Www.toastmasters.org Leading in the Moment Generational Leadership, Big Projects, Planning, & Small Tasks when leaders are ready for them J. Randy Penn

www.toastmasters.org

Leading in the MomentGenerational Leadership,

Big Projects, Planning, & Small Tasks when leaders are ready for them

J. Randy Penn DTMFor District 21 TLI – January 19, 2013


Key Learning

• “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

• – Mark Twain



Why are we here?

The Toastmasters Leadership Program Dr Ralph Smedley’s Vision Competent, Advanced Distinguished Leadership

Regular, Detailed, Sequential

Generational Differences Traditionals Baby Boomer Gen X Gen Y/ Millennials

What we can do about it It’s tougher to lead diverse groups Especially tougher on leaders


Dr Ralph Smedley’s Vision

YMCA Santa Ana, CA 1924 Director Education

Observed that young patrons needed:

• job skills, specifically

• “training in the art of public speaking and in presiding

over meetings”

Decided the training format would be a social club


Toastmasters Education System


Toastmasters Leadership Program

• Competent Leadership (CL)

• Advanced Leader Bronze (ALB)

• Advanced Leader Silver (ALS)

• Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM)

• Manual 10 projects club meeting roles

• CC, Club Officer , TLI, 2 presentations

• ALB, District Officer, HPL, Club Starter

• ALS & ACG


Toastmasters Leadership Program

• Competent Leadership (CL)

• Advanced Leader Bronze (ALB)

• Advanced Leader Silver (ALS)

• Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM)

• Meeting Leadership

• Club Leadership

• District Leadership

• 3%


4 Generations in Toastmasters

• Traditionals born before 1946 68+ yoa• Baby boomers 1946 and 1964 49-67 yoa– Work is an anchor in their lives.

• Gen X 1965 and 1980 33-48 yoa– More concerned about work-life balance.

• Millennials/GenY born after 1980 18-32 yoa– Often have different priorities. Rely on technology, can

work at anytime/anyplace. Believe they should be evaluated on work produced — not on how, when, where or why they got it done.


Who are the they?Views Toward Boomers Gen Xers Millennials1 Level of trust Confident of self,

not authorityLow toward authority

High toward authority

2 Loyalty to institutions

Cynical Considered naïve Committed

3 Most admire Taking charge Creating enterprise

Following a hero of integrity

4 Career goals Build a stellar career

Build a portable career

Build parallel careers

5 Rewards Title and corner office

Freedom not to do

Meaningful work

6 Parent-child involvement

Receding Distant Intruding


Who are the they? continued

Views Toward Boomers Gen Xers Millennials7 Having children

Controlled Doubtful Definite

8 Family life Indulged as children

Alienated as children

Protected as children

9 Education Freedom of Expression

Pragmatic Structure of accountability

10 Evaluation Once a year with documentation

“Sorry, but how am I doing?”

Feedback when I want it

11 Political orientation

Attack oppression

Apathetic, individual Crave community

12 The big question

What does it mean?

Does it work? How do we build it?


Attitudes about workFactor Baby Boomers Generation Xers Millennials

Attitude Optimistic Skeptical Realistic

Overview They believe in possibilities, and often idealistically strive to make a positive difference in the world. They are also competitive and seek ways to change the system to get ahead.

The most misunderstood generation, they are very resourceful and independent and do not depend on others to help them out.

They appreciate diversity, prefer to collaborate instead of being ordered, and are very pragmatic when solving problems.

Work habits They have an optimistic outlook. They are hard workers who want personal gratification from the work they do. They believe in self-improvement and growth.

They are aware of diversity and think globally. They want to balance work with other parts of life. They tend to be informal. They rely on themselves. They are practical in their approach to work. They want to have fun at work. They like to work with the latest technology.

They have an optimistic outlook. They are self-assured and achievement focused. They believe in strong morals and serving the community. They are aware of diversity.


How do we recruit & train (Boomers)

• Begin the Toastmasters Year—July 1• District Officers• Conference Chair• TLI Chair• Club Officer

• Club Meeting roles—2 to 6 weeks in advance• CC Speech Manual—sequential learning• CL Manual—complicated matrix• Advanced Leadership—No manuals, projects


Oscar the Grouch• [singing]

Let this be the Grouch's cause! Point out everybody's flaws! Something is wrong with everything, except the way I sing!


How do you lead Millennials?

• Flexibility• They want to work with friends • Respect• Fun & Sense of Humor• Variety of tasks, experiences, mentors• Mentor


Examples of Managing Mellinnials

• Provide engaging experiences that develop transferable skills. By making them more employable, we actually increase the odds that they will stay.

• Provide a rationale for the work you’ve asked them to do and the value it adds.

• Provide variety. • Grow teams and networks with great care …

develop the tools and processes to support faster response and more innovative solutions.


Examples of Managing Mellinnials

• Explicitly reward extra effort and excellence of results.

• Pay close attention to helping them navigate work and family issues.

• Demonstrate a willingness and availability to talk through their perceived problems, i.e., just listen.

• Lead like a web site. They’ll tell what they want.• Identify, Research or Buy It Now!• Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?: Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing

by Bryan Eisenberg, Jeffrey Eisenberg and Lisa T. Davis



Communicating with Millennials

• Positive• Respectful• Motivational• Electronic• Text, Email, PPT, YouTube• Lead like a web site. They’ll tell what they want.• Identify, Research or Buy It Now!

• In person, if the message is really important. • Timely.


Recruiting & Training Millennials

• Make it Fun• Engage them

interactively & engaging • Keep up the pace• Reward skill

development• Real Content

• Begin with Orientation, not skills training

• Assess what they know• Continually reinvent

your training• Communicate where to

turn for answers• Don’t just train the

what, train the why


Key Lessons

• Flexible Leadership recruiting & style– Ask for roles, describe

tasks, provide info– Be prepared to split roles

& negotiate everything

• Help everyone get comfortable

• Be sure the training has real substance

• Use learning styles for generational differences


Key Lessons

• Millennials read more• Millennials are highly

interactive learners• Popularity &

productivity of role-playing & interactive activities are in inverse to age

• Millennials will make the Xers look like technological dinosaurs

• Boomers, GenX & Millennials will stay where they are valued, recognized, appreciated, & supported


Leaders are

• Compassionate– Everyone is different

• Optimistic – Expect the best– Turn Lemons into

Margaritas!

• Credible – Know your business– Choose projects carefully

• Confident – Trainers, leaders,

thinkers

• Creative – Imagineers vs Managers

• Glad– No one wants to work

with Oscar-the-Grouch or the Pointy-Haired Boss

– It’s all about Attitude!


Final thoughts

• It’s Their Toastmasters, not your Toastmasters• It’s going to feel like Leadership is taking more

of your time• More communication• Text, Email, PPT, YouTube, Calls, Mentoring• Job splitting, recruit tasks, describe goals

• Treat information & tasks like a web site• Identify, Research, Buy it Now!• Assistant Area & Division Governors


Leading in the MomentGenerational Leadership,

Big Projects, Planning, & Small Tasks when leaders are ready for them

J Randy Penn DTM

www.JRandyPenn.net Follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Skype

BibliographyWaiting for Your Cat to Bark?: Persuading Customers When They Ignore Marketing by Bryan Eisenberg, Jeffrey Eisenberg and Lisa T. Davis

(Jun 13, 2006)Decoding Generational Differences: Fact, fiction ... or should we just get back to work? W. Stanton Smith Principal National Director, Next

Generation Initiatives Talent Deloitte LLP 2008Do Generational Differences Matter In Instructional Design?* Professor Thomas C. Reeves Department of Educational Psychology and

Instructional Technology (EPIT) 2008 *The literature review upon which this paper is based was originally funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and UPS in 2006.

Generational differences in the workplace, Anick Tolbize, Research and Training Center on Community Living, August 16, 2008www.Dilbert.com

http://www.jrandypenn.net/

http://www.dilbert.com/

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Www.toastmasters.org Leading in the Moment Generational Leadership, Big Projects, Planning, & Small Tasks when leaders are ready for them J. Randy Penn