Diversity & Generations
by Claire Raines
2002
From: http://www.generationsatwork.com/articles/diversity.htm
This article is an excerpt from Connecting Generations: The Sourcebook by Claire Raines.
Benefits of the Multi-Generation Work Team | Q&A
Generations: a diversity issue. The generation we belong to is one of the many differences we
may have with our coworkers. Those differences can cause stress, discomfort, conflict, and
frustration. They can also become a source for creativity and productivity.
Sorting the Cards
One of our trainers, Karl Krumm, got me to thinking about generational differences as one of a
variety of ways to sort cards. If you had a deck of playing cards in front of you right now, you
could sort the cards by suit. You could sort them by color. You could sort them into face cards
and numbered cards. You could sort them by numerical value. This metaphor has been helpful to
me in how I think about businesspeople and the issues they face. Play along here. If your
coworkers were a deck of cards, you could sort that deck in all kinds of ways. You might want to
split the deck into two stacks—one for men, one for women. You could separate them according
to ethnic background. You might stack the deck according to sexual orientation. You could sort
according to coworkers’ countries of origin. You could make sixteen piles that represent the
Myers Briggs™ types.
Karl, who has a Ph.D. in psychology and is a student of human nature, believes—and I think he’s
right—that each time you sorted the cards and then explored the ways the stacks were different
from and similar to the others, along with the ways all the cards in a stack were similar to each
other, you would get helpful information that would give you valuable insights about every card.
Of course, sorting the cards would never give you a picture of the complete person; individual
human beings are way too complex for that. But if you’re interested in people and how to work
more effectively with them, we’re certain you’ll find the generational sort to be an extremely
valuable one. The ability to relate effectively to all types of people is one of today’s essential
leadership skills.
To add another metaphor, we can use generational lenses to help us see things we might
otherwise not notice. By the way, I don’t personally find that I go around in my own life wearing
my generational lenses all, or even most, of the time. The breakdowns and misunderstandings
that concern me the most—an endangered friendship, a miscommunication with a family
member, a frustrated associate—these generally have little or nothing to do with generational
differences.
I have, however, found hundreds of situations in which generational lenses made all the
difference. A team I worked with—all Boomers and one Xer—was able to approach work issues
from a whole new perspective. A successful trucking company decided they wanted to remain a
World War II-style company, even though they probably won’t attract many Gen X recruits. A
hospital changed to a more successful fundraising campaign that targeted new young donors. A
manager quit trying to impose her values on her younger associates when she realized their
customers were unfazed by nose rings and tattoos. A 50-year-old woman developed more
empathy for her “military-style” dad. An executive began to understand where his estranged son
might be “coming from.”
There are lots of situations that aren’t generational in nature, but then there are plenty that are,
too. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep those “generational lenses” handy so they’re available
when you need them.
Synergism
It seems like just a few years ago, most companies in the Western world operated on the model
that the best organization was made up of ranks of similar, like-minded people. Orientation
sessions and training programs sought to clone the best and brightest existing employees. I
remember seeing a couple of surveys that showed the typical interviewer tended to hire the
person who was most similar to him- or herself. Some organizations even became known for the
same-colored shirts everyone was expected to wear. It was a manufacturing model in which the
company was judged on its success at churning out consistent carbon copies of human capital.
Synergism is a term popularized by Buckminster Fuller. Like the principle of yin/yang which has
been known for centuries in the Eastern world, synergism recognizes that when we include
divergent perspectives, the sum is greater than its parts. That, when a team includes people from
various ethnic backgrounds, and all those perspectives are utilized, the team is more effective.
That, when the marketing group incorporates people from all the generations, its campaigns are
more successful. That, when the executive board includes men and women and listens to both
perspectives, the board’s decisions will be more sound.
Stir-Fry
When it comes to diversity, our nation and most of its businesses have historically operated on
the melting pot theory. It was great for forming a country, but it’s time for a new metaphor. After
all, when you melt everything down, it gets mixed together and it into a mass of gray sludge. The
different groups lose their uniqueness. Everything becomes uniform and we lose that variety of
perspectives. Potential goes untapped.
I think it works better to think of corporate diversity as a stir-fry where the cook adds a variety of
things—genders, generations, ethnicities. Each retains its uniqueness and contributes flavor to
the whole dish. Something wonderful is created that is far tastier, more nutritious, and more
interesting than any one part. To lose even one ingredient would diminish the texture and taste.
Today’s most effective organizations don’t just tolerate diversity. They seek it out. They go
looking for people of all nationalities, political beliefs, backgrounds, ages, and genders. It’s not
always easy, because differences are often thought of negatively, as in, “We’ve had our
differences.” Says Tom Crum, “Conflicts can be disastrous or miraculous, depending on how you
react to them.” (The Magic of Conflict, Touchstone Press, 1987) Differences become miraculous
when we appreciate them and utilize them. A BP Amoco employee document sums it up: “The
diverse people who are BP Amoco will increasingly make our company distinctive by continually
challenging how we think, what we do, and how we do it to achieve exceptional business
performance.”
Today’s best companies create competitive advantage by becoming employer of choice—by
being the company all the best people want to work for. This requires a work culture that
recognizes and appreciates a variety of perspectives, styles, and opinions—where differences
are sought out, valued, respected, and put to use. Business success requires a workforce that is
educated about diversity, where associates have developed their awareness and appreciation for
differences and have learned useful skills for bridging the gaps and tapping into the best of
everyone.
Diversity Interviews at DTE Energy
To broaden their knowledge of the experiences and beliefs of people from other races and
cultures, and to identify ways to support those people, participants in a class called Diversity for
Leaders at Detroit Edison interview someone of a race or ethnic group different from their own.
They share the responses—not the names—in their session.
Here are the interview questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What do you like about your ethnic group or race?
What do you wish other ethnic groups understood or knew about your group?
Do you feel all your work-related talents and skills are used on the job?
What are the challenges you face at work that may have to do with your
race/culture/ethnicity?
5. What can a company leader, supervisor, or coworker do to support you?
Senior Diversity Specialist Nikki Moss developed the class and the interview format. She shares
these excellent tips for expanding your diversity learning experience:
1. To conduct the interview, treat your interviewee to lunch at a restaurant she feels is
representative of her culture.
2. Ask the interviewee to recommend a museum, business, or art gallery representative of
his culture. Consider going there together.
3. Ask to attend a worship service with her at her place of worship.
4. Be ambitious and conduct interviews with people from a number of cultures.
5. Go beyond race and interview someone differently-abled than you or someone of a
different sexual orientation.
Generations Interview
A similar interview could be conducted with a member of another generation:
1. What generation do you generally consider yourself to be a member of?
2. What do you like about your generation?
3. What do you wish other generations knew or understood about your generation?
4. Do you feel all your work-related talents and skills are used on the job?
5. What challenges do you face at work that may have to do with your
generation?
Successful businesspeople tap into the resources of a diverse workforce.
Is there a Generation Xer on your Board of Directors?
How about a Millennial?
Will many of your best people be retiring in the next few years? Is your process for building
“bench strength” under way?
Do you have close working relationships with at least one person from each generation?
Generational Awareness: 10 Bright Ideas
1. Have a Generational Awareness Week. Post icons and photos that represent the
generations. Include slang and popular expressions. Play music that was popular in each
generation’s formative era.
2. Write four versions—one for each generation—of an Employee Value Proposition,
a list of what is attractive about working for your organization.
3. Review your benefits package, asking yourself which generation would likely be most
attracted to each…which perks are attractive to all generations.
4. Come up with three rewards specific to each generation.
5. Do a generational diversity audit for your organization. What percentage of your
workforce is from each generation? Are all the generations represented at all levels?
6. Review the makeup of your Board of Directors. Are you getting the perspectives of all
the generations?
7. Become an expert on a generation other than your own. Find someone twenty years
older—or younger—to teach you about his or her generation: history, characteristics,
language, work preferences.
8. Watch a movie that focuses on a generation other than your own (The Big Chill,
Reality Bites, Office Space, Saving Private Ryan.) Step into the perspective of one of the
characters. How might you see things differently if you were a member of the generation
being featured?
9. Examine a “difference” from both sides. Begin by thinking of a conflict you are
having/have had with someone with whom you have generational differences, and with
whom you would genuinely like to have a better relationship. Write a brief paragraph
about how you see the situation. Put it aside for a few minutes. Then reread what you
wrote. Next, re-examine the situation and see if you can step into the other person’s
shoes. Finally, write a paragraph that might reveal his or her perspective.
10. In a management meeting, create profiles of four ideal managers—one for each
generation. Then, ask participants to survey five employees each about the type of
manager they prefer. In the meeting, discuss your findings and revise the profiles, if
necessary. What do all the profiles have in common? Where do they differ? How can
your managers apply what they’ve learned?
Diversity Awareness: 5 Bright Ideas
Here are some similar ideas for increasing awareness, empathy, and understanding about other
areas of diversity:
1. Host cultural awareness weeks for all the countries of origin represented in your
employee base.
2. Do a cultural diversity audit for your organization.
3. Review the makeup of your Board of Directors. Is it representative of your employee
base? Of the community you serve?
4. Become an expert on a culture represented by one of your coworkers.
Watch a movie that focuses on a culture (ethnicity, country of origin, disability, sexual
orientation) other than your own. Get a recommendation from someone representative of
that other culture about a movie they’d recommend that would help you better understand
their culture.
When differences are encouraged, productivity and creativity increase.
Benefits of the Multi-Generation Work Team
1. The team can attract and retain talented people of all ages.
2. The team is more flexible.
3. The team can gain and keep greater market share because its members reflect a multigeneration market.
4. Decisions are stronger because they’re broad-based.
5. The team is more innovative.
6. The team can meet the needs of a diverse public.
Q&A
Dear Claire,
One of my young employees wants to take time off when he and his wife adopt a baby. I’ve never
had a male employee ask for this before. Is this a generational thing?
Jennifer
Dear Jennifer,
I think so. The oldest Baby Boomers were deeply involved in the women’s movement. The next
generation tends to have feminist men and women! Many Gen X fathers feel that parenting is a
50/50 deal. I think it’s totally cool that he wants to spend time with the new baby (Easy for me to
say when I don’t have to find someone to take his place on the job, isn’t it?). I think we’ll be
seeing more and more of this kind of thing.