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For the first time in the nation’s history, four generations are working side by side in the

workplace. As attorneys, paralegals and other legal professionals work beyond retirement age,
many law firms and legal departments are trying to balance a generation gap of more than 50
years between the oldest and youngest employees. Although there is no consensus of the exact
birth dates that define each generation, they are generally broken into four distinct groups:

• The Traditionalists - Born between 1927 and 1945


• The Baby Boomers - Born between 1946 and 1964
• Generation X – Born between 1965 and the early 1980s
• Generation Y – Born in 1980 or later

The diverse perspectives, motivations, attitudes and needs of these four generations have changed
the dynamics of the legal workforce. A little insight into the differences among the generations
can help you better understand the needs and expectations of your colleagues in an age-diverse
workforce. By learning the motivations and generational footprint of each segment, you can
leverage your talents and capitalize on the diversity of your legal teams.

The Traditionalists

Born between 1927 and 1945, Traditionalists (also known as the Silent Generation) in the legal
workplace today are in their 60s, 70s and 80s. About 95% of Traditionalists are retired from the
workforce. Those who are not retired are at or near retirement age and many are working reduced
hours. Many Traditionalists in the legal workplace are aging partners, managers and “of counsel”
to law firms.

On the job, Traditionalists are hardworking and loyal. Raised during the Depression,
Traditionalists cherish their jobs and are hard workers. Many Traditionalists have worked for
only one employer their entire work life and are extremely loyal to coworkers and employers.
Traditionalists are great team players and get along well with others in the workplace.

Traditionalists differ from younger generations in how they process and respond to information.
They are less tech-savvy than younger generations and prefer in-person interaction to e-mails and
technological gadgets. Therefore, the best way to engage this generation is through face-to-face
interaction.

Unlike younger generations, Traditionalists are comfortable sitting in long lectures and meetings
are less inclined to incorporate video-conferencing and web-based technology into the workplace.

Baby Boomers

Born between 1946 and 1964, the Baby Boomer generation is predominately in their 40s and 50s.
They are well-established in their careers and hold positions of power and authority. This
generational segment constitutes a large majority of today’s law firm leaders, corporate
executives, senior paralegals and legal managers. In fact, nearly 70 percent of law firm partners
are Baby Boomers.

Members of the Post-War War II generation, Baby Boomers are loyal, work-centric and cynical.
This generation has lived through many changes in the legal industry and brings a different
perspective to the workplace.
Baby Boomers often equate salaries, high billables and long hours with success and commitment
to the workplace. They value face time in the office and may not welcome work flexibility or
work/life balance trends. High levels of responsibility, perks, praise and challenges will motivate
this generation.

Generation X

Generation X encompasses the 44 to 50 million Americans born between 1965 and 1980. This
generation marks the period of birth decline after the baby boom and is significantly smaller than
the previous and succeeding generations. Members of Generation X are largely in their 30’s and
early 40’s and hold junior partner, senior associate, mid-level paralegal and mid-level support
staff positions in law firms as well as middle-management positions in corporate legal
departments.

After witnessing the burnout or layoff of their hardworking parents, Generation X entered the
workplace with different work ethic and culture than previous generations. Unlike the Boomers,
Generation X places a premium on family time and has a different attitude about work. They are
ambitious and hardworking but value work/life balance.

In the legal workplace, Generation X dislikes rigid work requirements. They value the freedom to
set their own hours. Flexible work schedules and work-from-home options (as long as billable
quotas are met)may help to retain and motivate this generation.

Generation X has an entrepreneurial spirit. This generation thrives on diversity, challenge,


responsibility and creative input. If their current law firm does not provide them with these
opportunities, they will not hesitate to seek an employer who will.

A hands-off attitude often works best when supervising, mentoring or working with this
generation. Members of Generation X value freedom and autonomy to achieve desired goals and
often prefer to work alone rather than in teams. They dislike “meetings about meetings” and don’t
want face time. Flexible hours and challenging assignments will motivate this generation.

Generation Y

Generation Y legal professionals are in their 20s and are just entering the workforce. With
numbers estimated as high as 70 million, Generation Y (also known as the Millennials) is the
fastest growing segment of today’s workforce. As law firms compete for available talent,
employers cannot ignore the needs, desires and attitudes of this vast generation.

This new generation holds entry level associate, paralegal, law clerk and legal support positions
in law firms, corporate legal departments, the government and other practice environments.

Generation Y is smart, creative, optimistic, achievement-oriented and tech-savvy. This young


generation seeks out creative challenges, personal growth and meaningful careers. They seek
supervisors and mentors who are highly engaged in their professional development.

Generation Y are excellent multi-taskers and prefer communications through e-mail and text
messaging over face-to-face interaction. Their attitude is “don’t waste my time making me come
to your office.” They would rather send an e-mail so they can be drafting a brief, research a case
and answering e-mail at the same time. Cybertraining and lectures through web-based delivery
systems may be more effective than traditional lectures.
The legal industry is notorious for imposing long hours and billable hour quotas. As Generation
Y demands work/life balance in the law firm, employers will need to accommodate them by
creating a culture of flexibility. E-mail, laptops, Blackberrys, and other technology tools will help
Generation Y work remotely and remain connected 24/7.

When working with or supervising Generation Y, it’s wise to impose structure and stability and
cultivate a team-oriented environment. Immediate feedback and praise will help motivate and
reassure this young generation. Frequent communication and reassurance will help keep members
of Generation Y eager and involved.

Characteristics of an Intergenerational Workplace

In general terms, research indicates the following work characteristics between the Veterans,
Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y:

• Veterans: Strong work ethic, conservative and usually very loyal to their employer;
• Boomers: May be more diligent at work and more comfortable in a stable working
environment; generally loyal to their employer; accepting of ‘chain of command’
leadership style;
• Generation X: Prefer independence, self motivation and self sufficiency; may emphasise
the need for personal satisfaction, not just hard work; have broken the traditional Maslow
hierarchy of needs by challenging the path of individual development; concerned with
work/life balance;
• Generation: Y: Well educated, articulate with high levels of technical skills, more
individualistic and comfortable being part of the global village.

These work characteristics can lead to employees having different standards of work practice and
behaviours, which can lead to risks to overall performance.

Risks of the Intergenerational Workforce

A risk to organizations if intergenerational factors are not well managed is conflict between
employees that compromises business performance. Such conflict is particularly likely at stressful
times such as downsizing, leading to increased competition between employees. Even in more
stable business environments, it has been recognized a polarization of work attitudes between
older and younger employees negatively impacts upon the corporate environment.

Specific challenges that may be faced in an intergenerational workforce include succession


planning, how to accommodate differing generational views and managing conflict due to
different perspectives on commitment, respect, work and life balance, efficiency and
independence.

Changes to Industry

When considering the different traits of each generation, it is essential to also acknowledge the
impact of external conditions and events at a societal and global level that impact upon the
workforce. The industrial and economic factors affecting the workplace since the Veterans and
Boomers began their careers have changed greatly, and can be divided into the following three
periods:

• Industrial economy (to 1980)


• Service economy (1980 – 2000)
• Knowledge economy (2000 - )
This economic progression has seen workplace traits vary greatly. The industrial economy
emphasised worker control and loyalty to the firm, whereas the service economy offered greater
opportunities for training as customer relations became paramount. The result of these shifts was
different styles of leadership were seen to be needed according to the times.

Industrial leadership was seen as more task orientated, whereas service leadership was seen as
more relationship building. It is also reasonable to assume that in contemporary industrial or
service industries, similar perspectives may be required due to the nature of their work. This view
then shifts the perspective of workplaces values changing according to generation, towards
changing because of external factors such as industrial activity, and contemporary context.

Strategies to Successfully Manage the Intergenerational Workplace

Recognizing the value of the unique traits of each generation of workers is a positive way of
embracing an intergenerational workforce. While some may feel older employees are more rigid
and more change resistant, their maturity and experience can help them foresee problems before
they arise, and calmly deal with this in a confident manner. This experience can be used to benefit
other staff through mentoring and support; with this interaction a means of exchanging opinions
and points of view. In contrast, younger employees may have more creative ideas and a better
appreciation of contemporary issues, which can compliment a mature approach when all ages are
supported to work together collaboratively.

A large part of managing the intergenerational workforce is change management. Managing such
change would include acknowledging the different climate today’s workers are in from times
past. A study of Generation X professional women indicated both their need for self-actualization
through their careers, but also for companies to recognize their need for work/life balance. It has
been suggested organizations should focus at least some of their human resource activities on
working with the up and coming new generation of workers, determining their views on working,
reward and workplace preferences.

Another initiative organizations can take to ensure both their own competitiveness, and an ability
to retain an intergenerational workforce, is to offer ‘lifelong learning’ that is commensurate with
the knowledge era we are now in. A program of continual learning will keep employees up to
date with current trends and developments, and will bridge generational gaps by ensuring all
employees acquire the most up to date information needed in their profession.

In conclusion, regardless of which generation a person hails from, being valued and respected for
their unique talents and abilities, including appropriate rewards, will assist them to make a
positive contribution to their workplace. By recognizing the unique attributes members from all
generations can offer an organization, employers can develop strategies to turn these differences
into strengths as their employees work together to deliver the same organizational goals.

Understanding and Managing Different Generations


There are many generations at work, interacting with each other on a daily basis. Sometimes this
gives rise to frustration, conflict and misunderstanding. Yet each generation has something
worthwhile and exciting to offer.
Generational work styles
It’s helpful for managers to not only identify their own work style but also the style of those they
manage. One way to do so is to take a “generational” view. The following are some typical
characteristics of each generation.

Traditional Generation members (born between 1922–1945) tend to:


• believe in conformity, authority and rules
• have a very defined sense of right and wrong
• be loyal, disciplined, logical, detail-oriented
• view an understanding of history as a way to plan for the future
• dislike conflict
• seek out technological advancements
• prefer hierarchical organizational structures

Baby boomers (born between 1946-1964) are drawn to:


• Long hours at the office, including evenings and weekends
• building their career over the long term and loyalty to their employer
• viewing themselves and their career as one and the same
• Commitment to quality and doing a good job
• “hanging tough” through difficult work situations and policies
• finding solutions to problems
• being in charge and respecting authority

Members of Generation X (born between 1965-1980) tend to:


• prefer high-quality end results over quantity
• set and meet goals and are very productive
• multitask
• balance work and life; like flexible working hours, job sharing
• see themselves as free agents and marketable commodities
• be comfortable with authority but not impressed with titles
• be technically competent
• value ethnic diversity
• love independence

Members of Generation Y (born between 1981-1994) tend to prefer:


• effecting change and making an impact
• expressing themselves rather than defining themselves through work
• multitasking all the time
• Active involvement
• Flexibility in work hours and appearance; a relaxed work environment
• Teamwork
• On-the-job training
• getting everything immediately
• a balance of work and life

Tips for managing different generations


Managing the mixture of ages, faces, values and views is an increasingly difficult task. Ron
Zemke, Claire Raines and Bob Filipczak in their book Generations at Work: Managing the Clash
of Veterans, Boomers, Xers, and Nexters in Your Workplace describe it as “diversity management
at its most challenging.”
How do successful companies handle this dilemma? According to Generations at Work, they
build nontraditional workplaces, exhibit flexibility, emphasize respectful relationships and focus
on retaining talented employees. Zemke, Raines and Filipczak recommend five ways to avoid
confusion and conflict at work:

• Accommodate employee differences. Treat your employees as you do your customers. Learn
all you can about them, work to meet their specific needs and serve them according to their
unique preferences. Make an effort to accommodate personal scheduling needs, work/life balance
issues and nontraditional lifestyles.

• Create workplace choices. Allow the workplace to shape itself around the work being done,
the customers being served and the people who work there. Shorten the chain of command and
decrease bureaucracy.

• Operate for a sophisticated management style. Give those who report to you the big picture,
specific goals and measures. Then turn them loose. Give them feedback, rewards and recognition
as appropriate.
• Respect competence and initiative. Treat everyone, from the newest recruit to the most
seasoned employee, as if they have great things to offer and are motivated to do their best. Hire
carefully to assure a good match between people and work.

• Nourish retention. Keeping valuable employees is every bit as important in today’s economy
as finding and retaining customers. Offer lots of training—from one-on-one coaching sessions, to
interactive computer-based classes, to an extensive and varied classroom curriculum. Encourage
lots of lateral movement and broader assignments.

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