Core Creative Ideas in Technical Services Interest Group

Creative Ideas in Technical Services Discussion Group

ALA Annual Conference 2010

Table 2

When I was your age…: thriving in the multi-generational technical services workplace

The questions listed below are simply suggestions for guiding and structuring your conversation.  You needn’t feel compelled to use the list or to cover all of the questions.  Don’t hesitate to consider other, better questions that may come up during your conversation.  

• What are some of the characteristics that you’ve noticed of colleagues (or supervisors and staff) from various generations?

• What are the advantages of a multigenerational workplace?

• What challenges exist in a multigenerational workplace? How can you counter them?

• As a manager, how do you motivate employees from different generations?  As a staff member, do you notice if a supervisor treats you differently than an older/younger colleague?

• Do team members from different generations respond differently to change?  How do you ensure that everyone keeps up and gets the job done?

• How do multigenerational team members motivate and learn from one another?  How can you take advantage of this within technical services?

• How do you avoid stereotyping a colleague based on his/her age?  How do you avoid falling into the stereotypical behaviors of your own generation?