GENERATION GAP AT THE WORKPLACE

[Guest guest]

Three decades ago, the term " generation gap " was used mostly to

describe gap between parents and their children. Today the gap has a

presence in the workplace as well. This is because sometimes four

generations of employees work in the same office. This can give

rise to Workplace tensions, as people - working side by side - don't

understand each other.

 

Here are some examples from my counseling sessions: That youngster

has joined just two weeks ago and see how smart she acts, That oldie keeps

bossing all the time and it bugs me to see that they hardly have basic computer

skills. In this issue of well-being we aim to identify what drives different

generations and how to bridge the generational divide in the workplace.

 

The literature classifies the employees under four categories:

Traditionalists or Veterans, Baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y). For the

ease of understanding I am broadly dividing them in two groups: The

veterans and Gen X. Lets look at each of them briefly.

 

Veterans: most members of this generation know how to live within

limited means. They are loyal, hardworking, financially

conservative and faithful to institutions. Many are approaching

retirement or are retired and now working part-time. They invented

the 60-hour workweek, demonstrated hard work and loyalty to

employers/organizations. Their sense of who they are is deeply

connected to their career achievements.

 

Gen X: are technologically savvy youth, who grew up with the Internet

and cell phones, and take electronic collaboration for granted. They

see no problem changing jobs to advance professionally and thus might

come across as having a sense of skepticism. Independent and

self-expressive, Gen-X workers are far different than their

predecessors. They are smart, confident and have high selfesteem.

They expect and demand change, enjoy questioning things and are eager

to learn. They’re resourceful, hardworking and ambitious workers...

but not workaholics. In addition to work they like to pursue other

interests as well. For some of them, their priorities are with friends

and family, not the boss.

 

How to bridge the generation gap: The formula for success involves

three steps:

· Look for whats in common: At the core of what makes us tick as

humans, we are the same. We want to build lives for ourselves and

achieve our personal version of success. While working with others,

remember others are not an alien life form; they also have hopes and

dreams like everyone else.

· Acknowledge that everyone is different: We are different; having

grown up with different social norms, parenting styles and world

events, not to mention huge differences in available technology. Your

colleagues' unique experiences influence their attitudes towards work.

· Appreciate the strengths: Instead of harboring frustration over

differences, focus on the positive attributes your co-workers possess.

 

Now lets look at specific strategies that each Generation can employ:

 

Strategies for Gen X

· Show respect.

Acknowledge that you have less experience & respect the insights they've gained

over years. You may be quite bright, but you can always learn something new!

· Choose face-to-face conversation. Some veterans find e-mail or voice

mail too impersonal and prefer speaking face to face. Check out if

this is the preferred style of your veteran colleague. I often hear,

For every thing he sends an email, Cannot they come and talk?

· Give them your full attention.

Multitasking may help to accomplish a lot. But remember the veterans

may not be doing that. Giving your full attention while talking to

them helps.

· Learn the history.

Unless you've been with the organization since its inception, know

that plenty of things transpired long before you entered. Use them as

a resource to find out the lessons learned over the years.

· Honor the chain of command.

Traditionalists have respect for authority and they expect it in return.

 

Strategies for Veterans

· Show Respect: Respect for generations goes both ways. You may be

more experienced but try and embrace the fresh perspectives of your

younger counterparts.

· Get to the point. Avoid jargon, buzzwords & clichés that obscure

what you're really trying to say. State objectives clearly.

· Lighten up. Remind yourself that it's OK for work to be fun. Gen X

tends to think you're too serious & rigid in your ways.

· Challenge them. Gen Xers want to work on things that really matter.

Offer more responsibility as a reward for their accomplishments.

· Provide timely feedback. Gen Xers like instant feedback- at the

touch of a button! In the workplace, they expect frequent,

worthwhile feedback.

· Give them space. Avoid micromanagement. Gen X craves autonomy &

responds less enthusiastically to a dictatorial chain-of-command. Ask

for their opinions & then allow them to figure out the best way to get

results.

 

A little understanding, a lot more harmony.

 

The next time you find yourself scratching your head in disbelief over

the work habits of a colleague, stop and consider whether generational

factors are at play. It may just provide you with the enlightenment

you need to successfully manage the situation.