Today's Business Lessons
Bridging the different generations
I
once posted these words on my Facebook page, “We are now witnessing the
entry of Generation Y into the market place. Generation X is getting old
and many of them still do not know how to deal with the young. Bosses
are clueless and do not know how to lead this brilliant dynamic force
and they need training to do so.”
I had so many responses. I had so many mixed responses. I had young people thanking me for understanding them.
One post I got was, “Thank you, sir Francis, for understanding the
youth. Interestingly, the comments we got from the older folks were all
negative. One obviously Gen X’er was so upset with me that he angrily
posted, “Francis, you just said a very dangerous statement. You need to
pound them, and tell them how to be respectful and humble. You should
not praise them because they might end up with a giant ego.” This only
reinforced my suspicion.
When I was younger, the term used was “generation gap.” Today, as I
look at the sentiments of the people from different generations, I knew
that “gap” widened and became a chasm.
Now, let’s look at the facts. Never in the history of human kind that
you would see all three generations of people working side by side in
the work place. Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) represent a
huge segment of our population, and the Gen Y or Millennials (those born
after 1981) represent an even larger segment with their numbers
eclipsing those of the boomers. In between are the Gen X’ers (those born
between 1965 and 1980) and these are the ones prominent in leadership
positions. Some boomers maybe retiring, but the reality is that for the
Boomers, 75 is the new 65.
Boomers are living longer, healthier, and still want to live
productive lives. They identify themselves with their careers, and they
either don’t want to or can’t afford to retire. In marketing terms,
there is a name associated to this group, the “Forever Young 50s.”
Boomers refuse to leave the workforce just as Millennials enter it.
The Gen Xers lament the fact that certain positions are still being
occupied by the Boomers who refuse to retire. And the younger,
Tech-savvy and highly opinionated young Gen Y people are just so
impatient to be promoted to higher positions.
Ask HR practitioners, and they will tell you that the attrition is extremely high in this sector.
As leaders, you and I must understand the different generational
mindsets. We need to build bridges, be adaptive, and adjust. We must be
willing to forego old habits and comfort zones to the more fertile
grounds of innovation. This is what I always teach in my leadership
seminars and this always gets the most positive result. Leaders need to
align the creative energy of the younger generation, and the experience
of the seasoned workers to the organizational values and vision. Failure
to do so brings trouble to the organization.
Gen Y people should respect the Boomers and Gen X, then learn from
them. The combined work experiences and wisdom gathered over the years
of the Boomers and Gen X are priceless because these are things you can
never obtain in business schools and universities. As for the older
ones, here is a very important advice. Gain insight on the young’s
idealism and remember this very well, influence them, do not control
them. Be humble and patient. In other words, lead, inspire and not
“control” them. Follow all of these and be prepared to see the magic
that will happen in your organization.
No comments:
Post a Comment