If managing gender and ethnic diversity wasn’t a challenge enough for organizations, leading a multi-generational force has emerged a new battle frontier. Each generation brings its unique set of skills, beliefs, attitudes and expectations to the workplaces. They also possess/require different leadership styles and have distinct approaches to decision-making as well as problem-solving.
Most of today’ workplaces comprise of four generations:
- Baby Boomers – born between 1954 and 1964 (workaholic, competitive, optimistic, authoritative, loyal)
- Generation X – born between 1965 and 1980 (entrepreneurial, independent, moderate attachment to employer, tech-pioneers)
- Millennials/Generation Y – born between 1981 and 1997 (open-minded, tech-savvy, self-expressive, job opportunity seekers)
- Generation Z – born since 1998 (highly educated, sophisticated, ultra tech-savvy, pop-culture lovers, brand influencers)
While baby boomers are in the retirement age, they are still actively contributing their wisdom and experience. Generation X are probably have the toughest time at workplaces, trying to cope up with the millennial workforce while retaining their traditionalist view.
Different Generations: Bringing Them All Together
According to a research by ManpowerGroup, millennials will make up 35 per cent of the global workforce by 2020. Hence, managing their workplace expectations is a number one priority for organizations. Gen Z, comprising 2 million people globally, is about to make their career debut soon and organizations have started preparing to absorb them in their workforce. With such a diverse demographic working side by side, it doesn’t take rocket science to understand why organizations are struggling to break the generation barriers.
Haydn Shaw, the author of book titled ‘Sticking Points: How to Get 4 Generations Working Together in the 12 Places They Come Apart’ aptly calls these barriers as ‘sticking points’. Every generation wants to other to see the world from their viewpoint, resulting in conflicts, delayed decision-making and a full-stop on new idea creation. Based on his experience of consulting Fortune 100 and 500 companies, he says that generational stereotypes are responsible for the most damage as they freeze thinking and tear down interpersonal relationships.