Generational Traits: 

• Traditionalists believe in advancement based on long service and experience.
• Boomers are creative and revolutionary, and prefer matrix over top-down organizations.
• Gen Xers are more cynical about change, but focus very strongly on collaboration.
• Gen Yers demand a work/life balance.

Workspaces
The workspace is transforming into home/work mixture. Many people are no longer “tethered” to one place they call home. Design solutions are providing a variety of flexible spaces to work in that allow for transient workers to plug-in, get work done, and move on. Even within one location, people are having the option to chose different places to get things done throughout the day, from a cafe setting and lounges to phone booths. The location may depend on the task needing to be accomplished, as well as the amount of collaboration required with others. When someone does have a space of their own, they want it to be highly personalized. Infusing a corporate workspace design with the company brand throughout all of its spaces has also become a major trend and a powerful means of conveying common, unifying goal. In addition, all of these workspace attributes greatly impact employee satisfaction and retention.

Technology
Many companies are deploying smart phones and tablets throughout their workforce. We’ve all become literally addicted to our mobile devices, and we’re hooked on the “third stream.” They are a regular part of doing business, from communication to looking at drawings on a jobsite on a tablet. Which brings us to texting. Yes, serious business is being conducted through texting, and it’s creating the option for an efficient communication process that whole generations are highly-skilled in. One of the biggest issues managers have is seeing someone work while constantly being interrupted with texting. But those brought up with texting and social media can’t focus without ongoing multi-tasking distractions, and a full “to do” list. It’s just too boring to work without it. As the Gen Y panelist pointed out, “You guys drink coffee a lot, and you take hour-long lunches, which we see as a huge waste of time.” Allowing texting and other social media tools is a matter of trust, but having a dialogue about moderation and productivity goals is a good idea.

Project Delivery
There’s a lot of talk today about new project delivery concepts like Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). In general, the younger generations are pushing for this, and true to form, Gen Xers are cynical about them. But as one panelist pointed out, “Old dogs can learn new tricks too,” and are open to trying it. Ironically, the same Gen Xers have also created a more collaborative approach to problem solving that may set the groundwork for the success of the new delivery models. They prefer a more horizontal, matrix organization over the top down corporate structure that encourages an integrated process.

 Work/Life Balance
Generally, Boomers have always worked long days, gone home late, felt guilty, and worried. Gen Yers on the other hand come into work with a lot of enthusiasm and multi-task all day. Working through the traditional hour-long lunch adds to their productivity balance when challenged about texting and total hours worked, as they often leave at five o’clock sharp. They just want to go home to family and friends (to all those plans they made while texting). Observing that this work/life balance can work, the other generations have begun to see that getting things done and having quality of life don’t have to be mutually exclusive. There’s a lot we can learn from each other.

As the panel discussion progressed, the audience representing every part of the industry joined in to add their real life experiences. In the end, it was clear that getting the most out of your AEC team, business relationships, and marketing efforts means you have to understand and blend these four very distinct groups with differing perspectives. Each one has its own motivations and preferred methods of communicating and performing tasks, and its own perceptions of what professionalism means. Succeeding within today’s multi-generational workplace, in which all generations are represented throughout the industry, from owners to AEC firms, requires us all to understand and blend of many unique work/life approaches and perspectives. Then we can join together in “Talkin’ ‘bout my generation,” and everyone else’s too!

Special thanks to our program sponsors:

Standard Builders and The S/L/A/M Collaborative