The Generation Gap in Modern Business
March 5, 2010
Introduction
The degree of change that the planet has experienced 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 area of life that has not escaped these vast changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed business since it started, but many of the traits of a successful company trading in the contemporary arena would seem alien to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting problem that modern businesses face is how to manage the different generations of people who make up their workforce.
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 company into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and sometimes as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting on the board.
There is also a demand for a more diverse set of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a new way of thinking. These new ways of thinking are most commonly found within the younger working age group.
Problems
One of the most common problems that face a modern business that is operating with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in our lives nowadays and they form a vital piece of the corporate puzzle. This computing ability can help businesses to run well, but they are only as capable as the people who operate them.
There are also generational issues when it comes to external business aspects such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging all of the time and important business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business.
Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to fulfil a range of diverse wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse environment it is critical to make use of good industrial shelving from a quality supplier to keep the workforce secure.
It is unfortunate to hear about workplace incidents however pallet racking accidents inside factories aren’t a very common problem.
The Generations
The requirement to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unnecessary task, but the differences 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 business 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 under the shadow of an international conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.
Since many of the senior generation will hold senior ranks within a business their views and beliefs will generally carry greater weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and shape 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, while there was a general down turn in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a contemporary company.
This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the mother and father of the classic “nuclear family”.
When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will frequently be able to grasp the bigger picture whilst still maintaining a grip on modern developments in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working effectively in teams, although it is often observed that they are not at ease when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other workers.
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 tiers of management within a modern business.
Socially they grew up in very demanding 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 progressed through lower and higher education prior to 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 professions.
Therefore, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution influences the big picture. They will be motivated by financial 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 after 1980 and are the youngest collection of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social environment where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive marketing to be second nature.
Office supplies are a necessity for a smooth operating business so storage bins often perform a role to manage these resources.
The Working Environment
Technology
Everyone is 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 truly confused about what the world wide web is, the void between the old and the new becomes very apparent when it comes to technology.
In regards to the modern organisation, issues involving technology might 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 promotion. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the technologies being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the business. This presents 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 other systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the organisation. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological skills and knowledge.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical factors that may affect 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 consequently 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’s 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 understanding and experience rather than physical capability.
Modern ailments
Modern businesses are faced with physical conditions that companies of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more frequent 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 good. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long periods of sitting incorrectly, and long periods of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Tests are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary place of work on the human body.
Younger generations of workers are becoming accustomed to trendy office furniture within modern firms whereas older generations seem less bothered.
Solutions
The management of generations in the workplace has obtained more exposure over recent years and many more businesses have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned a number of 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 may be.
If there are specific roles within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only use members of that generation to perform the task. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational control.
There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing different generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of practical information that can be obtained from these events can be of special benefit to an organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the web that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.
If setting your own administrators the task of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find that it is hard 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 used across a multitude of generations but it is also important to make sure that your business does not micro- manage different age groups working for it.
Modern organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so often the case, the path to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- employing the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through educated and empathetic direction.