking was narrowest for self-esteem.

This is an interesting finding, and maybe not so surprising since the Gen Y/Millennial generation has had more attention focused on them from parents, teachers, coaches and others than any other in history and many of their parents followed psychologists” advice preaching boosting self-esteem. 

The findings of this study raise in my mind a few questions:

• What about other generations? Is this a phenomenon of Gen Y?
• Would a similar conclusion apply to Baby Boomers, for example?
• Does that help to explain why Boomers want to hold their ground in the workplace even when money for retirement is not an issue for them?

Please share your thoughts.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot

 

GENERATIONAL DIVIDE RE: USE OF INTERNET IS CLOSING

According to a new report from Pew Internet and American Life – the 2010 Generations Report – age as a determining factor of technology and social media use seems to be losing significance.  While age continues to play a role in how individuals use the Internet, the Report found that age is no longer key in whether an individual uses the Internet.

The 2010 Generations Report found, among other things, that:

• Accessing health-related information online is now the third most popular online activity for all Internet users regardless of age. Previously, using the Internet for this purpose had been considered common only among older users;
• Internet users over the age of 34 were more likely to use the Internet to access government and financial information than those under the age of 34;
• The percentage of adults who watch video online jumped from 52% in 2008 to 66% in 2010; and
• Although social media/networking sites continue to be more popular with younger users, social media experienced its sharpest increase among older Internet users; namely, users age 74 and older.
• These online activities are becoming more uniformly popular across all age groups: e-mail, search engines, getting health information, following the news, researching or making purchases (including travel reservations), online banking, supplying reviews or ratings, donating to charity, and downloading podcasts.

Details about the Pew research results can be found here and here. 

As the use of technology increases among all demographics, clients will be less likely to hire professionals who are unfamiliar with technology and are non-users themselves. This is a key consideration in working and communicating with clients of a different generation. 

The Pew research documents the belief that we should no longer blindly assume that being tech-savvy means being young. Another piece of evidence that we must challenge our assumptions about age-related capabilities and preferences.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot

THE AGE ADVANTAGE TO CAREER REINVENTION

If the economy was booming, Baby Boomers would be sought after in a tight labor market for their knowledge, judgment, wisdom, connections and relatively stability in their work records. Employers would want them around to transfer their knowledge, deal with long time clients they have a relationship with, and mentor and coach younger workers.

 

In the current economy where supply is far greater than demand, Gen Xers and Gen Yers/Millennials often feel the Boomers who want to stay in the workforce are blocking their opportunities, and the tensions are often palpable as the younger generations have to adjust their expectations. Boomers who believe they have built organizations and contributed so much over the years may feel unloved and unwanted in a culture that favors youth.

 

Yet age has its advantages, Here is an article that spells those out and describes why age is an asset in five desirable careers.

 

Though having older workers report to younger managers can be challenging – in fact it is one of the inter-generational challenges I often discuss in my speaking engagements – the article points out that it can actually result in happy and productive outcomes. In the article, Jean Erickson Walker, Ed.D, author of The Age Advantage: Making the Most of Your Midlife Career Transition says that the relationship between someone with experience and someone who is ready to experiment and take risks can be outstanding. "Once they get over the initial adjustment, they often develop a relationship based solidly on mutual respect and each learns from the other," she says. "The key is a leadership philosophy based on collaboration rather than top-down authority."

 

The optimist in me hopes we will be seeing a lot more of that.

 

Phyllis Weiss Haserot    www.pdcounsel.com