The Generation Gap in Modern Business February 8th, 2010
Introduction
The extent of change that the world has seasoned over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the pace at which many of these changes have come about is no less striking. These shifts have affected almost every aspect of our lives beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our day to day lives.
One part of life that has not escaped these broad changes is the business domain. Modern businesses may operate within the same underlying principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the characteristics of a successful company trading in the contemporary world would seem foreign to businesses from years gone by.
An interesting issue that modern companies face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their staff.
This is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world countries, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As people work to a later point in their lives, they may remain with the same organisation into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and often as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting at 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. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to significant changes which require a fresh way of thinking.
Problems
One of the most typical challenges that face a modern enterprise 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. This computing power can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as able as the individuals who operate them.
There are also generational problems when it comes to outward business aspects such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are being created all of the time and key business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their company.
Outside of 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 wants and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied. In a warehouse setting it is vital to use good industrial shelving from an assured maker to keep the workforce safe.
Racking solutions can be a complex business but by engaging a specialist in this area you can be sure that you are buying the right solution and are adhering to the various legislations and best practices. One such specialist can be found at the following website.
The Generations
The requirement to handle generations in the workplace may seem like an unneeded task, but the distinctions between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of. The generations of employee that may be found in a modern business can be separated into the following four groups:
Traditionals
Senior, or “traditional”, workers 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 an international conflict, lots of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.
Since many of the mature generation will hold senior ranks within a business 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 control requires management.
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 globe. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 approximately and are likely to form the vast majority of management roles 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 very family- oriented. They would be the mother and father of the traditional “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 well in teams, although it is often observed that they are not at ease when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other employees.
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 distributed amongst the various tiers of management within a contemporary business.
Socially they grew up in extremely stressful times. Careers were an ever more important and defining part of people’s lives and this was pointed out to Generation X from a very early age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses.
Therefore, 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 financial benefits rather than a sense of duty because they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close management to ensure their efficient contribution to the organisation.
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 climate where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.
Modern materials and manufacturing processes offer a greater number of molded or coloured storage bins for reasonable rates therefore are a popular choice facing storage space.
The Working Environment
Technology
We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and contemporary technical equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping 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 business, 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 is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find problems in many areas of the corporation.
The same principle may also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may 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. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so employees ideally need a range of technological skills and knowledge.
Physical limitations
There are clear physical aspects that may affect 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 consequently they will be less suited to roles that involve 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 jobs reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical ability. It is nevertheless important to make sure that proper support is given to any worker who battles with the physical aspect of their job.
Modern ailments
Modern companies are faced with physical problems that businesses of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints such as RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become more common since the widespread launch and use of personal 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 intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long durations 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.
A market has been created off late for companies offering office furniture items plus installing directly into an office environment.
Solutions
The control of generations in the workplace has obtained greater 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 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 specific jobs within your business that are best suited to a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to carry out the task. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation when your workforce ages.
There are a number of ways in which your business can learn about managing several generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful information that can be obtained from these occasions can be of great benefit to an organisation.
There are also a lot of resources available on the web that discuss the matter in more detail, and draw together a range of different ideas for tackling various situations. Every company 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 appropriate there are many business consultants that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Using their services could be the most prudent method to address your own business circumstances.
Conclusion
Different generations of employee can find it difficult to work together. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a world that has been continually changing.
Each generation is also stimulated by different factors, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be applied across numerous generations but it is also important to make sure that your business does not micro- manage the different age groups working for it.
Contemporary businesses have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so frequently the case, the route to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the strengths, mitigating the weaknesses and encouraging accordingly - through informed and empathetic management.