The Generation Gap Comes of Age-In Your Office - Review

In this article by Poskaitis (1999), inside most businesses today, there is an illusive tension raging between management and staff that can slow company’s growth and retention to a slow grind. Boomer managers are not alone, as Generation X hit the workplace and show upstart attitudes; the stage was set for a new battle of the generations. Generation X (a.k.a. baby busters-the 38 million Americans born from 1965 to 1975) differs from the baby boomers (the 78 million born between 1946 and 1964) in significant ways. Busters face more serious problems in young adulthood than boomers including AID, crime, violence, divorce and shifting sex roles. Young women already outnumber men at college and are making substantial headway in professions traditionally dominated by men. Busters are more independent in workplace, as they often assumed adult responsibilities at an early age because of working parents. According to recent study by Towers Perrin, companies with highly loyal workplace have superior customer retention. Unfortunately, staying power doesn’t hit the top ten lists of small business attributes for he younger workers.

Many boomers in executive management view busters as disloyal, arrogant employees with a hopelessly naive and impatient approach to career advancement and work ethics. The baby bust generation is entering the workplace with infinite opportunities and only half as many competitors than boomers. Busters are energetic negotiators with technological savvy with ‘I can do anything’ attitude. In this view, gray hair is not necessarily credential for leadership. Also busters are playing the hierarchy game as dumb-too much politicking and not enough real work, comfortable with unpredictable career paths and fast-changing assignments and easily bored with repetitive duties and structured job descriptions.

The irony of this battle is that boomers experienced a similar gap with their parent’s generation. But the groups approach the gaps differently. Boomers blew institutions apart, publicly defied authority and collectively railed against conformity. Whereas, busters will simply leave if they don’t like their experience, dismiss authority behaviour as inauthentic and express individualism as a birthright. Busters are the first generation to accept mixed races, non-traditional families and gender-binding sex roles as mainstream.

There are ways to reach across the generation gap and combine the perspective and discipline of maturity with the energy and enthusiasm of youth for the betterment of organisation. This can be achieved through knowledge share and recognize the importance of an informal work style and loosen company rules. Find a handful of young leaders who can grow quickly and are willing to be mentored. Form a contract with them and help them move along faster. Also coach a different rising star every quarter or so and help them gain real-time exposure to senior business associates. Most importantly, give them direct, sustained and honest feedback. Challenge them to achieve their personal goals and when they fall short, let them know why. Give them an opportunity to run a meeting and deliver feedback also give them homework. Thus its clear, environments with the least restrictions create the most innovative thinking. Genuine interest in understanding how others approach work and life help engendering a productive staff and retain customers.