Unfairly Labeled How Your Workplace Can Benefit From Ditching Generational Stereotypes
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
JESSICA KRIEGEL is an organization and talent development consultant at Oracle. Her expertise is in strategic planning, talent management, leadership development, and intergenerational understanding. She consults on the topic of intergenerational understanding and talent management. She lives in Sacramento, CA.
Unfairly Labeled challenges the very concept of "generational differences" as an unfair generalization, and offers a roadmap to intergenerational understanding. While acknowledging that generational stereotypes exist, author Jessica Kriegel argues that they are wrong—and that it's unreasonable to assume that the millions of people born in the same 20-year time span are motivated by the same things, attracted to the same things, and should be dealt with in the same way. Kriegel's experience as Organizational Developer at Oracle puts her squarely in the talent strategy realm, where she works to optimize leadership development, team effectiveness, and organizational design. Drawing upon her experiences with workers of all ages and types, she shows how behaviors know no generational boundaries and how to work with people based on their talents, strengths, and weaknesses rather than simply slapping on a generational label and fitting them into an arbitrary slot.
There are 80 million Millenials in America, yet there are myriad books on "managing Millenials" and "working with Millenials" and "the problem with Millenials." This book shows that whether you're working with Millenials, Generation X, or Baby Boomers, age is not the issue—it's the interpersonal dynamics that matter most.
- Examine the concept of "generational issues"
- Explore the disparate reality of each 20-year generational span
- Learn to understand and work effectively with other generations
- Facilitate intergenerational understanding sessions
The human mind craves categorization, so the tendency to lump people together is natural. It may, however, be holding your organization back. The members of each generation have only one thing in common—their age—and even that varies by two whole decades. Why assume that they should all be managed the same way? Unfairly Labeled shows you a better way, and provides a roadmap to a more effective organizational strategy.
Preface xi
Part One: The Problem with Labeling Generations xii
Part Two: Toolkit for Managers xiii
Part Three: Overcoming Generational Labels xiv
Introduction: Taking Issue with Generational Issues xvii
Generation Exercise xviii
Perception Is Reality xx
How Labels Divide xxii
I THE PROBLEM WITH LABELING GENERATIONS 1
1 Why We Stereotype 3
The Brain Makes Categories 6
Predictions into Convictions 7
The Ladder of Inference 9
In-Group, Out-Group Dynamics 11
2 Age versus Generation 15
Age Discrimination 17
Age versus Generation 19
Hiding Age Discrimination Behind Generation Labels 21
Summary 24
3 American Labels in a Global World 25
Generation Stereotypes in Other Cultures 27
Summary 32
4 When Are the Labels Useful? 35
When a Label Is Useful: Marketing 38
The Better Way 40
Summary 43
II TOOLKIT FOR MANAGERS 45
5 Employee Engagement 47
The Stereotype 49
Origins of the Stereotype 51
The Truth about Motivating Millennials 60
Overcoming the Stereotypes 63
Summary 71
6 Performance Management 73
The Stereotype 75
The Truth about Managing Millennial Performance 82
Overcoming the Stereotypes 86
Summary 93
7 Collaborative Teamwork 95
The Stereotype 97
The Error in Stereotypes 99
Overcoming the Stereotypes 102
Summary 107
8 Recruiting 109
The Stereotype 112
The Origin of the Stereotype 113
Overcoming the Stereotypes 116
Summary 120
9 Technology 121
The Stereotypes 123
The Origins of the Stereotype 124
Overcoming the Stereotypes 128
Summary 131
III OVERCOMING GENERATIONAL LABELS 133
10 Roadmap to Changing Your Organization’s Culture 135
Be a Maven 137
Six Steps to Change 138
Summary 144
11 Case Study 1 145
Background 147
The Request 150
Needs Assessment 152
Survey Results 159
Results 159
Focus Groups 166
Training Programs 168
Return on Investment Analysis 185
Conclusion 191
12 Case Study 2 193
Background 195
The Request 196
Needs Assessment: Survey 198
Learning Style Differences by Generation 200
Learning Activity Preferences by Generation 200
Optimizing the Learning Environment 207
Practical Implications 209
Resources: Case Study 2 Details 211
References 217
About the Author 223
Index 225
The human mind craves categorization, which makes finding patterns and lumping people together natural. However, such stereotyping may be holding your organization back. The members of each generation—millennials, generation X, and baby boomers—actually have many things in common and are much more than their associated generational label. What is behind the widespread belief that millions of people who share a certain age bracket act, respond, and should be managed the same way? Unfairly Labeled reveals the misleading research and guidance behind the newest generational managing trends and provides a better way to effectively manage people—not stereotypes.
More than any other generation, the 80 million millennials in America have become the focus of countless books, blogs, and speaking engagements tackling how to manage, recruit, and connect with this latest group of people joining the workforce. Most of this information is not only incorrect and misguided but can also cost you talented employees, according to author Jessica Kriegel (a millennial herself), who optimizes leadership development, team effectiveness, and organizational design at Oracle. In her eye-opening examination of managing three generations of employees, she illustrates how interpersonal dynamics contribute the most to business success. Drawing on experience working with employees of all ages in diverse industries, she provides managers with a full toolkit for working with people based on their talents, strengths, and weaknesses. Delivered in a conversational narrative packed with real-world examples and up-to-date research, Jessica examines how the most common stereotypes came into being along with research-based explanations showing why they are untrue. She also shares her personal toolkit, conveniently organized in its own section of the book, which you can use immediately to:
- Effectually motivate employees without resorting to one-size-fits-all definitions
- Work with a tangible framework for inspiring performance management, including planning, reviewing, and developing employee performance
- Avoid the pitfalls of recruiting, including targeting specific generations, and best practices for creating top-performing collaborative teams
- Gain clear, enlightening and actionable insight into the myth of digital-native versus digital-immigrant workers
Unfairly Labeled is your authoritative road map to finding ways to attract and retain employees of every age because, fortunately, talent doesn’t fit in a stereotypical mold.
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
JESSICA KRIEGEL is an organization and talent development consultant at Oracle. Her expertise is in strategic planning, talent management, leadership development, and intergenerational understanding. She consults on the topic of intergenerational understanding and talent management. She lives in Sacramento, CA.