Finally, somebody gets me about generational differences!
Judi Casey December 17th, 2008
Did you ever feel that everyone was embracing a concept that just didn’t make sense to you? Maybe it seemed to happen so often, and in so many arenas, that you begin to think, “It must be me!”
Well, for years I’ve felt that way about the buzz around generational differences, and the notion that workers who grew up in specific generations want the same things from their employers, have the same priorities or values and need to be managed in a similar fashion. It just didn’t ring true for me. I’d reflect about the Gen Yers that I’ve managed, and think gee, she is really different than another Gen Yer that reported to me. I’d note that some seemed to like a lot of feedback and supervision, while others seemed to prefer to work more independently, asking for feedback only when needed. They didn’t seem to want the same type of support from me, so how could I possibly manage them the same way?
Then, I’d go to HR conferences where people with prestigious titles from Fortune 100 companies would talk about how they had implemented generational awareness or training programs. I’d even ask questions at their presentations such as, “What were the drivers for these efforts? Have you been able to demonstrate any measurable positive outcomes?” After some serious glares, I’d get answers that they had read a book that was purely anecdotal, or that their competitors were focused on these types of efforts. Again, I’d think, it must be me.
I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to read two recent articles that get me! The first, “A New Breed of Ageism,” by John Sullivan at Workforce.com, notes in reference to generational stereotyping, “if you are a manager or HR professional who has fallen for this ruse, it’s time to rethink your approach.” After discussing how generational stereotyping flies in the face of what we embrace in diversity, he goes on to say, “…the best way to motivate a certain generation is [realizing] that effective management requires treating every employee and every situation differently.”
Another article in Workspan (for members only) by Frank Giancola, “Is the Generation Gap a Bogus Issue?,” cites numerous high-quality, credible sources of research that “raised serious questions about the validity of the generational approach.” He cites reputable studies such as “The Lives and Times of Baby Boomers,” “What Generation Gap?” from the March 2008 Gallup Management Journal, and The Generation Gap: How Employees Young and Old Can Find Common Ground, by Jennifer Deal. He concludes: “The generational approach has many serious weaknesses…. these weaknesses make the Cohort Generation a challenging concept for HR professionals and provide a valid rationale to focus on other talent strategies.”
I think it really comes down to taking the time to ask your employees, how is your work going? Do you have the resources that you need to do your job? Is there anything that I can do to make your life easier, while still getting our work done? No magic formulas. No ten tips. I feel vindicated!
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