| the obvious exception of the very young and elderly, | | | | their own work without any micro-management. |
| the fact that there is a generational mix in the | | | | Additionally work/life balance is extremely important |
| Australian workplace simply reflects our general | | | | and the freedom to achieve this is often perceived as |
| population demographics. | | | | a greater reward than money – freedom being |
| In the factories, workshops and offices of the past the | | | | the ultimate reward. |
| different cohorts were more stratified with older | | | | Gen X is very motivated by individuality, their own |
| people in senior management positions and younger | | | | sense of achievement and their ability to relate to |
| ones in menial roles. However compared to a | | | | peers. Good education has created a questioning |
| generation ago when both society and work was | | | | approach to work which can be seen by older |
| based on this hierarchal structure today’s | | | | managers as a lack of respect. They feel they have a |
| workplace is one where teams of diverse ages work | | | | right to know “why”. |
| together on the same project, where older leaders | | | | The Gen X management and leadership style is more |
| manage across generations and where younger | | | | laid-back and cooperative compared to Boomers, and |
| graduates manage older workers. | | | | they are more inclined to manage by consensus with |
| As a result of working well into their 60s and perhaps | | | | a high respect for creativity. |
| 70s, Baby Boomers will be managing not just Gen X, | | | | One thing to keep in mind is that in seven years the |
| the generation below them, but also Gen Y and | | | | youngest Boomer will be 50 and the oldest will be in |
| probably Gen Z. At the same time there are also | | | | their late 60s so one thing is certain, corporate power |
| many Xers and Ys who are already managing | | | | is moving into the hands of Gen X at a great rate. A |
| increasingly older Boomers. | | | | recent study by the Royal Melbourne Institute of |
| All this gives credence to the view that greater | | | | Technology (Family Business Studies) stated that over |
| generational understanding is more important today | | | | the next decade AUD$1,544 TRILLION will be passed |
| particularly in relation to the three cohorts making up | | | | on from the existing leaders of family businesses to |
| the majority of today’s Australian work force: | | | | the younger generation. |
| Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964; | | | | Generation Y |
| Generation X born between 1965 and 1979; and | | | | The strongest word to characterise Gen Y is |
| Generation Y born 1980 to 1994. | | | | informality. Mind you this generation is also very long on |
| Social researcher Mark McCrindle defines a generation | | | | idealism but they combine this with a commitment to |
| under three factors: a group of people who share the | | | | having fun with a strong emphasis on social |
| same life stage, live through the same economic, | | | | relationships. |
| educational and technological times and whom the | | | | They also bring a great deal of optimism into the |
| same social markers and events shaped. | | | | workplace however this can often translate into high |
| That is a useful definition although an addition I would | | | | expectations in terms of salary, job flexibility and duties |
| make is that these social markers and events were | | | | with less willingness to take on the initial grunt work |
| ones that impacted during the formative years of | | | | and an unrealistic desire to skip this and go straight to |
| fifteen to twenty-five creating paradigms by which | | | | the top. |
| each generation continued to view their world as they | | | | They tend to be a sceptical bunch and this scepticism |
| aged. | | | | is a product of the era in which they entered the |
| None of this is to deny the obvious, simply that youth | | | | workforce – an era of downsizing, deregulation |
| of all eras demonstrate similar characteristics such as | | | | and leaner, meaner corporations. A significant number |
| experimental lifestyles, questioning of the status quo, | | | | of them also saw their Boomer parents made |
| pushing of boundaries and more. In addition, as | | | | redundant after a lifetime at one job. These factors |
| individuals, we bring well-developed personal values to | | | | have influenced them to focus on short term rewards, |
| work every day and these also greatly influence our | | | | a concept often not in tune with traditional workplace |
| communication behaviour. Nevertheless, I believe that | | | | incentive and promotion policies. |
| the social markers and events we share with other | | | | Their self-discovery is very strongly oriented towards |
| cohort members are also a very strong factor in | | | | achievement but this is a sense of achieving an |
| influencing characteristics, values and therefore | | | | end-result rather than following processes. They also |
| workplace performance. | | | | prefer to arrive at decisions by negotiation, an |
| The full version of this article and my keynote | | | | approach that is the total opposite of authoritarianism |
| presentation on this subject reference these in detail | | | | and in fact most of what they do at work tends to be |
| but for now let me go straight to the common | | | | a negotiation of some sort. |
| characteristics and values influenced by these social | | | | Gen Y is more computer literate at a younger age |
| markers. | | | | than any previous generation because they have been |
| Baby Boomers | | | | in front of PCs almost from the day they were born. |
| The older “leading edge” Boomers are | | | | This dictates their preferred learning style that is visual |
| highly motivated by security and the work ethic and | | | | and kinesthetic, rich in narratives and metaphors and |
| have a reputation for being the workaholic generation | | | | multi-sensory – a style that also feeds into their |
| while younger “trailing edge” Boomers | | | | training environment, which they prefer to be the |
| have values tending towards those of Gen X. | | | | opposite of the structured classroom. |
| Overall Boomers are very motivated by responsibility | | | | Their management and leadership style is an amalgam |
| and they tend to reach decisions easily perceiving | | | | of all this and when they are given an opportunity for |
| themselves as authority figures on just about any | | | | greater responsibility Gen Y members are eager to |
| subject and tending to emphasise this aspect by | | | | take this on however their leadership style is more |
| leaning on reputation, experience and self-reliance, | | | | consensus-driven than Gen X and they are also eager |
| which can all be taken as simple inflexibility by Gen X | | | | to be mentored through this stage of development. |
| and Y. | | | | By absorbing and analysing this information, comparing |
| Having grown up in an era where the spoken voice in | | | | it to my own experiences in a 25-year management |
| teaching, media and public life was all-important the | | | | career, more recent observations as an executive |
| preferred Boomer learning style is essentially auditory | | | | coach and through additional research I have arrived at |
| so meetings, presentations and straight-forward | | | | a matrix which compares generational characteristics |
| classroom learning are totally normal and acceptable | | | | against some suggested strategies that a manager |
| to them. In addition they are very content driven and | | | | can use to both motivate cohort members and |
| have a preference for hard facts and information. | | | | encourage more positive workplace communication. |
| As managers and leaders, Boomers like to be in | | | | Those interested in receiving the full version of this |
| control tending towards a cooperative management | | | | article and a copy of the matrix may contact me |
| style rather than an authoritarian one and because | | | | through my website . |
| they are content-driven Boomers are analytical rather | | | | Whether you are in senior management, a front line |
| than emotional as leaders. | | | | manager, HR, L and D or simply someone who has an |
| Generation X | | | | interest in what makes people tick; this generational |
| Gen X has grown up with a belief that there are no | | | | knowledge can be very useful additional tool to assist |
| absolutes, a characteristic often reflected in their | | | | in creating better workplace communication and |
| attitude to careers. Simply put, today’s job is | | | | preventing problems that may feed into poor staff |
| there only to enhance value in terms of future | | | | retention. |
| opportunities. | | | | I believe that good leaders are those who are |
| They value variety, freedom and work/life balance. In | | | | prepared to recognise generational diversity within their |
| his book “Generations At Work” Raines | | | | teams and as a result, these leaders practice more |
| writes, “Xers are very clear about the meaning | | | | than a “one size fits all” approach. They |
| of work balance in their lives. Work is work and they | | | | find ways to close the workplace generation gap so |
| work to live, not live to work”. This Gen X | | | | that every generation can be heard equally in the |
| sense of freedom shows up in a need to manage | | | | realisation that no one group has all the answers. |