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 fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the traits of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary arena 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 workforce.

This is partly due to the ever increasing life expectancy of people, particularly in first world countries, which in turn prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay with the same organisation into their late 60’s or early 70’s, and sometimes as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting at the board.

There is also a need for a more diverse range of skills in the modern business climate, triggered largely due to the quick development and extensive reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have been subject to radical changes which require a fresh way of thinking.

Problems

One of the most typical 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 pivotal piece of the business puzzle. This computing power can help businesses to run more efficiently, but they are only as able as the people 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 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.

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 fulfil a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce happy.

It is commonplace for the younger generation to operate with industrial shelving products since they are suited to physical labour.

The Generations

The requirement to manage generations in the workplace may seem like an unnecessary 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”, 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 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 a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.

Since many of the mature generation will hold senior positions within a company their views and opinions 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 business. 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 approximately and probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a modern business.

This generation grew up without much of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst previous generations. They are an aspirational group of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the parents of the classic “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will often be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grip on modern advances 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 comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how helpful) , and they are not good at providing 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 currently aged between 30 and 45 and will be distributed 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 young age. Many will have worked up through lower and higher education prior to working their way up within one or perhaps two businesses.

As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but may struggle to grasp how their contribution affects 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 study and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their efficient contribution to the organisation.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born since 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 seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical ideas and procedures and find hyper- consumerism and relatively competitive marketing to be second nature.

One of the largest change management challenges for modern businesses can be office refurbishments because many pcs need to be moved.

The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the elderly generations and modern technological equipment. Whether it is a parent only just coping to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being genuinely 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 modern business, problems involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are critical to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who’s not familiar with the technologies being used by a company is likely to find problems in many areas of the business.

The same principle can also be applied in the opposite direction. The younger generations may be very comfortable with new technologies and practices, but may lack knowledge of the older systems that still carry out many of the important functions of the organisation. Internal business practices are rarely black and white so workers ideally need a range of technological abilities and understanding.

Physical limitations

There are obvious physical factors that may influence 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 many companies, but as a generalisation it’s correct.

Fortunately, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these jobs reward based upon understanding and experience rather than physical capability.

Modern ailments

Modern companies are faced with physical problems that companies 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 specific 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 impairment. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the human body.

Our local supplier of office chairs astounded me with their knowledge on office chairs, I thought an office chair was just an office chair and I didn’t realise there were different types of chairs for specific tasks. Contact the company directly at www.tjhall.co.uk to get advice and information about what is right for you.

Solutions

The control of generations in the workplace has received greater exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of effective generational management. This has spawned many 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 are.

If there are particular roles 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 task. This kind of specialisation requires good organisational management. It will also be necessary to pass the knowledge on from generation to generation when your workforce grows old.

There are a number of ways in which your company 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 practical information that can be obtained from these events can be of great benefit to an organisation.

There are also many resources available on the Internet that discuss the matter in greater 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 job of learning about generations within the workplace does not seem appropriate there are many business gurus that now include the idea of generational management into their practice. Utilising their services may 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 constantly changing. There are not simply issues when it comes to the terminology used for communication, but issues 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 numerous generations but it is also important to make sure that your company does not micro- manage different age groups working for it. The company must do what is optimum for its own good results.

Contemporary organisations have a diverse range of skills requirements and these requirements simply cannot be satisfied by just one of the generations discussed in this article. As is so often the case, the path to success depends upon discovering a balance between the generations- utilising the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly - through informed and empathetic direction.

Download Adware Spyware Remover

Categories : Lora's Posts