Managing Multiple Generations in Business
Introduction
The degree of change that the world 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 striking. These changes have touched almost every aspect of our lives beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our day to day lives.
One area of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the contemporary arena would seem alien to businesses of the past.
An interesting problem that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of people who make up their workforce.
This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. Since people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay with the same organisation into their late 60′s or early 70′s, and often as hands- on workers rather than simply sitting on the board.
There is also a demand for a more diverse set of skills in the progressive business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive 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 common challenges 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. This computing ability can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as capable as the individuals who work them.
There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business. This can be said of sales and promotional options that have come forth with the rise of the Web.
Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, psychological limitations of the older staff in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce content.
Many businesses find that they possess a need for racking products across many sections of their business.
The Generations
The requirement to manage generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of.
Traditionals
Senior, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate environment. They are 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 under the shadow of a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior positions within a business their views and opinions will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their decisions will often be fundamental to the business and shape 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 roles within a contemporary company.
This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was commonplace amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are very family- oriented. They would be the mother and father of the classic “nuclear family”.
When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will often be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grip on modern advances in terms of technologies and business procedures. 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 currently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various levels of management within a contemporary business.
Socially they grew up in extremely demanding times. Careers were an ever more important and defining part of people’s lives and this was pointed out to Generation X from a very young age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or maybe two companies. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have jobs.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting 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 study and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their efficient contribution to the company.
Generation NeXt
This generation were born after 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 ideas and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.
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The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and contemporary technical 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 modern organisation, problems involving technology can have very far reaching consequences. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing 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 a company is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the corporation. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the work environment.
A similar principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still perform many of the important functions of the organisation. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological skills and understanding.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical aspects that may affect how a successful company manages its workers in regard to age. Elderly generations will by and large by physically inferior to their younger counterparts, and as such they will be less suited to roles that require 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 employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the organisation they work for, and these roles reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical ability.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that businesses 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 introduction and use of personal computer keyboards.
The desk environment itself can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not great. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long periods of sitting incorrectly, and long durations of exposure to computer screens can contribute to long- term eye damage. Studies are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the contemporary place of work on the body.
The number of office accidents involving office furniture increases steadily as longer is spent by employees at work.
Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has received greater 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 routines that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.
If there are particular roles within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to perform the job. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing different generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of helpful advice that can be obtained from these occasions can be of great benefit to an organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the web that discuss the matter in greater detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations.
If setting your own managers the task of learning about generations within the office does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Employing their services could be the most recommended way to address your business circumstances.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find it difficult to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been continually changing.
Each generation is also stimulated by different things, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be applied across numerous generations but it is also important to make sure that your business does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The company must do what is optimum for its own success.
Contemporary organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so frequently the case, the route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic management.