Generations Communicate at Work

A Special ReportLegislative Staff Managers Look at Workplace Issues

From the CSG-WEST Legislative Service Agency/Research Directors Committee

Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau staff wear boomer attirefrom the `60s. Bob Erickson is pictured left, and FredWelden is shown right.

The Legislative Service Agency and Research Directors (LSA/RD) Committee of the Council of State Governments-WESTmet in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2002 for annual training on management issues in the legislative workplace. This reporthighlights training delivered by human resource experts from the University of New Mexico.

In addition to the special university training, LSA/RD members also discussed lobbyist-legislative staff relations,orientation sessions and how the New Mexico State Capitol became an art gallery. Carl Bianchi, Idaho’s LegislativeServices director and chair of the LSA/RD Committee, presided over the two-day meeting. Staff managers from Alaska,California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico attended, along with CSG-WEST staff.

Building Bridges across GenerationsAccording to University of New Mexico humanresources trainers and dispute resolution expertsJonathan Armendariz and Kathy Jackson, thegeneration gap is more apparent at work thananyplace else. Led by university facilitators,Western legislative staff directors discussed howto manage different generations in today’sworkforce.

The four generations now in the workplace are:• The Veteran or Silent Generation

(Born 1922-1942).• The Boomer Generation (Born 1943-61)• Generation X (Born 1962-1981)• Generation Y, also known as Nexters

(Born 1982-1998).

Members of the CSG-WEST Legislative Services Agency/Research Directors Committee elected Carl Bianchi as chairfor the 2003-4 biennium. Bianchi directs the IdahoLegislative Services Office. Oregon LegislativeAdministrator Dave Henderson was elected as vice chair.

The goal of the LSA/RD committee is to improve service tolegislators in the West. Members receive annualmanagement training from such groups as Great Places toWork, Inc., Southwest Airlines, Eastman Kodak, as well asfrom human resource experts in Western universities.

BoomersAs a whole,boomersmake up 45percent oftoday’sworkforce.In the LSA/RD seminar,18 out of 20participantsfell into theboomercategory.Boomerswilldominatetheworkplaceuntil the year2015.

Some researchers divide boomers into twogroups—those born from 1943 to 1950 andthose born 1950-61. Thanks to the post WW IIprosperity, the earlier group of boomers isgenerally more financially successful. The earlyboomers overwhelmingly value work and many

of them are social activists. Later boomersappear more sarcastic and cynical. This groupof younger boomers sparked the movementaway from traditional roles for males andfemales. Overall, boomers began to changeworkplace rules to meet their own personalneeds.

At work, boomers want teams and participatorymanagement styles. Many of them definethemselves by the work they do. Boomers aregood at relationships and delivering good

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University of New Mexico trainers JonathanArmendariz and Kathy Jackson provided theinformation in this report on generationaldifferences in the workplace. They summarizedmultigenerational management principles withfive points:• Acknowledge employee differences• Develop options for employees• Expect and honor competence and new

ideas• Be flexible in management style• Make retention a goal

Veterans won’t let go of ajob until it’s done...

Boomers will dominate theworkplace until the year 2015.

CSG-WEST Special Legislative Staff Report Spring 2003

VeteransVeterans make up about five percent of today’sworking population. These employees wantclear expectations and roles. They are loyal,they value respectful communications, they wantacknowledgement of their experience, and theywant to keep their family life and their work lifeseparate. Veterans don’t much like ambiguity,and they are driven to get the job donewhatever it takes.

Managers must pay attention to these veterancharacteristics to get the most from theseemployees. And managers need to be awareof how other workers react to veterans too. Forexample, boomers report that veterans areinflexible and can’t keep up with technology, butboomers also say that veterans on the workteam keep people focused on getting the jobdone.

Gen Xers also criticize vets for their lack oftechnical skill, but agree that they’re fun to teachand that veterans won’t let go of a job until it’sdone—no matter how late it is. Nexters appearto be quite positive about veterans and say theyare reliable and know how to lead.

University of New Mexico trainerJonathan Armendariz explains the fourdifferent generations now in the work-place.

service. They prefer a caring, informalworkplace.

Other workers accuse boomers of beingtoo self-centered and say boomers tell toomuch about their personal lives at work.Gen Xers find that boomers work toomuch, are too political and calculating andtake work too seriously. Nexters also thinkboomers work way too much.

Those who manage boomers need toacknowledge their strong work ethic andlong hours. Managers who give boomersname recognition and reward them with statuswill be well served. If possible, managersshould be egalitarian and put boomers incharge of something.

Generation XWith about 40 percent of their numbers in theworkforce, Xers are a powerful force. Many ofthem come from divorced families and arelatchkey survivors. One-fifth of the Xers lives inpoverty.

How do other generations regard the Xers atwork? The veterans complain thatXers hold too many certificates andnot enough real education.

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Veterans say Xers arrive late and leave earlyand challenge appropriate channels. Xers saythe veterans don’t value the experience ofveterans.

Boomers say Xers are lazy, direct to the pointof incivility, impatient and spend too much timewith computers instead of people. Nextersappear to be more laid back about theirdifferences with Xers and try to resolve conflictsbetween boomers and Xers.

Managers need to knowthat Xers are multi-task-oriented, autonomous,creative and adaptive tochange. They areextremely techno-literate.Xers make great changeagents, and they work wellalone. They expect tohave a number of careerswith different employers.They embrace failure asan option in the course oftrying new things at work.They place considerable

LSA/RD participants work on a hypothetical legislative case study to understandgenerational differences in the workplace.

Gen Xers make great change agents...

CSG-WEST Special Legislative Staff ReportSpring 2003

Do You Know?

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?2. What product boasted that “a little dab’ll do ya?”3. What TV show opened with:

“Hey kids, what time is it?”4. What character fought for truth, justice and the

American way?5. Who closed every show with

“Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are?

See page 4 for answers.

emphasis on immediate gratification at work,and they want a strong balancebetween personal life and work.

Xers expect to participate indecisions at work, want recognitionand bring a sense of humor to thejob. More than the generations that precedethem, Xers are accepting of different lifestyles,roles and cultures. Xers are impatient forchange, very direct with requests and feedbackand are unimpressed by the status of others.

NextersThe new kids on the block are the nexters,those from Generation Y. They represent about10 percent of today’s workforce. Because theyare relatively new employees, they need moredirection and structure and are only developingpeople and leadership skills. Nexters have apositive outlook on work and enjoy working ingroups.

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The nexters are wizards with technology andmulti-tasking. On the job, nexters areinventive, creative and value responsiblesupervision. They want workplaces that aresensitive to the environment (no smoking,recycling etc.), and they expect anaccommodation to varied lifestyles. Theywant their work to connect to the community.

Veterans say that compared to GenerationX, the nexters have great manners, know alot and with more experience will becomelike veterans! Veterans complain aboutcrude language they associate with nexters.

Boomers want nexters on the team to doweb page work and other technicalactivities. Boomers wish nexters were moredisciplined and that they could work moreindependently. Xers call nexters spoiledand selfish—just a new breed of boomer.However, Xers like to work with nexters onhigh tech projects and say nexters seem towork well with almost everybody.

Managers must work with nexters to developtheir experience both individually and in groups.Managers need to help nexters developintellectual curiosity and motivate them to

Nexters are wizards with technology.

CSG-WEST Special Legislative Staff Report Spring 2003

Answers That Will DateYou….

1. Wonder Bread2. Brylcream3. Howdy Doody4. Superman5. Jimmy Durante

Answers from page 3 box

Generational MarkersLegislative staff managers were asked to bringin artifacts from their generation that clearly“mark” their era. Markers included: • Madonna cassette • Glee club tie • T-shirt with cigarettes rolled into the sleeve • Yo-Yo • Steve Miller album • Charm bracelet • Mickey Mantle baseball card replica • Nancy Drew novel • Tie-dyed shirt and headband • Hippie sandals • Leather fringe jacket with beads • “War is not healthy” beads • Photo of kids on a 1940 Olds • Bruce Springsteen album • Rod McKuen album • June Cleaver pearls • Penny loafers with white socks

In a session that featured a video, skits andnon-stop puns, University of New Mexico trainerDon Shapiro “fishilitated” a session on how tocreate a work environment that will energizestaff and delight customers. The FISHphilosophy is based on concepts observed atthe World Famous Pike Place Fish Market inSeattle.

Although once a ho-hum “business as usual”kind of place, under new management the fishmarket became a place where applicants waitin line to get a job and where customers get alot more than salmon for their money.

Although the World Famous Pike Place FishMarket environment is difficult to replicate innarrative, the FISH video shows what is harderto tell. Mostly young people are creating a high-

Create a Great Work Environment

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participate. Nexters should be appreciated fortheir innovative ideas.

Staff Discuss Generations at WorkBeing mostly boomers, Western legislative staffmanagers had a lot to say throughout theirmanagement seminar on generations at work.Both legislative staff and university expertsagreed that there is tremendous “bleeding overfrom one generation to the next.” For example,some boomer participants said that theirparents’ Depression era definitely influencestheir own behavior, even down to small thingslike saving garbage ties.

energy, high morale workplace even as theywrap and sling smelly, dirty fish.

The corporate culture of the FISH workplacecomes to life. Loud fish patter dominates thescene (this is PLAY). Customers form anaudience as the business of fish sellingbecomes theater (this is MAKING THEIR DAY).

CSG-WEST Special Legislative Staff ReportSpring 2003

The FISH philosophy is based onconcepts observed at the WorldFamous Pike Place Fish Market inSeattle.

One manager noted that when managing Xers, one-on-one management works better than simplydistributing general office policies. You are not makinga “work family” for Xers, said one manager. Work willnot satisfy all their needs.

Another participant suggested that more than boomermen, boomer women want greater balance betweenwork and home. Boomers, said some, questionauthority more than those who came before them butless than those coming after.

So what is the FISH philosophy?

• Play—Have fun at work, be spontaneous, becreative.

• Make Their Day—Do something special for yourcustomers or co-workers

• Be There—Totally focus on the moment and theperson with whom you are engaged.

• Choose Your Attitude—You can’t always control what happens,but you can control how you respond. Apositive attitude is a decision we make,moment to moment.

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A fishmonger puts his arm around an old manwho looks like a regular (this is BEINGTHERE). And a young man talks himself intotaking an upbeat approach to the workdaydespite havinghad only acouple of hoursof sleep thenight before(this isCHOOSINGYOURATTITUDE).

CNN, CBS andForbesmagazineamong othershave featuredthe FISH philosophy of management.Southwest Airlines is perhaps the best-knownpractitioner of FISH-like concepts. AtSouthwest, managers hire for attitude and trainfor skill. (Pilots, we hope, have both.) Insteadof directing passengers to exits in a monotonevoice, one creative employee advised: “There

“The FISH Philosophy” Continued from Page 5

Western legislative staff managers demonstrate how to make theirwork environment more joyful.

Participants in the CSG-WEST LSA/RD Committee demonstrate how to“Choose an Attitude” in the workplace.

CSG-WEST Special Legislative Staff Report Spring 2003

may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but thereare only four ways out of this plane.” Southwestemployees have become famous for their“playfulness.”

After the video,“fishilitator”Shapiro calledon legislativestaff managersto put FISH intoaction withpracticalexercises.Participantsprivately ratedtheirworkplaces ona FISH scale

and had Fish Bowl conversations with others.FISH partners worked on “Day Making Ideas”to take home. At the end of the FISH training,managers broke into teams where theyselected a single FISH concept and produceda skit to depict it—in less than 15 minutes!

University of New Mexico training consultantDon Shapiro briefly introduced legislative staffmanagers togendercommunicationsand how theyinfluence theworkplace.Shapiro showedparticipants thevideo “Talking 9-5”written bylinguistics expert,Deborah Tannen.

According toTannen, men andwomen learnconversationalrituals as very young children. These ritualsinfluence their communication styles throughouttheir lives. In the 9-5 video, candid shots ofsmall boys are shown as they one-up eachother about how far they can throw a ball up intothe air. “I can throw it up to the sky. I can throwit up toheaven.I canthrow itup toGod.”Tannensays from a very young age boys learn toconverse in a style she refers to as “status”communications.

The Tannen video also shows candid photos ofyoung girl playmates who communicate in adifferent style called “connecting.” Oneplaymate says: “My babysitter just got contactlens.” The other young girl tries to find commonground. “My Mom just got them too…”

In another exercise depicted in the video,Tannen has placed two chairs side by side in a

room. She then tapes sets of boys and sets ofgirls at different ages to see how they will

position the chairsas they converse.No matter what theage, the boys leftthe chairs side byside duringconversations.The girls turned thechairs to face eachother so that theycould have eye toeye contact whiletalking.

The video thenmoves intoworkplaces around

the U.S. and lets viewers see how men andwomen engage in conversations with eachother and with colleagues of the same gender.At Money Magazine a male manager routinelyuses “devils’ advocate” conversationalgambits—not intending them to be negative,

but to flesh out ideas. This style appears towork fine with male colleagues, but not as wellwith females who may feel attacked.

In another instance, women engage in a stylecalled “ritual apology.” A woman manager usesapology as a conversational transition (“I’msorry, I’ve lost my place…”) that is not intendedas a real apology. Over time, her malecolleagues may take constant conversationalapologies seriously, which will reflect negativelyon the woman manager.

Gender Communications at Work

Alaska Legislative Council staff Karla Schofield spars withUniversity of New Mexico management trainer Don Shapiro.

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Boys left the chairs side by side during conversations...Girls turned the chairs to face each other.

CSG-WEST Special Legislative Staff ReportSpring 2003

Chair: Brian T. Taniguchi Hawaii State Senator Chair-Elect: Bart M. Davis Idaho Senate Majority Leader Vice Chair: Kate Brown Oregon Senate Democratic Leader Past Chair: Lynn Hettrick Nevada Assembly Minority Floor Leader

Executive Director Kent Briggs Deputy Director Cheryl Lee Duvauchelle Editor Mary Lou Cooper Desk-Top Publisher Eric Cole Southern Border Mgr. Edgar Ruiz Policy Consultant Rich Lindsey Office Manager Lolita Urrutia Staff Assistant Laiza Garcia

1107 9th Street, Suite 650 Sacramento, CA 95814

916-553-4423 phone916-446-5760 fax

www.csgwest.orgcsgw@csg.org e-mail

C o u n c i l o f S t a t e G o v e r n m e n t s - W E S T

According toTannen, smalltalk is veryimportant togrease thewheels forproductive work.Women aremore likely toengage in“troubles talk.”For example, thewoman managercomes into the

room and says something like: “I am sotired…last night the kids…”

Men, on the other hand, are more likely toengage in “report talk” or details about a projector hobby. “Do you see how the drawers fithere?” the male manager asks as he describesa chest he is building at home.

Differences in their respective conversationalrituals make small talk between sexes moredifficult, which is important for managers tounderstand. Men tell employees what to do indirect ways. Women are more tentative, usingqualifiers. This tentativeness can blur the

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message to thepoint that it ismissedaltogether.

Women, saysTannen, alsoare in a doublebind. Thelanguagewomen use canforce them tochoosebetweenperceptions ofcompetency and femininity.

Behavior learned as a child can be modified orat least understood. Women can learn frommen to be more direct. Men can learn fromwomen to offer more praise. Tannen concludesthat shared conversational rituals can help menand women “get heard, get credit and get thework done.”

To rent or purchase “Talking 9-5,” callChartHouse Learning at 1-800-328-3789. Thevideo also may be available throughuniversities or human resource departments.

“Gender Communications” Continued from Page 7

CSG-WEST Special Legislative Staff Report Spring 2003