Fire and EMS leaders — just like their counterparts elsewhere — are blazing new trails in modern human resource management. Today it is routine to find ourselves with as many as four different generations in the same work force. As managers, it is important that we are able to have an organization that can work together as a strong unit — not just despite the different way each generation sees the world — but also because of it.

To begin with, it is important for both chief officers and the work force to understand the differences between various generations. Increasingly, we are making progress as managers are becoming familiar with what makes the different generations tick and managing accordingly. However, educating the work force largely remains the missing piece. While there must be a management expectation to effectively work side-by-side each day, teams can go farther if everyone in the group learns to appreciate the differences and how to leverage them for success.

Department-wide training in this area will return great rewards.
When I was growing up, the generation gap referred to a conflict between parents and children, and the issues tended to be predictable. I remember my father's comments when I would turn his radio to a rock 'n roll station — he had likely heard them from his dad when he played recordings of the big dance bands, and they were very similar to my own comments when my son would turn on rap music.

Today, we find the generation gap is more prevalent within the work force, and the issues are more complex and varied. Using the example above, it is not just a different taste in music, but the various styles, interpretations, volumes, and methods of playing it. People are finding it more difficult to work side-by-side not just because of preferences, but because their experiences, perceptions, goals and expectations are very different. It is a situation we cannot afford to have in today's environment.

In today's work force, there can be as many as four different generations working side-by-side: the traditionalists, baby boomers, GenXers and Millennials. Each generation has been impacted by various events that have deeply shaped who they are and how they view the world. As a result of these factors, we are experiencing a greater frequency of conflicts in the workplace that have generational issues as the root cause. To be successful at working together, we need to understand what motivates the various generations and how to manage them.

Each generation is affected by the conditions and events experienced during their formative years. For example, my generation — the boomers — was shaped by such things as the civil-rights movement, Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, space travel and the assassination of prominent figures. The traditionalists experienced the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War II and the Korean War. The GenXers were influenced by women's liberation, the energy crisis, rising divorce rates, the fall of the Berlin Wall and Desert Storm. The Millennials came along during a shift to a more child-focused society where "everybody gets a trophy," while experiencing the Oklahoma City bombing, school violence, and the great expansion of technology.

Although we all have had different experiences and come from different generations, in the fire and emergency service every employee needs to operate under the same set of standards. Furthermore, it is imperative that all employees comply with the same policies and procedures set forth by the department or organization in order to meet its mission.

Traditionalists, those born between 1925 and 1944, are mostly retired now, but you can still find a few working in the fire/EMS field. As they retire, we continue to lose a great deal of intellectual and institutional knowledge. In addition, we have lost great mentors. This is a generation that had strong work values and ethics and saw themselves as vigorous contributing members of the work force. Those of us that still have traditionalists in the work force have a valuable resource and we need to offer them opportunities to keep them connected to the fire service. Because of their many years of experience they make great mentors. Think about opportunities to engage members of this generation in a way that taps their knowledge and experience — either on a full-time, part-time or volunteer basis.

Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, invented the work-life balance. Typically, these are the managers that are running our organizations today. They are very career oriented and love the good life. Supporting an environment that allows them to explore their next set of workplace options and how best to use their talents to achieve personal and departmental goals is important. At the same time, we need to look at methods of maintaining a strong work-life balance and reorienting traditional processes to accommodate multiple life demands. For example, one of the major challenges facing the baby boomers today is taking care of their elderly parents; this can be very stressful and time-consuming. A good employer will work with personnel to find innovative ways to ensure both work and personal needs are being met.

Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, will be the next generation of leaders. They also look for a work-life balance and, fortunately, most are very well-educated, goal-oriented and enjoy being challenged. But, keeping them adequately challenged and allowing for their need of independence can be difficult. In my own experience, GenXers tend to be free agents, not company loyalists. So, unlike the generations of employees that have spent a 30-plus-year career in one department, we can find this generation looking to move around more in order to be challenged. If we want to keep them employed in our organizations, we need to acknowledge their ability to work independently and encourage them to leverage their entrepreneurial skills.

Millennials, those born between 1981 and 2000, is the generation we see entering the work force today. They too value independence and are constantly looking for new challenges. However, the tendency to constantly challenge the status quo and the desire to make an immediate impact can cause additional friction. The advantage of the Millennials in the fire service is that they were brought up in an era of teamwork and believe that "we are all in this together," a mindset that is prevalent in fire/EMS.

Knowing what makes the different generations tick is only part of the challenge. We must be able to manage this multi-generational work force. Young workers want to make a quick impact, the middle generation has to believe in the mission and the older employees don't like ambivalence. By valuing these differences, we as managers can create a stronger and more productive work force. The most successful leaders find a way to let every generation engage. This allows each group to contribute and be part of the growth of a department or organization.

So how do we go forward?

There are four things a leader needs to do to manage the multiple generations in today's work force: Ensure open communications (in part by communicating in a variety of ways); honestly address concerns; be open and transparent; and respect the different values held by the different age groups.

To help the various generations work together, we need to encourage generational partnerships and collaboration. As a department, as leaders and as individuals, we all can benefit from listening to fresh ideas or seeking out the voice of experience. It also is important to understand that, just as each generation is different, every person is different as well. We need to leverage this understanding to unite us in moving forward and to prevent the stereotypes that will divide us from forming.

Above all we must build an organization that can remain flexible and realize that the different generations bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table. No one of the generations is better than another — they are just different. If we can harness this diversity between generations and use it to our advantage, we will have better and stronger organizations.

What do you think? Tell us in the comment box below.

Jack Parow is the president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He also is fire chief in Chelmsford, Mass., a 33-year veteran of the fire service.

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