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Official Newsjournal of the Illinois Council of Health-System Pharmacists

Educational Affairs
Precepting For The Future

by Rachael Prusi, PharmD, MSGH

Millennials. Gen Xers. Baby boomers. These are terms that are probably familiar and often used in the media to describe different generations – their preferences, personal and professional outcomes, attributes and social behaviors. Our workplaces, academic environments and the profession of pharmacy is multi-generational: many individuals spanning across two or three generations that work and learn together. These multi-generational differences can potentially lead to conflict or tension if leadership and preceptors are not prepared to adapt and respond to the different needs of each generation.

Generations are defined by the birth year. Generational groups tend to share major life experiences and societal events. This common history leads to mutual values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.¹ Generation theory suggests that people who were born during a certain cultural era and share common experiences and similar influences (e.g. economic, sociological, and societal) can exhibit similar traits and characteristics. Each generation of individuals develops a collective persona and shares specific attitudes regarding a variety of subjects including work, friends, family, and learning.¹ The different generational groups include:^1-3

Traditionalists (1925-1945) are also called the silent generation or the veterans. They are often described as dedicated, patriotic, and conventional. They grew up in an era of limited resources and tend to be more mindful of resources and waste.

Baby boomers (1945-1964) are the largest generation in history. They were born post World War II and are often described as optimistic and work-driven.

Generation X (1964-1980) are often described as independent, self-directed, pragmatic and flexible which contrasts sharply with some of the societal-based attributes of prior generations. In this generation, divorce rates tripled and many were raised in single-parent households. Additionally, many had both parents working outside the home. They were commonly referred to as “latch-key kids” because they were often left by themselves at home. In general, this group tends to be more loyal to themselves and families rather than institutions.

Millennials (1980 -1999) are often described as optimistic, collaborative, team-oriented and tech savvy. They are globally oriented due to internet access. They are culturally diverse and connected worldwide. They have an expectation of instant results and access to information, which sometimes brands this generation as “impatient”. As children, many millennials were doted on by protective parents concerned about their safety, education, and success. They have been described as the most rewarded, recognized, and praised generation. Millennials have been exposed to technology their entire lives and have high expectations of the usefulness and availability of technology. They prefer internet resources to textbooks for learning.

Millennials in the Learning Environment or Workplace

As of 2017, 35% of the labor force is comprised of Millennials, making them the largest working generation.4 The significance of this shift in the workforce means that preceptors and leaders need to be prepared to adapt to the changing environment that will come along with this evolution. Millennials have a different world view and desire different types of mentorship and leadership. Surveys of different generations indicate significant differences in attitudes and perceptions between them, which are summarized in Table 1.⁵

Importantly, there are a number of factors that evidence has purported to be similar between generations. Across generations, individuals value a workplace culture that is fair, ethical, professional, and friendly/social. Respondents overwhelmingly agreed that feeling valued, having recognition and appreciation, and a supportive environment are the top reasons for happiness in the workplace.⁴

Advice to preceptors/educators

Daniel Golman, in his pivotal paper “Leadership that Gets Results”, recommends that leaders adapt their leadership style to the environment and situation similar to when a golf player uses different clubs depending on the type of obstacle or shot they are attempting. Precepting in multi-generational situations may be thought of similarly – preceptors should adapt to the learner before them and adjust their style to achieve optimal results from that learner.⁶

In order to more effectively precept Millennials, a few tips are described below:

Provide clear direction and structure – Millennials prefer when performance expectations are communicated up-front. By providing clear direction, this can avoid frustration and miscommunication for both the learner and preceptor.7 Do not assume that expectations are known by either party.
Role model, coach and mentor – Research supports that Millennials prefer authentic and partnership leadership styles. By role modeling and coaching, we can facilitate an authentic experience and motivate learners who want to feel that their preceptor is personally committed to the profession and their professional growth.^7,8
Engage and provide feedback – As described above, Millennials expect and prefer frequent and timely feedback. Consider limiting use of the “feedback sandwich” as learners can miss what the important take-aways were from all of the content. Instead the “Situation, Behavior, Impact” model which focuses on a specific action or behavior, allows learners to precisely understand exactly what you are commenting on and why:^9,10
 Situation – Describe the situation, be specific
 Behavior – Describe the observable behavior
 Impact – Describe what you thought or felt in reaction to the behavior
Team based learning – Millennials prefer collaboration, therefore adapting opportunities for team based activities and projects is an effective method to improve retention and learning outcomes in certain situations.¹¹
Utilize technology – As Millennials feel very comfortable with technology, appropriate utilization can assist with engaging and communicating with this generation on their level. It is recommended to use one mutually agreeable technology platform across the experience, such as Schoology, a free Learning Management System.^11,12 In addition, it is important to set expectations for other technology use during the experience such as “no mobile phones during rounds” that are clear and understood and that preceptors should model the behavior that they expect to see.

In summary, Millennials and future generations (such as Generation Z) will continue to propel the workforce and our profession forward. Preceptors may find greater success by embracing the four roles of the preceptor (instructor, role model, coach, and facilitator) and by being adaptable and trying new skills and methods as time goes on. Millennials in particular prefer clear, concise direction and expectations, and frequent, explicit feedback. We as preceptors are shaping the future of our profession but the future is also shaping us.

Acknowledgements

Sandra Oyibo, UIC PharmD Candidate 2020

References

Tipton D. Personal and Professional Growth for Health Care Professionals. Burlington, MA: Jone & Barlett Learning; 2017.
McCrindle M. Understanding Generation Y. Australian Leadership Foundation 2005. http://www.communicationcache.com/ uploads/1/0/8/8/10887248/understanding_ generation_y.pdf. Accessed March 20, 2017.
Alsop R. The Trophy Kids Grow Up. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2008.
Fry, Richard. “Millennials Are Largest Generation in the U.S. Labor Force.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 11 Apr. 2018, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/11/millennials-largest-generation-us-labor-force/.
Tolbize, A. Generational Differences in the Workforce. University of Minneasota. https://rtc.umn.edu/docs/2_18_Gen_diff_workplace.pdf. 2008.
Goleman, Daniel. “Leadership That Gets Results.” Harvard Business Review, 11 Apr. 2019, hbr.org/2000/03/leadership-that-gets-results.
Williams, Valerie N., et al. “Bridging the Millennial Generation Expectation Gap: Perspectives and Strategies for Physician and Interprofessional Faculty.” The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, vol. 353, no. 2, 2017, pp. 109–115.
Brack, J. Maximizing Millennials in the Workplace. University of North Carolina Kenan Flagler Business School. 2012.
“Use the SBI Feedback Model to Understand Intent: CCL.” Center for Creative Leadership, www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/closing-the-gap-between-intent-and-impact/.
“The Situation – Behavior – Impact Feedback Tool: Providing Clear, Specific Feedback.” The Situation-Behavior-Impact-Feedback Tool - From MindTools.com, www.mindtools.com/pages/article/situation-behavior-impact-feedback.htm.
Toohey, Shannon, et al. “Ten Tips for Engaging the Millennial Learner and Moving an Emergency Medicine Residency Curriculum into the 21st Century.” Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, vol. 17, no. 3, 2016, pp. 337–343.
Schoology. “LMS: Schoology.” Learning Management System, www.schoology.com/.