The Generational Mix: Contention or Collaboration?

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn to recognize the subtle ways in which generational differences create interpersonal conflicts among employees.
• Participants will identify work practices of each generation in behavioral examples, not merely the theoretical approach most generations' information is presented.
• Participants will identify the ways in which generational differences affects organizational policies in areas such as customer service, employee personal time, and how work style preferences affect performance appraisal ratings.

Session Description:

Does your organization employ many Baby Boomers who believe in creating warm internal and external customer relationships? Are some of these professionals dismayed by younger employees' view that good customer service is simply fast service? Do you employ Generation X who believes in independent problem-solving and who becomes frustrated by the time it takes for chain-of-command or committee decisions? Does your organization have younger supervisors managing older workers? There are several generations of customers and employees in most organizations today, creating new and unique customer service, management and teamwork issues. This program is an engaging approach to this topic, presented by the facilitator in the costume and communication style of each generation. Participants will gain a new perspective that will assist in enhancing productivity, communication, cohesiveness and morale. This presentation provides additional perspective to a frequently-discussed topic by concentrating on behavioral examples of each generation's mind-sets in day-to-day interactions with colleagues, employees, supervisors and customers. The focus is on the key strategies for communicating most effectively with each generation. The different ways in which respect is expected to be communicated both verbally and non-verbally is emphasized. After each generation's characterization by the facilitator, the audience will be provided with an opportunity to question each "generation" about their mind-sets and preferences on any topic that the audience finds relevant.

Biography:

As a Communication Skills Consultant /Trainer for 30 years, Deborah Easton provides audiences with practical and effective advice for communicating with colleagues, customers or direct reports. Her techniques for one-to-one interactions or group communications provide participants with practical strategies for handling difficult interactions. Every program is adapted to the needs of each unique organizational culture or individual being coached. Her humorous style leaves a lasting impression. Deborah's most often requested training/consulting topics are: What Style Communicator Are You?, Generations Working Together, Communicating Performance Expectations Effectively, Interpersonal Communication Skills, Coaching Soft Skills Competencies, Dealing with Difficult Behaviors, Coaching Accountability, Team Communication, Dynamic Speaking Skills, Conflict Management, and Effective Listening. Deborah has a master's degree in speech communication and taught communication courses (1981 - 1991) in Kent State University's Department of Communication Studies, where she supervised 40 instructors of the speech fundamentals program. She also taught Managerial Skills for 4 years in Kent State's Graduate School of Management. Deborah has served on the Advisory Board for the School of Communication Studies. Deborah has conducted programs for a variety of corporations and organizations, including: health care, manufacturing, public utilities, insurance, social services, finance, technology and telecommunications. She has been instrumental in numerous special projects, including developing performance evaluation systems, facilitating cultural change and conducting a yearly curriculum of courses for several clients. Among the hundreds of clients to whom Deborah has presented are: First Energy, American Greetings, NASA, The Cleveland Clinic, FedEx Custom Critical, Hyland Software, Sherwin-Williams, First Merit Bank and Windstream Communications.