Managing Generations in the Workplace
Introduction
The extent of change that the world has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the speed at which a lot of these changes have come about is no less impressive.
One part of life which has not escaped these vast changes is the business world. Modern businesses may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful company trading in the modern arena would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of people who make up their staff. This challenge has been around for a long time, but as the needs of companies change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences among workers have become more obvious.
This is partly due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world nations, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As 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 sometimes as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting at the board.
There is also a need for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking. These modern ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working generation.
Problems
One of the most typical challenges that face a modern enterprise that is operating with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computer systems are commonplace in each of our lives these days and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle.
There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business factors such as the law. New laws and business best practices are emerging all of the time and important 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 Internet.
Beyond this, there can be communication problems between different generations of worker, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse setting it is vital to make use of good industrial shelving from a quality maker to keep the workforce safe.
Whilst aesthetics will always be one desired property, pallet racking that’s sturdy plus dependable should be the first choice for businesses.
The Generations
The requirement to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worthwhile taking note of.
Traditionals
Mature, or “traditional”, employees 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 business and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured beneath the shadow of a global conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior positions within a company their views and beliefs 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. This disparity between modern thinking and business influence requires direction.
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 decline in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a modern business.
This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented.
When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grasp on modern advances in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working effectively in teams, although it is often noted that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other employees. These communication problems can become very disruptive in a business setting.
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 modern 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 young age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses. They are expected to work long and challenging hours and often both parties in a marriage or relationship will have professions.
As such, they are often very good at problem solving and meeting short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution influences the big picture. They will be motivated by monetary benefits rather than a sense of duty since they feel they have paid their dues through a life of study and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their effective contribution to the company.
Generation NeXt
This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest group of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social environment where being an extravert is rarely frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and processes and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.
A modern business needs to consider things outside a business scope, like interior refurbishments to maintain contemporary property that reflect their corporate image.
The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and contemporary technical equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being genuinely confused about what the Internet is, the void between the old and the new becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the newer organisation, issues involving technology can 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 promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the corporation. This introduces the challenge of managing generations within the workplace.
The same principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with emerging technologies and practices, 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 abilities and understanding.
Physical limitations
There are obvious physical factors that may influence 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.
Fortunately, 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. It is however important to make sure that adequate support is given to any employee who battles with the physical side of their role.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common since the widespread introduction and use of computer keyboards.
The desk environment itself may create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any specific workstation are not great. 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. Studies are on- going to investigate the full scale of the impact of the modern workplace on the human body.
As a solution to back pain and other office related psychological conditions, any ergonomic office chair serves many workers nicely and is a popular choice for modern businesses.
Solutions
The management of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many more companies have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned a number of new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working relationship between the business and its workers, 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 use members of that generation to carry out the job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control.
There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the topic 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 an organisation.
There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.
If setting your own managers the task of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of worker can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been continually changing. There are not simply concerns when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but matters of manners and etiquette.
Each generation is also stimulated by different things, and have come from various social upbringings. It will rarely be the case that one solution can be applied across a multitude of generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it. The company must do what is best for its own good results.
Modern organisations have a varied range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the route to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly – through informed and empathetic direction.
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This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 4:26 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.