Building capacity: Navigating organizational opportunities as if they were a subway system

8th Annual NW Diversity Learning Series (2006)

Session Four: July 13, 2006:
Becoming an Experienced Commuter: Bridging the Generation Gap in Moving up and Around the Organization

By Monica Ercolano

Report of Discussion Questions from Generation X

The fourth session of the Series focused on the impact of generational differences on career development and access to opportunities. Steve Hanamura, speaker for the session, asked participants belonging to Generation X to fill in the following survey. We had four different groups of participants belonging to Generation X, and for the purpose of this document we combined their answers.

1. What are the value-added contributions your age group brings to your organization's success?

Participants belonging to this group answered the question as follows:

• Independent thinkers
• Non traditional approach
• Familiarity with technology
• Flexibility - can adapt to change
• Can work easily with Boomers and Gen Y
• Optimistic
• Global thinking
• Diverse hiring practices - inclusion
• Open minded and risk takers
• Appreciate both authority and freedom
• Building gender equality
• Work life balance - high family values
• Responsibility
• Valuing education
• Teamwork
• Problem - solving
2. Does age interact with:
• Ethnicity/race
• Gender
• Class

...to limit your access to organizational opportunities and career development? If so, how does it interact?

Participants belonging to this group answered the question as follows:

• Age with ethnicity/race - glass ceiling affects minorities
• Age with ethnicity/race - less exposed to people of different races, Civil Rights movement may have affected our perception of opportunity
• Age with gender - younger women have better opportunities; age can magnify stereotypes; women in leadership are seen as having to prove themselves; fewer opportunities are provided to women in the workforce who want to have a family; there is a gap in salary between men and women.
• Age with class/education - family status drives where you start in the organization
3. What does your age group, along with your other dimensions of diversity need from other groups?

Participants belonging to this group answered the question as follows:

• Respect from Boomers and Veterans
• We need professionalism from Gen Y
• Boomers need to be less political in the workplace
• We need Boomers to take more risks
• We need direct access to upper management
• We need to be fairly compensated
• We need doors to be open for career opportunities
• Given credit when credit is due
• Mentorship and storytelling from the generations before us and after us
• Technical skills

The 2006 NW Diversity Learning Series (now in its 9th year) focused on the theme, Building Capacity: Navigating organizational opportunities as if they were a subway system.

Using the metaphor of a subway system, each of the six-bi-monthly morning seminars explored some of the ways that access to organizational opportunities and career development are hidden and therefore more difficult for women and people of color, as well as people who speak English as a second language, to utilize. The purpose of this Series was for everyone to become more aware of organizational culture and how it impacts building people's capacity, and for everyone, managers and employees, to become better at navigating these cultural obstacles along career paths.

For more information about the NW Diversity Learning Series, please visit the Series section of our website.

2006 Series Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors:

Silver Sponsor:

Bronze Sponsor:

Supporting Sponsors: