posted by admin on Sep 7
Introduction
The degree of change that the planet has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which many of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These changes have touched almost every aspect of our existence beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our everyday lives.
One part of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it started, but many of the characteristics of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary world would seem alien to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their workforce. This problem has been about for a long time, but as the needs of organisations change and the skills required have evolved, the differences between workers have become more obvious.
This is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which in turn prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As people work to a later point in their lives, they may remain with the same organisation into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and sometimes as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting at the board.
There is also a demand for a more diverse set of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone significant changes which require a new way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most typical problems that face a modern business that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in each of our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle.
There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and business best practices are being created all of the time and critical business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their company. This can be said of sales as well as promotional channels that have come forth with the rise of the Internet.
Outside of this, there can be communication problems between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy.
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The Generations
The requirement to manage generations in the workplace may seem like an unnecessary task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worth taking note of.
Traditionals
Mature, or “traditional”, workers are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate environment. They’re the people who were born before the Second World War, and will be in their late 60’s or early 70’s.
Their approach to industry and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make individual sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of an international conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the senior generation will hold senior positions within a company their views and opinions will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their decisions will often be fundamental to the business and sculpt the future success or failure of the organisation.
Baby Boomers
The Baby Boomer generation includes those born between the end of the war and the mid- 60’s, when there was a general down turn in the birth rate around the globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and are likely to form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary company.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented.
When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grip on modern developments in terms of technologies and business processes. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well in teams, although it is often observed that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other employees.
Generation X
Members of Generation X were born between the mid- 60’s and the late- 70’s. They will be presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various levels of management within a contemporary company.
Socially they grew up in very stressful times. Careers were an ever more important and defining part of people’s lives and this was made clear to Generation X from a very early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or maybe two businesses. They are expected to work long and hard hours and frequently both parties in a marriage or relationship will have jobs.
Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by monetary benefits rather than a sense of duty because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close management to ensure their efficient contribution to the organisation.
Generation NeXt
This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest collection of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social climate where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly confused about what the world wide web is, the void between the old and the new is made very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the newer business, issues involving technology might have very far reaching consequences. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from operating payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many areas of the business. This introduces the challenge of managing generations in the work environment.
The same principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the business.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical aspects that may influence how a successful company manages its workers in regard to age. Older generations will by and large by physically inferior to their younger counterparts, and as such they will be less suited to roles that involve physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in lots of companies, however as a generalisation it is correct.
Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these jobs reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical capability. It is however important to make sure that proper support is given to any worker who struggles with the physical aspect of their role.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more common since the widespread launch and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk setting itself can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long periods of sitting incorrectly, and long periods of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye damage. Tests are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the human body.
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Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received more exposure over recent years and many more companies have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned many new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working rapport between the business and its workers, no matter how old they are.
If there are particular jobs within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only use members of that generation to carry out the task. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational management.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful information that can be obtained from these events can be of great benefit to your organisation.
There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various scenarios. Every company has individual needs and a unique workforce so it may take time before you find the correct management approach for your organisation.
If setting your own managers the task of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem suitable there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been continually changing.
Each generation is also motivated by different factors, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be used across a multitude of generations but it is also important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it.
Modern businesses have a varied range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so frequently the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through informed and empathetic management.