Leading Across the Generations - Part I

With an AWARENESS as to how each generation came about, behaves, and responds in the workplace, we can begin to make CHOICES about how we approach them individually and on teams in order to affect CHANGE that has not been the case until very recently in the working culture. We are not working in the most effective environments, largely because we are treating everyone the same, with horrendous results. Let's take a look at the strengths and motivations behind each generation of worker in the workplace to better understand how to lead, follow, or get the heck out of the way. In Part Two of this article, we will specifically address solutions to working better with each generation.

• They live to work
• They appreciate logic not magic
• They prefer more stable environments
• They appreciate a clear sense of right and wrong when solving work-related issues
• They can relate to a sense of duty (remember, they are products of the biggest war the world has ever seen, and they remember it)

• They also live to work
• A high percentage are true workaholics
• They like to turn the system on its head
• The are motivated by advancement, money, personal growth, and being a teacher or “guru” in a particular area of expertise

Generation X

• They work to live
• They must have win-win proposition in their company relationships
• They highly value having a life-balance

They suffer from the Learning Trap: Gen Xers have some opportunity to learn through training and development but no opportunity to apply it or advance.

• They value freedom and the “do it their own way” approach
• They are not motivated by a sense of “loyalty” to an organization (they are not patient with corporate politics and bureaucracy and don't trust any institution)
• They also appreciate hands-off supervision

• They also work to live
• They are optimistic about the work and life culture we are in
• They are not known for loyalty
• They like fast-paced environments and lots of Veterans more than any other group in terms of their approach to work.

The Reality of the Workplace

There is an enormous disparity between work being done and the satisfaction it brings to all generations, especially in the “opportunity for advancement” area among all generations. A majority of workers feelthat despite training and skills, there are limited opportunities to move ahead. This is bringing a lot of frustration into the workplace.

Compound this fact with the lack of skills to understand and manage different types of people (generations), and the business world is heading for a serious intergenerational war if we aren't careful.

To recap:

AWARENESS + CHOICE = CHANGE

and with CHANGE comes results toward a more streamlined business and greater retention, the ultimate goal of any HR department and business.

In the next article in this series, we will offer some specific solutions to working and leading each generation to maximize the performance and productivity of any workplace.

For tips to effectively train your people and streamline your organization, and for other solutions to your employee development challenges, visit www.traininginabox.com. Sign up for your free newsletter at www.quicktrainingsolutions.com to make your HR training and development life easier. Corey Nielsen designs and delivers innovative and effective training solutions for businesses through NTG, his business development and training company.

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