My Open Book

Introduction

The extent of change that the planet has experienced 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.

One part of life which has not escaped these vast changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed business since it began, but many of the traits of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary arena would seem foreign to businesses of the past.

An interesting issue that modern businesses face is how to handle the different generations of people who make up their workforce.

This is partially due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, 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 remain with the same company 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 modern business surroundings, triggered largely due to the quick development and wide reach of computer technology. Corporate processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant 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 typical challenges that face a modern business that is working with a number of different generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the business puzzle.

There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging all of the time and critical business decision makers must be aware of any that apply to their business. This can be said of sales as well as promotional channels that have come forth with the rise of the Internet.

Beyond this, there can be communication problems between different generations of worker, psychological 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 environment it is vital to make use of high quality industrial shelving off of a reputable supplier to keep the workforce secure.

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The Generations

The requirement to manage generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are commonly found in business are worth taking note of. The generations of worker that may be found in today’s business can be separated into the following four groups:

Traditionals

Mature, 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 business 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 a global conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion nowadays.

Since many of the senior generation will hold senior positions within a business their views and opinions will generally carry greater 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. 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 very family- oriented. They would be the parents of the traditional “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the work environment, this group of workers will often be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grasp 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 comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at providing feedback to other employees. These communication issues 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 presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various tiers of management within a modern company.

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 early age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or maybe two businesses. They are expected to work long and hard 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 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 efficient contribution to the company.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born after 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.

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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 truly confused about what the Internet 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 can have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from controlling 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 a company is likely to find difficulties in many parts of the business. This presents the challenge of managing generations within the workplace.

The same principle can also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with new technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still perform many of the important functions of the organisation.

Physical limitations

There are obvious physical aspects 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 as such they will be less suited to roles that require physical exertions.

Luckily, most of the older generations of worker will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these roles reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical ability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that proper support is given to any worker who struggles with the physical side of their role.

Modern ailments

Modern businesses are faced with physical problems that companies of the past would not have had to face. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more frequent since the widespread introduction and use of computer keyboards.

The desk environment itself may 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. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the modern place of work on the body.

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Solutions

The control 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 several new ideas and practices that are in one way or another aimed at developing the working relationship between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.

If there are specific 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 job. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational control.

There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing several generations of employee. Seminars dedicated to the topic have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of helpful advice that can be obtained from these events can be of great benefit to an organisation.

There are also a lot of resources available on the Internet that discuss the problem in more detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various situations. Every business 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 office does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Utilising their services could be the most recommended way to address your corporate circumstances.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find that it is hard to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been continually changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the language 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 used across a multitude of generations but it is also important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it. The company must do what is optimum for its own success.

Modern businesses 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 path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic management.

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