CAPÍTULO V: ESTUDIO TÉCNICO

Xers also adapted the boomers’ “question authority” attitude quickly—

much to the dismay of their boomer parents. They are determined to be involved, responsible, and in control. Because Xers grew up watching television, they tend to have a more cynical view and they focus on the here and now. They are risk takers, but they take calculated risks and are not intimidated by authority. They are problem solvers, tend to be goal- oriented, and demand fl exibility.

The best way to communicate with Xers is through e- mail. They are e- friendly and engage in a variety of online social media. They do well at social events, but do not respond well to something called a recruitment event because it doesn’t sound fun. They also want to get something back from their investment, be it the actual cost or the value of their time.

I recently had an e- mail exchange with a Gen X. She was registering for one of my classes, so her fi rst contact with me was the following e-mail.

I was honestly surprised that she would call me Deborah while call-ing herself Dr. Jones. As a baby boomer, I felt she should call me Dr.

Roebuck. She should give me the opportunity to invite her to call me Deborah. To see if she would notice that I addressed her as she addressed herself, I decided to respond back as shown below.

Hi Deborah,

I have registered for your upcoming August Minimester 2011 class and I would like to know which book I should purchase for this class. This will help me to do some homework. Also I am not able to see any “Start Here” folder at Home Page of Vista to work on my assignments, not sure if any action is pending on my side.

Thanks in advance, Dr. Jones

Dr. Jones:

I have added you to my class, so you should be able to get into GeorgiaView Vista.

See you on the 6th of August.

Deborah Britt Roebuck, Ph.D. RCC Professor of Management

Kennesaw State University 1000 Chastain Road, MB 0404 Kennesaw, GA 30144

770- 423- 6364 www.kennesaw.edu

She responded back as follows.

Thanks a lot Deborah, Just wondering which book I should buy for this subject?

Rgds, Dr. Jones

Obviously my baby boomer expectations were different from her Gen X way of communicating.

Gen Y, millennials, or echo boomers. Gen Y is the fi rst genera-tion to grow up with the Internet— they do not remember a time when it didn’t exist. As a result, Gen Yers tend to be technology dependent.

They are often overstimulated and easily become bored. This generation understands that they will change jobs at least once every fi ve years. As such, titles do not mean much— they believe respect should be earned based on the job, not the title. Millennials are goal- oriented and, like the silent generation, they are team players.

The Gen Yers (also known as the millennials or echo boomers) are technologically savvy, are extremely independent, and feel empowered.

They will question workplace regulations and will leave one organiza-tion to go to another if they are not satisfi ed. It’s all about technology for the Gen Yers, and they have relationships all over the world; they talk and do business 24/7 when they want to do it. Because traditional baby boomer work methods may be ineffective with these younger workers, organizations need new organizational structures and systems that result in loyalty and heightened productivity. As Don Lang, president of Talent Management, shared, “To reach the Gen Yers, managerial leaders must communicate clear outcomes and align their compensation and recogni-tion systems as opposed to just expecting employees to work 40 hours a week.” Don shared with me that employees must be given projects and tasks with clear outcomes as well as more individualized reward and rec-ognition benefi ts and incentives. He also shared that organizations need to advance people based upon their competence and not continue doing it the way we’ve always done it in the past.²⁶ Figure 1.2 illustrates how the different generations interact in the workplace.

People communicate to a large degree based on their generational backgrounds. Each generation has distinct attitudes, behaviors, expecta-tions, habits, and motivational buttons. Learning how to communicate with the different generations can eliminate many major confrontations and misunderstandings in the workplace. Consider the suggestions in Figure 1.2 to guide your communication efforts.

Tips for Communicating With Traditionalists

• Remember that traditionalists are private. Don’t expect mem-bers of this generation to share their thoughts immediately.

Veterans Silent TraditionalistBaby boomersGen Xers

Gen Yers Millennials Echo boomers Work ethicDedicatedDrivenBalancedDetermined Command attention Communication style

One-on-one memosFace time Telephone Call me anytime. E- mail Face time Cell phones Call me only at work. E- mail Internet— Facebook Fast- paced messaging Blogging Smartphones Relationship to feedback

No news is good news.Feedback is given only once a year with substantial documentation.

Sorry to interrupt, but how am I doing?I want feedback whenever I desire it. Motivational message

Your experience is an important asset in order for the team to succeed.

I value our work and I need you to . . . Forget the rules; do it your way . . . You will be working with other bright, creative people. Figure 1.2. Generational Views of the Workplace Source: Business Beat, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, August 2006

• Focus on words.

• Use face- to- face or written communication.

• Don’t waste their time, or let them feel as though their time is being wasted.

Tips for Communicating With Baby Boomers

• Use body language when communicating.

• Speak in an open, direct style but avoid language that they could perceive as designed to control them.

• Answer questions thoroughly and expect to be pressed for the details.

• Present options to demonstrate fl exibility in your thinking.

Tips for Communicating With Generation X

• Use e- mail as a primary communication tool.

• Talk in short sound bites to keep their attention.

• Ask them for their feedback and provide them with regular feedback.

• Share information with them on a regular basis and strive to keep them in the loop.

• Use an informal communication style.

Tips for Communicating With Generation Y

• Use action words and challenge them.

• Do not talk down to them as they will not like it.

• Use e- mail, IM, and texting to communicate.

• Seek their feedback constantly and provide them with regular feedback.

• Use humor and create a fun learning environment.

• Encourage them to take risks and break the rules to explore new ways of learning.

These Tips Will Help You Communicate With All the Generations

• Review and become familiar with the different generations.

• Don’t judge a book by its cover— in other words, look beyond appearances.

• Be aware of what is said, but more importantly, how it’s said.

• Adopt ageless thinking— one is only as old as one feels!

• Offer an information session on different generations and how to work as a team with diverse age groups.

• Consider creating a mentoring program that involves workers of various ages.

• Try adding team- building activities.

• Have collaborative planning and decision making or problem solving discussions.

• Communicate information in multiple ways.

• Be accommodating to differences in personal scheduling needs, work/life balance issues, and nontraditional lifestyles.

• Respect each other— treat everyone, from the newest to the most seasoned member, as if they have great things to offer and are motivated to do their best.

• Capitalize on each individual member’s strengths.

• Be patient with each other.²⁷

A major component of our Executive MBA program was virtual team-ing with Romanian Executive MBA students. These teams conducted videoconferences during the spring semester. Because Romania does not follow Daylight Savings Time, the Romanian students arrived an hour late for their team’s meeting. At fi rst the U.S. students were upset, but once they learned the reason, they worked through that obstacle.

Another difference that we encountered in planning the Romanians’

visit to Atlanta was scheduling their time here so as not to confl ict with their celebration of Easter, which is typically later than the Easter celebration in the United States.

Intercultural Differences

Individuals from different cultures bring different perceptions, value sys-tems, and languages to the workplace. These differences make the task of communicating even more diffi cult. For example, holidays and vacation schedules vary from country to country. In Romania and other east-ern European countries, you would not want to schedule an important meeting in August as most businesses take a three- or four- week holiday during that month. Employees in one country may be unaware that an offi ce in another country is closed on a given day or that vacations may be taken at different times of the year.

The way a particular culture responds to deadlines and timing is often different. To be successful in business dealings, you must be aware of and sensitive to cultural differences, use appropriate language, correctly interpret nonverbal communication, and value individual and cultural differences.

Being aware and sensitive. You must be aware that an individual’s background and experience can affect his or her interpretation and per-ception of a message. Check to see if you have any hidden biases and to see if you have formed an opinion about how people of a certain sex, religion, or race appear, think, and act based simply on their belonging to a particular group. Prejudging people as a group may make it diffi cult to communicate with them as individuals. Try to avoid stereotyping and the use of sexist, racist, or ethnic remarks.

Using appropriate language. Remember, the same word may mean different things to people from other countries. Some words may have different meanings in other languages. For example, the word sensible means sensitive in French and the word pronounced as he means she in Hebrew. Use feedback to clarify your message. By asking questions, you can usually determine whether or not the individual understood your message as you intended.

Interpreting nonverbal communication. Each culture interprets and displays body language differently. Certain nonverbal signs can be clues that the receiver does not understand and is trying to save face. For example, exces-sive nodding, inappropriate laughter, tentative yes answers, silence, and lack of initiative all point to a breakdown in communication. In Japan, nodding to the speaker does not necessarily mean agreement, but denotes an acknowl-edgment of the understanding of the verbal communication. Personal space requirements differ in various parts of the world. In the United States and

other English- speaking cultures, an arm’s length is considered an appropriate separation between two individuals engaged in conversation. Conversely, in some Latino cultures, closer contact is standard practice. When an individual has diffi culty speaking English, closely observe the nonverbal communica-tion. The body language may tell you what the words don’t.

Valuing differences. As an effective managerial leadership com-municator, you must learn to value, appreciate, and accept individual differences. As the workforce continues to become more culturally diverse, individuals should welcome opportunities to learn from each other. The continually changing employee population presents opportu-nities for personal growth and improvements in global understanding.

Figure 1.3 presents some general tips for communicating across cultures.

1. Learn something about the country, local customs, and cultural sensitivities to avoid making faux pas while abroad.

2. Err on the side of formality. Be low- key in dress, manners, and behavior.

3. Don’t rush greetings and introductions in an effort to get down to business quickly.

4. Expect your meetings and negotiations to be longer than antici-pated. Build more time into schedules.

5. Don’t show impatience or irritation. Politeness and respect matter.

6. Express yourself carefully. Accents, idioms, and business jargon may be unfamiliar.

7. Listen attentively to show that you care about what is being said.

8. Indicate a sincere interest in your colleagues and their concerns and issues to build win- win solutions.

9. Don’t put global colleagues on the spot or cause loss of face by being too direct or expecting a “yes” or “no” answer.

10. Avoid public criticism or comparison with your own country.

11. Familiarize yourself with customs surrounding gift- giving and business entertaining.

12. Build relationships and trust, which is the key to successful global partnerships.

Figure 1.3. International Communication Tips

Source: 12 Tips for Global Business Travelers By: Sondra Sen, author of International Business Interacts, Specifi c cross- cultural business guides on 50 countries Retrieved from http://

www.1000advices.com/guru/cultures_communication_12tips_ss.html