What Do You Mean, "Happy Festivus?"

“Happy Festivus!” Those were my words to a group of Millennials last night as I was leaving to go home.

Their response – “what’s Festivus?”

“Really?” I asked, and then followed with, “In the words of George Takei, ‘Oh myyyyy.’” 

Their response – you guessed it – who is George Takai?

At that moment I felt really old. Then I realized that it was an excellent example of the differences between the Baby Boomer generation – of which I am a part, and the Millennials – which they represent. The Seinfeld television episode where Frank Costanza explains how the holiday came to be first aired in 1997, when the Millennials were just babies. Of course they won’t understand!

Similarly, in talking with a nephew recently the subject of Lucille Ball was raised. He listened for a few minutes to the adults around him talking, and then bravely asked, “Who is Lucile Ball?”

Again – really? Sigh…this generation really missed a LOT!

Over the last few years, academic and business researchers have been writing more and more often about the challenges of working with and managing employees from four separate generations: the Greatest Generation (born before 1946), Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964), Generation X (1965 – 1980), and Gen Y or Millennials (1981 – 2000).

The challenges facing management today include not only in developing a good working relationship with individuals from separate eras, but also recognizing that there are also significant differences in how they communicate, view their time with your company in both length and purpose, compensation, motivation, collaboration and training, just to name a few.

Each generation grew up with different experiences and values, while witnessing different world events as children rather than adults, and entered a world completely different from their parents from a technology perspective. 

The challenge, then, is to learn to not only understand the differences, but to manage in a way that meets the needs of each generation. Without meeting them where they are, and in a manner in which they can understand and respond appropriately, chaos will eventually ensue, and you will be looking for another new employee – again.

There are several books, published studies and other materials available to help you make the best decision for your specific situation. One of the better articles I have found was written by Jan Ferri-Reed in the April 2012 issue of the Journal for Quality and Participation.  In this piece, Jan focuses on ways to work proactively and effectively with Millennials by helping the reader understand why they think so differently, and place higher or lower values on things other generations deem non-negotiable or unacceptable.

There are other bodies of work describing the differences, and how to effectively manage them, but I would love to hear your thoughts. How do you work best with the different generations? What works, what doesn’t, and if you know – why?

As you are considering your response, please also take a moment to celebrate the differences, and celebrate Festivus – a Festivus for the rest of us!

Before founding her own consulting firm, Dawn Gannon served as a respected management professional in the military, higher education, and healthcare fields for 25 years. As a Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt, Dawn’s commitment and personal mission to improve the lives of others through service to the community focuses on providing administrative and volunteer management, consumer education, public outreach, event planning, relationship-building efforts, and strategic planning. She is also a published author on the topic of childfree living.