Synopses & Reviews
“Learning about differences may be fun, but learning about cooperation is useful. And it’s here that Generations at Work becomes a valuable tool.”
— Fast Company (review of the first edition)
Annoyed with your workmates and flustered with your staff? Don’t understand how they think, act, and communicate—especially the twentysomethings who ask questions all the time and want confirmation that they’re doing great?
All these difficult people may be nothing more than diverse demographics. Friction among Traditionalists, Boomers, Xers, and Millennials has spiked, as four distinct generations are tossed side by side, cubicle by cubicle—and nobody speaks the same language.
Generations at Work offers a refreshing way to root out the causes of workplace clashes and bridge the generational gaps. Now updated to include the Millennial newcomers to the workplace, the book serves as both a sweeping overview of generational differences and a solutions-based managerial guide to molding each group into loyal employees who work effectively with everyone, from tech-savvy, high-needs young people to conformist, hardworking seniors.
Packed with original research and eye-opening insights, you’ll find explanations of what makes each generation tick, key phrases and tactics for motivating each, best practices from companies with generations-friendly cultures, in-depth interviews highlighting problems and solutions, a field guide for mentoring Millennials—and many more valuable tools for turning today’s multigenerational workforce into an organizational asset.
Ron Zemke was the author of the bestselling Knock Your Socks Off series and founder of Performance Research Associates, a consultancy specializing in organizational effectiveness.
Claire Raines is a nationally recognized expert on generational issues, and the author of Connecting Generations. She lives in Tucson, Arizona.
Bob Filipczak is a social media coordinator and an experienced writer and editor. He lives in Minneapolis.
Review
"Learning about differences may be fun, but learning about cooperation is useful. And it's here that Generations at Work becomes a valuable tool." --Fast Company
Review
"Generations at Work is an extremely interesting look at the strengths and weaknesses of the amazing generation cohorts of the last 80 years." --Inland Empire Business Journal
Synopsis
This all-new edition of the seminal book on navigating the multigenerational workplace takes a fresh look at a growing challenge, now exacerbated by the youngest employees. With their micromanaged childhoods and tech addictions, Gen Yers require constant feedback—frustrating for the Me Generation that can’t let go of the spotlight, and annoying for Gen Xers, sandwiched between the two. So how can you lead this motley group with their often incompatible work ethics, values, and styles?
Generations at Work lays bare the causes of conflict, and offers practical guidelines for managing the differences, including:
• In-depth interviews with members of each generation
• Best practices from companies bridging the generation gap
• Specific tips for each generation on how to handle the others
• A field guide for mentoring GenerationY
For anyone struggling to manage a workforce with different ways of working, communicating, and thinking, Generations at Work is the answer.
Synopsis
This new edition of the seminal book on navigating the multigenerational workplace looks afresh at bridging the often-incompatible ethics, values, and styles of today's wildly divergent culture. Generations at Work lays bare the causes of conflict and offers practical guidance for managing the differences---with spot-on tips for each generation to interact with the others.
Synopsis
Written for all who are struggling to manage a workforce with often incompatible ethics, values, and working styles, Generations at Work looks afresh at the root causes of professional conflict and offers practical guidelines for navigating multigenerational differences. By laying bare the most common causes of conflict--including the Me Generation's frustration with Gen Yers' constant desire for feedback and the challenges facing Gen Xers sandwiched between these polarities--the book offers practical, spot-on guidance for managing the differences with consideration to each generation's unique needs.Along with the authors' insights for managing a workforce with different ways of working, communicating, and thinking, the book offers in-depth interviews with members of each generation, tips on best practices from companies successfully bridging the generation gap, and a mentorship field guide to help you support the youngest members of your team--tools, which are the key to helping your workforce interact more positively with one another and thrive in today's wildly divergent workplace culture.
Synopsis
The newest edition of this seminal book on navigating the multigenerational workplace offers practical tips to help any leader bridge the generational gap--and create a healthy culture.
Synopsis
Veterans...Baby Boomers...GenXers ...Nexters. Mix them all together, and what do you get? Sometimes disaster! Here are fresh insights and practical solutions for easing the inevitable conflicts of today's age- and values-diverse workplace, where people just don't see work (or life) the same way.
"They have no work ethic."
"So I told my boss, 'If you're looking for loyalty, get a dog."
"I will not attend meetings that start after 5."
There's a serious new problem in the workplace, and it has nothing to do with downsizing, change, foreign competition, pointy-haired bosses, cubicle envy, or greed. Instead, it's the problem of distinct generations--the Veterans, the Baby Boomers, the GenXers, and (coming soon) the Nexters--crossing paths and sometimes colliding.
So how can you manage this motley group with their conflicting work ethics, dissimilar values, and idiosyncratic styles? How do you get them to stop snarling at each other? How do you motivate them to work together?
Generations at Work is the first book to clearly outline each group's primary characteristics, and to explain the seminal events and cultural icons that shaped their attitudes and values. But it doesn't just provide an astute sociological portrait. The book also offers practical, sound solutions for avoiding (or remedying) the most common mistakes of managing in today's cross-generational workplace.
Readers will find profiles of companies with effective strategies for smoothing generational conflict...a true-to-life case study of a manager caught in the crossfire...and 21 key questions and answers for solving cross-gen problems.
For anyone struggling to manage a workforce with different ways of working, talking, and thinking, Generations at Work both explains the gulf that separates the generations and offers insightful solutions for creating workplace harmony.
About the Author
"""Ron Zemke (Minneapolis, MN) is senior editor of Training magazine, president of Performance Research Associates, and author or coauthor of 23 books, including AMACOM's bestselling Knock Your Socks Off Service series.
Claire Raines (Denver, CO) is a nationally recognized expert on generational issues and author of Beyond Generation X: A Practical Guide for Managers.
Bob Filipczak (Minneapolis, MN) is a writer and an ""honorary member of Generation X."""
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction: The New Economic Reality and the
Cross-Generational Workplace
PART 1
Dynamics of the Multigenerational Workplace
1 A New Chapter in the Cross-Generational Workplace
2 The Traditionalists: What Will the Colonel Do Now—
Work? Retire? Consult?
3 The Baby Boomers: Retirement Postponed
4 The Gen Xers: Survivalists in the Workplace
5 The Millennials: Be Careful What You Ask For
6 The Global Workforce: Generations Around the World
PART 2
Where Mixed Generations Work Well Together
7 The ACORN Imperatives and Three Companies That
Bridge the Gaps
8 Company Best Practices and Other Great Ideas
PART 3
The Interviews
9 From the CEO’s Perspective
10 From the Trenches
PART4
Articles
11 Here Come the Millennials
Ron Zemke
12 Younger Boss and Older Worker
Claire Raines
13 A Field Guide to Mentoring Millennials
Bob Filipczak
14 Emerging Media and the Workforce
Bob Filipczak
Appendix 287
Inventory: How Cross-Generationally Friendly Is Your Work
Group, Department, Business, or Organization?
Endnotes
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Authors