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In this month's newsletter:
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Who doesn’t like birthdays? Well … except for the fact of getting older, hearing your joints more often, and being reminded of your limitations. But, along with age comes wisdom (or so they say). I’ve had a similar reaction of late, with an impending change of the calendar coming up. With age comes stability. As I go gracefully into the sunset, I feel more secure, confident, and generally settled. There is less doubt, insecurity, and confusion about the future. I reflected upon this recently as I hire younger and younger staff. Egads! A staff who may never have known the 20th Century! A staff who cannot comprehend archaic references (“dial up” anyone?). Call this new cohort Millennials, Gen Z, or whatever incoming students who will next be joining UCLA. Do they see me as the Clint Eastwood, the craggy old guy who is lost in the past and still listens to terrestrial radio? And while there are many things I’ll never understand about these new generations (why are they spending time watching a clock Tik-Tok’ing?), I do see their value to UCLA and the future. Not only are they more technologically savvy and quicker, but they also bring forth a fresh set of eyes and views. The challenge is how to bridge the two communities, past and future, so that a more cohesive whole can be created. I suspect the trick is learning about each other and identifying our strengths/weaknesses/limitations. This month’s AMG Newsletter’s theme is on the multigenerational workplace. No matter where you are currently along the continuum, you will one day be that “old guy.” Consider how to you reach out to the other end of the spectrum and identify those connections. As Yogi Berra once said, “It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”
Mark Lucas
Chair, Administrative Management Group
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It’s part of human nature to categorize and stereotype. We all have heard stereotypes about Baby Boomers, Gen-X, Millennials, and most recently, Gen-Z (the “Zoomers”). As a result, we may have pre-conceived notions about how individuals from each generation act in the workplace.
I have mixed feelings about all of this. I’m what’s known as a “cusper,” someone born near the end of one generation and the beginning of another. I’m not a Millennial, though I remember an era when I couldn’t browse the Internet on my household’s single Dell computer and be on a landline telephone call with my childhood best friend at the same time. I remember VHS tapes and “burning” CDs, but I also remember when technology didn’t rule our lives. This is also why I don’t necessarily call myself a Gen-Zer, even though I’m supposed to be one (and truthfully, I find it exhausting to try to keep up with all the Gen-Z fashion and TikTok trends). I’m in this in-between space where I can’t fully relate to any generation, and for a while, this bothered me.
But that’s just it... When we insist on labels we forget about the beauty of complexity. We focus on the things that make us different rather than what brings us together. We forget that, ultimately, we’re just people trying to understand ourselves and each other.
Now, I think it’s a superpower to be able to relate in some way with both my Millennial and Gen-Z colleagues. I'm also able to bridge the generational gap by helping my Gen-X mentors and Baby Boomer parents learn that, even though our approaches and upbringings may differ, our core values might not be so different from one other as we may think. Finally, I realize that I don’t want to define myself by whether or not I fit into these generational stereotypes. What really matters is how we can come together, despite our differences, to make beautiful things happen.
That is my challenge to you managers and aspiring leaders: let’s spark dialogue in our workplaces about how we can thoughtfully and intentionally create work environments that are age-inclusive.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Codilla
AMG Newsletter Editor
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2022 STAFF ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
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Campus Human Resources is pleased to announce recruitment for the 2022 Staff Enrichment Program (SEP), celebrating its 43rd year in January. This highly successful, one-year program is designed to foster career development and provide skill-building opportunities for staff in administrative support positions.
Key program goals include the following:
- Empower staff to become active agents in their professional and career development
- Foster a culture of competency, skill and knowledge development
- Provide tools and frameworks to set and achieve goals, manage performance, and develop professional networks
- Foster a learning community committed to collective development and support Introduce staff to opportunities for career growth and exploration
Departmental support is required in order to provide release time for participants, who will average approximately 10-12 hours per month in the program. During the year, close communication is maintained among participants, their supervisors, and program staff to ensure that development activities remain consistent with department needs.
As the university transitions to a hybrid work environment, program activities will include a mix of both required remote and in-person events.
The Staff Enrichment Program is available to career employees who meet the following criteria:
- UCLA career employee with at least one year of service (at least one year of service in current role as of January 1, 2022, is strongly preferred)
- Contract employees who would otherwise be eligible for the program should contact the program manager
- Payroll title of Administrative Specialist (and equivalent titles) or below, or Career Tracks Professional Level 1 and 2
- A rating of “Meets Expectations” (or better) on the most current performance evaluation
- Departmental support for participation (direct supervisor and department head)
- Selected participants must have access to Zoom, as well as a computer with a camera and microphone and a private space to participate in remote meetings
- Selected participants must be able to travel to and attend workshops and other events on campus and in person
We encourage you to identify appropriate staff members in your organization in eligible classifications who might benefit from this investment in developing their potential. The application for the 2022 program is due by Friday, September 17, 2021, and the program begins in January 2022. Links to the digital application items, as well as more information about SEP, are available on the Staff Enrichment Program page.
For more information about the Staff Enrichment Program or the application process, contact our Staff Enrichment Program manager, Kelsey Duff, at kduff@chr.ucla.edu.
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WE INVITE YOU TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEWSLETTER!
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Do you have a colleague who may be interested in sharing their professional development story or words of wisdom with the UCLA community? Do you have any professional development resources you'd like to submit? Fill out our Spotlight & Submissions Form to help provide content for our next AMG newsletter!
Interested in writing for future issues? Please contact AMG to share your talents: amgbruin@ucla.edu
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This month’s recommended TED Talk is Leah Georges' “Navigating the Multigenerational Workplace: Shoulder Pads Not Required." Georges dives into her research on multigenerational workplaces and touches upon how generational stereotypes can create biases that limit productivity and positive engagement. She urges us to not be afraid to see through someone else’s lenses.
Notable quote: "To really understand the beauty of the multigenerational workplace I think we just have to meet people where they are. That doesn’t require that we unpack and live there with them, but we might find that, at least on occasion, that it’s a beautiful place to visit.”
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Gen Z is Growing Up: Here's What They'll Bring to the Future of Work
"Gen Z is bringing big ideas to the workplace. They’ve grown up with the gig economy, they want flexibility, a transparent culture, and a healthy environment. They’re the most racially and ethnically diverse generation yet, and they want to be part of something with purpose. Carolyn Cirillo from Knoll talks about the power of Gen Z and how they can bring positive change to the workplace."
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The Generation Gap – How to Bridge the Gap in the Workplace
This short article shares six tips on how leaders can bridge the generational gap to maintain a productive and inclusive workplace.
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MONTHLY THOUGHTS
Comics of the Month:
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FEEDBACK
What do you want to see in future issues of the AMG Newsletter?
Please e-mail us and let us know! amgbruin@ucla.edu
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The UCLA Administrative Management Group (AMG) is devoted to the professional development of managers on campus, and those who aspire to become managers.
AMG is a campus organization whose mission is to:
- Provide opportunities for professional growth and development
- Create a forum for effective communication between academic, administrative and service managers and professionals at UCLA
- Become a sounding board for implementing new processes
- Provide the University with a pool of talented professionals
- Establish a vehicle for discussion of common concerns, challenges,
and solutions; and to share knowledge and expertise
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