Multigenerational Awareness &

the onslaught of Social Networking

in the workplace.

Multigenerational Awareness

Every generation is influenced by its period's economic, political and social events--from the Great Depression to the civil rights and women's movements to the advent of television and advanced computer technologies—

Traditionalists (born 1922-1943)Baby Boomers (born 1943-1960)Generation X (born 1960-1980)Millenials (born 1980-2000)

Why Are We So Different?

The Power of Four

This is the first time in American history that we have had four

different generations working side-by-side in the workplace.

These four generations often collide, as their paths cross.

Each generation has distinct attitudes, behaviors, expectations, habits, and motivational buttons.

They have different values, different ideas, different ways of getting things done, and different

ways to communicating in the workplace.

Came into the world during the great depression. This generation is therefore conservative disciplined and view work as a privilege. Their strong work ethic, discipline, stability and experience make them invaluable employees.

Veterans

Baby Boomers

Grew up in the post-World War II era. Their formative years were marked by global rebuilding and recovering economies. The mood of the time was optimist and future oriented. Boomers arrive on the job committed to making things better.

Generation X

Grew up in a time when their parents (Baby Boomers) devoted themselves to business and careers. Many were ‘latch key kids’ or raised by their grandparents (Veterans).

They decided they would not sacrifice their families for the sake of a job.

MillennialsCame of age in a world of layoffs and corporate scandals, fostering the belief that businesses in general, and big businesses in particular, value their own financial gain far above all else, and that business talk about the importance of people is largely insincere.

Generational CharacteristicsVETERANS (over 60)

Duty First

Linear Thinker

Work to Live

Just Do It

Respect Authority

Generation X (25-40)

Work Life Balance

Embraces Diversity

Likes Informality

Job Satisfaction Important

BABY BOOMERS(40-60)

Maximum Effort

Results Oriented

Accepts Authority

Work hard/Get to Top

Millenials (under 25)

Technology Savvy

Teamwork

Flexibility

Prefers written communication

We think differently: Veterans: Work comes first. It’s a privilege to work!

Baby boomers: Work, work, work. It’s what we’re about. That’s how we get ahead!

Gen Xers: Work more with flexibility. Need time for Family! Work even more? Let’s talk!

Millennials: Work flexibly anywhere, but I need complete access to information and the answer to ‘Why?’ Work anytime … on my terms. Work even more? That is so lame. I’m texting all my friends to tell them how lame you are!

So What Makes Us Different? What we think is a good way to recognize excellence

How we know if we are doing a good job

Work processes we use to work better/more effectively

How we think we should grow in our Jobs

How we like to communicate and how we like to give/receive information

Questions to think about:

How do you communicate effectively with different generations?

How do you motivate?How do you recognize achievement?How do you take advantage of skill levels and get

the most out of your staff?How do you deliver expectations and

accountability?

When Generations Fail To Communicate

May impact turnover rates May impact tangible costs (i.e. recruitment,

hiring, training, retention) May impact intangible costs (i.e. morale) May impact grievances and complaints May impact perceptions of fairness & equity

How to Manage Communicating More Successfully Think Flexibly

Realize that they want to work with friends – their colleagues with complementary skills

Show them that you respect what they bring to the table

Let them have fun

Don’t take it all so seriously; show a sense of humor

Challenge and stretch their minds with a variety of assignments

Lead them as professionals, not as a know-it-all. Show them how to avoid mistakes

Be a mentor

Is Social Media a fad?

Who’s Participating? Do you have a Myspace account?

Facebook? Flickr or Picasa? Linked In? StumbleUpon? Digg? Reddit?

Have you ever searched for something on Wikipedia? Yahoo? Google? Ask? Bing?

Do you read blogs? Do you use a RSS reader like Google, Newsgator or Bloglines? Have you submitted content to a social network? Has your content become “popular” or hit the front page? Do you or a client of yours do social media marketing?

What is social media?

“Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives, and media themselves.”

Social Media is… Editable Popular A conversation Fast Historical

Ironic Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

Great… but what IS Social Media?

• It's about people

• It's about community

• It's about participation

• The shift from monologue to dialog

• It has changed traditional media and marketing

• But, its more than media; it’s influence

What is a Social Network?

A social network is a social structure made of nodes... In its simplest form, a social network is a map of all of the relevant ties between the nodes.

The network determines the social capital of participants.

Social capital explains how some people gain more success in a particular setting through their superior connections to other people.

How does Social Networking work?

It’s about sociology and human behavior. Sociology is the “force” behind social

media and technology simply provides the tools to facilitate conversations online.

Technology also exasperates the ability to transcend word of mouth into viral marketing aka world of mouth.

Experiment With Social Networkingo Experiment Experiment personallypersonally

before professionallybefore professionally

o Try a Try a varietyvariety of social of social media toolsmedia tools

o Be Be yourselfyourself, make some , make some friendsfriends, and , and shareshare

Make Social Networking Centralo Spend time upfront Spend time upfront

planningplanning how you will how you will use social mediause social media

o Think Think POSTPOST::o PPeopleeopleo OObjectivesbjectiveso SStrategytrategyo TTechnologyechnology

Be Transparent & Honesto Don’t be fake!Don’t be fake!

o Don’t manipulate!Don’t manipulate!

o Don’t try to control the Don’t try to control the conversation.conversation.

o Don’t dominate.Don’t dominate.

o Don’t avoid.Don’t avoid.

o Don’t be afraid Don’t be afraid to share. to share. Corporations, like people, Corporations, like people, need to share information need to share information to get the value out of to get the value out of social media social media

o Make your content easy Make your content easy to shareto share

o Incorporate Incorporate tools that tools that promote sharing:promote sharing:o Share This, Share This, RSS feeds, RSS feeds,

EmailEmail a friend, a friend, ’Tweet’’Tweet’

Information Architecture

KnowledgeManagement

Systems

Social Networks

Share Your Content

o Don't Don't shoutshout. Don't . Don't broadcastbroadcast. Don’t . Don’t bragbrag. .

o Speak like a human Speak like a human – – not like corporate not like corporate marketing, or a press marketing, or a press secretarysecretary

o Relate your brand Relate your brand – give – give people something they people something they can relate to.can relate to.

Be Personal and Act Like a Person

o Think like a Think like a contributorcontributor, , not a marketernot a marketer

o Consider what is Consider what is relevant relevant to the communityto the community before before contributingcontributing

o Don’t promote Don’t promote your your product on every postproduct on every post

o Win friends by Win friends by promoting promoting other people’s content other people’s content if if it interests youit interests you

Contribute in a Meaningful Way

o Don’t respond to all Don’t respond to all negative criticism.negative criticism.

o Don’t delete Don’t delete or remove or remove criticismcriticism

o ListenListen to your detractors to your detractors

o AdmitAdmit your shortcomings your shortcomings

o Work openly Work openly towards an towards an explanationexplanation and and legitimate legitimate solutionsolution

Learn to Take Criticism

o Don’t wait until you Don’t wait until you have a campaign have a campaign to to launch - start planning launch - start planning and listening nowand listening now

o Build relationships Build relationships so so they’re ready when you they’re ready when you need themneed them

Be Proactive

10 Steps10 StepsTO TO SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA

CredibilityCredibility

10 Steps to Social Media Credibility

1. Read 2. Know what you are talking about 3. Participate 4. Contribute 5. Engage 4. Be a resource, but a used car salesperson 7. Listen 8. Learn 9. Respect your communities you engage 10. Connect with people

Social Web Guiding Principles for Employers: Lead by example. Build your policies around job performance,

not fuzzy concerns about productivity. Encourage responsible use. Grant Equal Access. Provide Training. Begin from a Position of Trust.

Social Web Guiding Principles for Employees Listen before you talk. Say who you are. Show your personality. Respond to ideas not to people. Know your facts and cite your sources. Stay on the record. If you respond to a problem, you own it.

Thank you!