Writing and Working Across the Generations, CONDUIT 2019

Editor's Notes

• #2: I'm Steve Jong, President of the New England Chapter, Fellow, former Board member, and chair of the first Certification Commission For the last five years I've been studying the effects of demographics on three groups we really care about: audiences, workgroups, and organizations I'm excited to share some of my findings with you I have posted these slides at slideshare.net
• #3: Most presentations and workshops you’ve seen concern themselves only with the current and future impact of technology Technology is an important subject to us—it comprises our subjects and our tools But it comes and goes quickly and sometimes unpredictably Forecasts about technology are subject to huge errors Our job is to communicate with people, and to do it we work with and for people, and we’re interested in improving these experiences The most influential factor affecting these experiences is actually quantifiable and predictable with mathematical precision: the makeup of the people we work with and write for
• #4: First: What are demographics? Demographics have a big impact: “Demography is destiny” Demographers can confidently predict populations (even 100 years into the future) Demographics can forecast economic growth (or decline) Demographics can influence government policies (Social Security, Medicare rates) Demographics can even predict war and civil unrest (by looking at the number of military-age men) For our purposes, demographics can predict the size and composition of our audiences and coworkers, now and into the future Note: Demographics can speak to all elements of diversity, but I will ignore everything but age differences
• #5: A useful way to visualize demographic data is the population pyramid Sides are male|female, # or % (this shows millions), 5-year slices by age called cohorts starting at the bottom For example, this is India 1991 ~59 million males 0–4, ~57 million females More men than women overall Cohort numbers decline as people age Capped at 80 here because no appreciable number lived longer in that country at that time Undisturbed, smooth progression (no wars or epidemics) The gray area gives a visual sense of the odds of reaching a given age Concave sides show accelerating population growth Fundamental formula to predict the size of the next cohort: # of fertile women x birth rate - mortality rate = projected cohort size
• #6: And here’s the United States at about the same time (1990) Scale larger than Russia, smaller than India No appreciable population in 85+ cohorts Notice the baby boom, the smaller cohorts before and after (key point) You begin to see how demographics affect society; for example: This is why you still hear 1960s music in commercials today (Total fertility rate is currently 1.9/1000, mortality 2.1)
• #7: Demographers work with 5-year cohorts, but sociologists speak of ~20-year groups called generations Generation boundaries are flexible: set by consensus from demographers or sociologists, or by shared formative historical events The living generations are: Silent: born between 1928–1945 (the name comes from sociologists) Boomer: born between 1946–1964 (post-war babies; the name comes from the demographics) Gen X: born between 1965–1980 (they named themselves by consensus from Douglas Coupland’s novel) Millennial: born between 1981–1996 (they came of age in the new millennium) “Homeland” (not shown here, also “Gen Z”—no consensus name yet): born 1997– (not considered here)
• #8: Those are the names of generations. What about their attitudes? Key point: Surveys are another important source of information about generations, revealing how they view themselves (and others) Statistically valid Generations self-identify and self-report The leading source of survey information is the Pew Research Group This table is a small example of the data they’ve collected Respondents were asked this question, and their responses were recorded Notice that some answers (“smarter”) don’t change from generation to generation, while others (“work ethic” and “technology use”) do These attitudes affect today’s audiences and workers This may not seem like much to go on, but it’s more solid than what we typically use when constructing personas
• #9: Survey data presents broad strokes that sound like astrology or at best pop psychology Humans being individualistic, there are many exceptions (such as us, tech-savvy) and border cases (“I’m an old soul”) Right about now a good skeptic would be thinking: Does anybody believe this stuff? (I include a skeptical reference) Key point: Yes, they do, and some take it very seriously Businesses and organizations have invested money studying generational effects on their customers, employees, and members, and are acting strategically on their findings: What products are made, how designed (app as game, shown at left), and marketed (selling Buicks to Millennials, shown top right, is considered existential to GM) Why CEOs today take activist stances (cf. Apple, Google) How workgroups are recruited, organized, and retained (for example, working at home, bottom right) Which benefits are offered to employees or organization members (for example, tuition reimbursement, support for organized social activism, free membership for new practitioners)
• #10: Surveys tell us with confidence what living people think about themselves and their contemporaries Is the data all random? Doesn’t it change over time? How can we make sense of it? Generational theory ties it all together The fundamental questions are: Are attitudes fixed or changing? Do all people think alike at the same age? Somewhat—circle of life, ages of humanity (life cycle effects) But have 22-, 42-, 62-, or 82-year-olds always thought alike? Surveys reveal: no, there are significant historical differences Period effects: “People in a particular age group tend to share a distinct set of beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors because they all grow up and come of age during a particular period in history” [Wikipedia] Cohort effects: Each generation shares a different experience of key historical events, and recognizes it (common perceived membership) “I’ll never forget where I was when I heard about _______” Surveys have found that each generation has some distinct and unchanging characteristics, not just a difference in age These values tend to be “baked in” and remain, unchanged, over time Key point: Once a generation assumes a character, it maintains it throughout its life. For example: The Depression, a key historical event, made people thrifty (unemployment was 25%), and to the ends of their lives they remained so Those who came of age in the Sixties learned to question authority, and have never stopped Those who came of age in the Eighties (the “latchkey” era) became self-reliant and pragmatic, and (one predicts) will remain so So, three factors contribute to the character of each generation: Life cycle effects: Predictable Period effects: Repeating cycles Cohort effects: Random elements
• #11: The major work in generational theory is Generations, by Strauss and Howe, a magisterial 1991 work examining 400 years of American generations They define a set of four generations (based on the four ages of a lifetime) as a saeculum Key point: According to their theory, saeculums (the character of generations) repeat in cycles Dominant, recessive, dominant, recessive Generations keep a distinctive sense of self as they age, and react to the older and younger generations in repeating and predictable cycles (here I use their archetype terms Artist, Prophet, Nomad, and Hero) Each generation is influenced by the generations before it and by external events Natural antipathies (generational conflicts) between generation N and N+2 (for example, between Silent and Gen X) To me the most impressive aspect of Strauss and Howe’s work is that they predicted the character of the next full saeculum (4 generations, nearly 100 years into the future) But for our purposes today I will focus on the present, using generational theory only for convenience of structure and to suggest why things are as they are Ignoring older and younger generations, three generations make up today’s audience and workforce: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials Very broadly speaking, in their journeys through life, today Millennials occupy the worker role, Gen Xers the management role, and Boomers the leadership role Let’s look at these three generations of Americans making their journeys through life, and see what they say about themselves that pertains to their behavior as our audience, our coworkers, and our professional colleagues
• #12: First, let’s combine demographic and sociological data Right now, there are roughly equal numbers of Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials in the US population and workforce But not for long Audience: The US population is at a tipping point: in 2019 the plurality (that is, more than any other generation) is Millennials Workforce: Every day in the US, 10,000 Boomers retire and 10,000 Millennials start their first jobs Boston is the most “millennial” (40%) of the 25 largest US cities [Boston Globe] [Doing my research, I saw a presentation titled “The Millennial Generation: A Blessing or Curse for the Workforce?” The correct title is “The Millennial Generation: The Workforce”] (Remember the population pyramid? Because of the relatively small size of the Gen X generation, I am de-emphasizing them)
• #13: Using demographics, it’s easy to project the US population and begin to understand the generational forces around us Let’s look at 2024 (with the Strauss and Howe generations added as vertical bars) US population: 354M (>50% Millennial, 30% 55+, decelerating growth) I’ve added vertical bars to represent the two groups we’re interested in, our audience and our coworkers Not critical, but I assume “audience” is 15–89 and “workforce” is 25–64 (40 years) Notice that “Audience” is bigger than “Workforce” Boomers are in audience but mostly out of the workforce [But Census Bureau defines “labor force” (today) as age 16-54 and “prime-age workforce” as 25-54 (30 years)] Any way you slice it, Gen Xers and Millennials—mostly Millennials—will soon make up the bulk of the workforce (Homelanders are an audience but not yet in workforce Assuming Homelanders are a 20-year generation, another as-yet unnamed generation is in the 0–4 cohort)
• #14: Let me throw some survey results at you Then we’ll look at how they influence the thinking of today’s generations
• #15: (Includes me) Demographically the largest generation in US history Retiring @ 10k/day in US Audience: Boomers dominate(d) our audience (because of sheer numbers) Grew up in an analog world (records, film, printed books) Today, Boomers complain about, and are increasingly overwhelmed by, technology (misoneism) Attitudes: Drilldown: why suspicious of authority? Because Vietnam War, Watergate (conflict with elders) [cf. George Will’s book review, “An unsparing look at the Vietnam War's mountain of lies,” Washington Post, 18 October 2018] (Boomers are notoriously difficult for associations to deal with; demand a “value proposition”) Information needs: Learning style: study, memorize; seminars Drilldown: why low-tech? Because they grew up with low-tech schooling (I know—I ran the film projector in school) Workplace: Boomers dominate(d) the workforce [still outsized: 20% of 65-year-olds still work (white-collar workers don’t wear out)] In leadership (C-level) positions Hold lots of face-to-face meetings Comfortable with communicating by email (Silents: well-crafted memo)
• #16: (I felt badly researching this generation) Demographically this is a much smaller generation than the preceding and following generations, so they are less influential These are the “latchkey kids” who were given space by their self-absorbed parents These are the school kids who watched the space shuttle Challenger, with a teacher aboard, blow up on live TV in their classrooms This is the first US generation to have less material wealth than their parents did As an audience: Computer literate Bridge between analog and digital Learning style: seminars, computer-aided instruction (CAI) In the workplace: In middle management Stuck with job hopping (McJobs), “failure to launch”; hit their peak earning years during Great Recession Half say they’re stalled in their careers, squeezed between more-numerous older Boomers who won’t retire (worse in fields like aerospace and teaching) and a younger, more numerous generation Used to 24/7 email contact Over 40% are responsible for both a dependent child and an aged parent; originated “work-life balance” (unlike Boomers) Want to be left alone; don’t like to be micromanaged Drilldown: Why not micromanaged? Because they grew up as latchkey kids
• #17: (I have 3 Millennial sons) Already a thoroughly studied and surveyed group Demographically a much larger generation than Gen Xers, so their influence is already greater despite being younger By generational theory, this generation resembles the GI generation In 1991—during their childhood—Strauss and Howe predicted they would be another “heroic” generation, likely to be presented with, and deal with, a great secular crisis (they think it’s global warming) Their Gen X parents wouldn’t make the mistakes their parents made, so they made new ones: “snowplow” Audience: Learning style: Ask a friend; one on one Workplace: Prime labor force Tattoos always chic and visible Used to high-stakes testing (and high stress) Goal-driven, but see no distinction between “work” and “non-work” Expect to job-hop [average Millennial is on job #3] Expect to become leaders immediately, want to make a difference HR experts say losing access to social media, inflexible working arrangements, or inferior company equipment is increasingly an employment dealbreaker for them [Remember Buick?] Only 25% get driver’s licenses at 16, down from 46% 30 years ago Short attention span, but can multitask better Comfortable with communicating by text (average 75 texts/day), not email [colleges report graduating seniors sometimes have never checked their email once] Growing up, they were closely watched, overprogrammed, and told that their opinions matter, so they speak up and expect to be heard Want to be closely managed (compare with Gen Xers) Ford: 75% demand their employers not harm society
• #18: We can use the demographic data and survey results I’ve shared to construct pretty solid personas
• #19: Tell me if this sounds familiar: (Typical quotes, about technology but also thrift: “Why would I add numbers in my head when I have a calculator?” “Why should I pay to download a song when I already have the record?”) Life event: I’ll never forget where I was when I heard about the (JFK|RFK) assassination Car: I drive everywhere Goals: I am an individual I always ask: What’s in it for me? (key Boomer differentiator) Ideal job: I most want a high-paying job, but I’m willing to wait my turn Work style: I used to do my work without computers, and that might have been better; today I’m uncomfortable with them (and a little mistrustful—check your spreadsheet formulas!) I miss writing books I can work from home, but I like to interact face to face Trusted source: I remember when the encyclopedia was my most trusted source of information (anyone can edit a Wikipedia entry!); I can adapt to Google, but I don’t get going to YouTube for answers I read (or my Internet portal is my computer) Success: I am process-oriented, so success to me means putting in the time Stressors: Computers today don’t work the way they should Even though I know exactly what I’m doing, I’m under pressure at work because of age discrimination (“40 is the new old”) I think about retirement all the time—but I’m never going to retire
• #20: “I have the CD, or I can download the music” Life event: I’ll never forget where I was when I saw the Challenger disaster Car: I drive everywhere Goals: I always say: It’s important to balance work and life [Gil Y.] Life is too short not to enjoy what you’re doing (key Gen X differentiator) Ideal job: I did my work without smartphones, and I remember how to do it by hand, but this way is better I miss writing Help systems Work style: I don’t trust the people in charge—I want to be left alone to do my job I’m self-reliant and self-sufficient, and I like to interact by email, but sometimes it’s best to just pick up the phone Trusted source: Google is my most trusted source of information; I can adapt to Wikipedia, but I don’t get going to Instagram for answers My Internet portal is my laptop Success: I am project-oriented, so success to me means getting done on time (and getting home on time) Stressors: My boss won’t retire I have to stuff my 401(k)—I’ll never be able to retire at the rate I’m going
• #21: “Why would I use a calculator when I can ask my phone?” Life event: I’ll never forget where I was when I heard about the Columbine HS shooting Car: I live in the city, and I don’t want a car, it’s better to call an Uber anyway [post-peak car; remember Buick?] I don’t see the point of going to an office anyway [70%] because I work whenever and wherever an idea strikes me [work-life integration] Goals: I expect us to save the world [66%] (Jim D). I most want to do things that make an impact I expect my employer to take a stand on social issues [75%; Elton] Ideal job: I like to work in groups, and as a group, we can accomplish anything We like to interact by text or chat [gaming again], but I wouldn’t presume to interrupt people with calls Trusted source: Wikipedia is my most trusted source of information, because it’s always up to date; I can adapt to WikiHow, but I don’t get going to TikTok for answers My internet portal is my smartphone, I love it, and [90% say] I’m never without it Success: I am output-oriented, so success to me means positive feedback I expect to be rewarded for what I do and promoted quickly, or I’ll get another job Stressors: I can’t pay off my student loans [Class of ’15 avg. $30K] Social Security won’t exist when I’m old, so I’m never going to retire
• #22: Our first maxim is: Know your audience! A better understanding helps you (the personas I presented are solid) Based on demographics, surveys, and generational theory, what can we say about presenting information to audiences of different generations? We know they’re significantly different, as this image suggests Because Boomer and Gen X audiences are not much different, I’ll take a binary view here You probably can’t write just for one audience, so keeping these differences in mind, focus on the most likely one (guess which…) How do people interact with technology? Age-based How do they consume information? In print? Desktop computers? No, mobile first (the top browsing platform worldwide) What is your audience familiar with? What analogies can you use? Mailboxes? Telephones? Books? Fortnite? What vocabulary do you use? Pressing? Clicking? Tapping? Touching? Saying?
• #23: The younger the audience, the less you have to explain technology—to them it’s just the way things are OTOH, they may be tech-immersed, but they’re not tech-savvy—they know that things work but not how they work Millennials don’t need or want explanations of how to use technology, just how to accomplish their tasks quickly In a webpage world, all-text help systems are doomed, so don’t write, show (using visuals, video, augmented reality, virtual reality) Present information as opportunities to learn (think game, not chore) Minimalism: Millennials, raised on games, are willing to explore for themselves and not have everything spelled out for them (Corollary: don’t document the tasks that put you to sleep writing them) Discuss achievements and feedback (in IBM task terms, results are more important) Training: video (TEDtalk) They’ve grown up with the Web, and rely on social media, so while the authoritative source may be the technical documentation, customers may go first (or only) to an online support forum (which you should therefore try to get control of)
• #24: We’re mostly used to this audience already; here are some relevant tips The older the audience, the more you need to explain new technology, simply and metaphorically, in terms of older technology “Intuitive” is a misleading term: in apps, show steps you think are obvious, but aren’t to them [Russian camera lady] Millennials like to explore, but Boomers like to be told (show where things are, especially on complex screens) Show what it looks like when they succeed (yes, this means screenshots) Boomers are likely to get frustrated quickly when things don’t work as they expect (because they have learned expectations) Troubleshooting tips are a good idea—for all audiences, but especially for Boomers
• #25: I wrote a paper for the STC Annual Conference in 1984 with this title, but I wasn’t thinking of this computer at all How do you document this interface (AUI): by example only? Yes, I think so For an older audience: how it works is of interest, especially to a generation suspicious of authority (“is it recording me?”) For a younger audience: it works just like talking to a friend
• #26: Now that we’ve met the generations and discussed how to write for them, let’s talk about how they work together (In this stock photo, is this a civil conversation? Maybe not) Nobody wants conflict. How can we avoid it? Intergenerational conflicts in today’s workplace are particularly nasty because three equal-sized generations are jostling for position, but the most powerful one is ebbing HR groups tell us that over the next 5–10 years the biggest workplace conflicts will be between Boomers hanging on to their jobs and Gen Xers fighting to get them But demographers already predict who will win [You can see the signs of change in the workplace: After a reactionary phase when companies tried to ban Internet use, now they have Slack groups No more assigned offices Landscapers, traffic cops with smartphones—they’re universal] The first step to avoiding conflict is to take the time to get to know people Let’s review the surveys again and do that now I’ll offer ten tips for each direction
• #27: In 2013, Ernst & Young surveyed 1,200 people, equally split between Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials, to get their perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of each generation One common workplace survey question is, “What is the most important thing about your job?” (2:1 ratio of “pay” versus “meaningful work”). It may not be true for individuals, but it’s true at the generation level By now you’re familiar with the results
• #28: By that survey Gen Xers have it tough today, but their day as leaders is coming, because demographics
• #29: Drilldown: why are Millennials used to constant feedback? Because helicopter/snowplow parents, gaming, and social media (Why do companies create products with social-media components? Because Millennials [demographics]) Today HR groups tell us Millennials will turn down jobs at companies that don’t have a social goal: (“We’d like to make you an offer. Do you have any questions for us?” “Yes, how are you making the world a better place?” “I don’t understand. We earn value for shareholders.” “Then I’m not interested.”) Another high priority is professional development [Wright, Great Leadership blog] Hard (tech skills) they have Soft skills they haven’t been exposed to
• #30: Here are 12 tips (I lied) for working with older people: 1. Don’t discriminate by age 2. Show your work: an instant answer is unsettling to Boomers if they don’t know what went into it 3. Do not say, “I have parents your age,” even if you do 4. Never say “This is so easy!” 5. Don’t roll your eyes—take them seriously, despite their age [Brookings Institute: “Older workers possess deep work experience and expertise as well as extensive institutional knowledge and professional networks.”] 6. Be willing to learn from them (fake it if necessary) 7. Look for a mentor 8. Don’t make the boss look bad in public 9. If you’re their boss, ask for their feedback, and listen 10. They’ve had to work hard since they were your age to get where they are today—don’t expect instant success 11. Ignore the occasional insensitive comment—they’re not woke 12. Tuned messages: "You are valuable, worthy," or "Your contribution is unique and important to our success" (to Boomers); "Let's explore some options outside of the box" or "Your technical expertise is a big asset" (Gen Xers)
• #31: (This stock photo suggests to me a real conflict I imagine the older man is about to say, “Are you even listening to us?” or “Fetch!” The younger man is about to announce a solution based on a Slack conversation with 100 colleagues worldwide) Here are 10 tips: 1. Don’t discriminate by age 2. Be flexible—there’s more than one right answer 3. Do not say, “I have kids your age,” even if you do 4. If you’re the boss, they may still be right—take them seriously 5. They may work much faster than you expect 6. Coach, don’t micromanage; give feedback, and frequently 7. Mentor, don’t just boss 8. Don’t criticize them in front of others 9. Coach them through the occasional social awkwardness—they’re not corporate 10. Tuned messages: "You will be collaborating with other bright, creative people," or "You have really rescued this situation with your commitment”
• #32: Don’t use generation labels pejoratively Two common themes of communicating and working with people of all ages: Understanding where people are coming from, but also getting to know people as individuals, is never wrong Communicate—listen In the workplace, the best decisions are made by diverse groups sharing their viewpoints (this isn’t just my opinion) Closing thoughts: Don’t laugh at Boomers who aren’t adjusting to technology—eventually, you too will become misoneistic Most books about dealing with Millennials are written from the perspective that Millennials are somehow “them,” and that Boomers are the “us” who will never leave the scene This is, of course, wrong, because the population pyramid never stops A last word for Millennials: It doesn’t end with you Since 1997, every day, 10,000 Homelanders are born The oldest graduate college this year