# Presentation: 309784

**ACROSS THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE****:**
**Conflict Resolution at the Workplace**
**In Honor of National Conflict Resolution Day**
**At the Veterans Administration**
**A workshop presented by:**
- Eileen Barkas Hoffman, Commissioner & Project Director
**Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service (FMCS)**
- _[www.fmcs.gov](http://www.fmcs.gov/)_

## Road Map to Training

- Gaining a better appreciation of each others’ traits and values.
- Developing a better understanding about differences in workplace norms.
- Identifying effective approaches to resolving generation-based conflicts.

## Background: The Next Ten Years...

**Number **
**of jobs**
**to be vacated: **
**32 million**

**Number **
**of jobs **
**to be created: **
**20 million**

**Total positions to be filled**
_**52 million**_

**Total positions to be filled:**
**52 million**

**Total potential employees available:**
**29 million**

**Projected employee gap:**
_**23 million**_

**Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics**

**Background: The Next Ten Years****...**

## Workplace Trends 

- Delayering of the workplace
- Incentives other than salary
- Different concepts of career and success
- Globalized economy and potential outsourcing
- Virtual workplace and Technological revolution
- Return of the retired worker

## Generational Groups

**Traditionalists** (1922-1945): 75 million
**Baby Boomers** (1946-1964): 80 million
**Generation X** (1965-1981): 46 million
**Millennials** (1982-2002): 76 million

## Workplace Issues

- Shared
- Values

- Traditionalists

- Millennials

- Boomers

- Gen Xers

**Work-Life Balance**

**Hours of Work**

**Training**

**Feedback**

**Work Ethic**

**Promotions**

**Communication**

**Dress Code**

**Recruitment**

**Tenure**

***5–7 % ***

* ****45-55%***

*     ****2–5%***

***35-45%***

## Generations in Conflict

*“**So, I told my boss, ‘If you’re looking for loyalty, buy a dog.”*

***“******He’s been out of training and in the field for 6 months and he wants a promotion – a promotion!”***

*“**She wants a ‘career map.’ H---! I don’t even know if there will be a customer relations department this time next year.”*

*“*If I hear* ‘We tried that in ’87’ *one more time, I’ll hurl in his wrinkly old face.”

**Generations in Conflict**

## Generations at Work:

- Authority
- Attitude Towards Work
- Teamwork/Training
- Communication
- Development/Skill building/Technology Transfer
- Work Life Balance
- Rewards/Incentives
- Dress Code

**Clashpoints**

**Four generations working together with different views on:**

**Notes:**
Encourage discussion of real-life situations they have encountered, and how they resolved them

Explain that you will now look at a short video clip that depicts a work team comprised of various gernerations.
Show the MEET video, scenario #3 “She’s old news...he’s too green”

## FMCS works to customize your own Generational Workshop to serve your workforce needs

**During this highly interactive workshop, FMCS trainers reveal the criteria for generational viewpoints and applications in the workplace.**
**Participants learn how they may identify with their own generational group and develop insight into their respective goals and interests in the workplace.**
**Participants gain a better understanding about communication and workplace conflict by discussing generational differences and learn tips for more effective communication in the workplace.**

## For Further Information....

*Eileen Hoffman – *_[ebhoffman@fmcs.gov](mailto:ebhoffman@fmcs.gov)_
*Jennifer Ortiz – *_[jortiz@fmcs.gov](mailto:jortiz@fmcs.gov)_
*Denise P. McKenney- *_[dmckenney@fmcs.gov](mailto:dmckenney@fmcs.gov)_
*FMCS Institute Courses or (202) 606-5445*
*	**	**	**www.fmcs.gov*