Check out some of the online genealogy sites that help trace family lineage and history. The generally accepted time between generations averages 20 to 25 years (from the birth of a parent to the birth of a child). With good health extending our life expectancies in North America it’s not inconceivable our workplace employee populations will span four or five generations if they don’t already. Take Google, a magnet for young innovators and home to team members in their mid-80s.
We’ve been told our thinking and capacity to learn shifts and broadens then contracts and slows as we age. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, “they” say. But if you ask anyone above age forty what mental age they feel they’ve stalled at, their answers might surprise and show how that chasm isn’t as wide as we’re led to believe. All the same, social scientists contend each generation can be distinguished by traits of their own, shaped by the times and experiences of their formative years. Consequently as businesses and organizations we’re convinced different age groups with differing attitudes need different management approaches. If that’s the case how do we bridge the generational gap in the workplace?
Traditionalists are reportedly the most engaged in their jobs, though their numbers in the workplace are few and far between. Just keep on doing what you’re doing for this group of dedicated employees because you’re clearly doing something right if they’re choosing to stick around.
Marked by a worldwide spike in birth rates this group came of age in a post-war era of Atom and H bombs; the advent of B&W televisions and push-tone telephones; the debut of Elvis Presley, the Barbie doll and Beatle mania; Berlin Wall’s construction start, John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Characteristically Boomers – currently the overwhelming employee majority (but not for long) – are described by an article in the Economist to be troubled to find digital skills usurping their value, feel constantly reminded they’ve failed to keep pace; find themselves reporting to younger managers and are delaying retirement because of financial pressures or because they enjoy their work and choose to remain in the workforce for as long as their employers will have them.
This “latchkey” generation is marked by events such as the falling of the Berlin Wall and the rise of the personal computer; a time of increasing divorce rates, the sexual revolution, the emergence of AIDs; Woodstock and hippies, Grunge and Hip Hop; Quentin Tarantino and Spike Jonze. The birth control pill, which was introduced in the early 1960s, likely contributed to the declining birth rates seen in this generation.
Sandwiched between (80 million) Baby Boomers who blocked their career progress and now refuse to retire, and (78 million) Millennial workers who are whizzing by, taking on plum professional development opportunities and enjoying heretofore unknown levels of autonomy, it’s not a stretch to think this group might harbor intergenerational grudges.
Marked by events such as 9/11 and the rise of the digital information era, they’re the first generation to come of age in a culture defined by mobile technologies and social media. Contrary to popular belief, lots of Millennials are moving into positions of increasing responsibility faster than their colleagues; their digital versatility helps them surpass other (older) candidates.
For this group merit precedes seniority. They have an appetite for responsibility and are unwilling to stay put if they don’t see a clear path to achieving their personal and professional goals. Millennials also seek constant feedback to learn and grow in their careers. As more and more enter the workforce they’ll be taking over from the Boomers as the largest employee group.
When you reflect on the so-called generational gap in the workplace, what’s striking is the numbers of commonalities across them all. Could it be that our management worries have less to do with age differences and more to do with similarities? Authors Thomas Koulopoulos and Dan Keldsen seem to think so and argue some interesting points in their book The Gen Z Effect: “Generational thinking is like the Tower of Babel: it only serves to divide us. Why not focus on the behaviors that can unite us.” True that. Why not?
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