WE ARE RUN BY ZOOMERS

And we’re all hiring X’ers and Y’ers

Truth…

Different values, ambitions, worldviews, mindsets, and demographics are related to the times you grew up and lived in.

ZOOMER

• BOOMERS that are still going...

• BORN: mid 1940's - early 1960's (various definitions)

• CURRENT AGE: 50ish to 60ish

• Characteristics:– loyal to the team, comfortable with top-down

leadership, working towards their legacy

X’er

• AKA post boomers, busters

• BORN early 1960's - early 1980's

• CURRENT AGE: mid 20's to mid 40's

• Characteristics: loyal to managers, prefer a flat hierarchy, working towards a portable career

Y’er

• AKA millenials, nexters, internet generation

• BORN: mid 1980’s to 2000

• CURRENT AGE: early 20’s, under 20

• Characteristics: loyal to colleagues, whatever it is they want it now, working towards work/life balance and a portable career

What’s left? VETERANS

• AKA seniors, traditionalists, silent generation

• BORN: 1922 – mid 1940’s

• AGE NOW: mid 60’s to 80’s

• Characteristics: top-down approach, loyal to organization, working towards a legacy

Intergenerational Issues Arise

• Blaming generation for their problems

• Stereotyping as technology savvy, or technophobic

• Lack of trust

• You owe me attitudes (like pretty much every generation)

Food for thought…

• SLA - JESS

Food for thought:

• NEW MEDIA - DAVE

Time for the activity

Open Space Technology

• What it is:

Collective, active activity calling on people to be creative, take responsibility, and open the discussion to learning.

When to use it

• -where conflict is holding back the ability to change

• -where the situation is complex• -where there is a high degree of diversity• -where there is an urgent need to make speedy

decisions• -where all stakeholders are needed for good

decisions to be made• -where you have no preconceived notion of what

the outcomes should be

Probable Outcomes

• -builds energy, commitment and shared leadership

• -participants accept responsibility

• -action plans and recommendations emerge

• -record of the proceedings comes out

Law of 2 Feet

Principals of Open Space Technology

• whoever comes are the right people

• whatever happens is the only thing that could have

• when it starts is the right time

• when it’s over, it’s over

WE ARE RUN BY ZOOMERS

And we’re all hiring X’ers and Y’ers

Sources and credit

• Jonathan Feinberg’s awesome tool @ www.wordle.net

• www.flickr.com - creative commons images• Richard A. Lewis, CRA, Corporate Director,

Operations, Florida Radiology Imaging (FrFri)• Michele Faris, Senior Staff Psychologist,

Colorado State University• Interpretation Canada (open Space

Technology)