Managing a team can be challenging at the best of times, but when you have a team spanning Generation Y to Baby Boomers and everything in between, life can be very complicated indeed. This is because different age groups respond differently to the things that you say or do. The key lies in understanding what the hot buttons for each generation are - and being prepared to push them.
Across Australia and throughout the western world, employers and managers are facing many of the same challenges with young employees.
"That's it. I'm only going to hire Baby Boomers from now on... Gen Y are just too much hard work".
Often when managers start talking about a generational issue they are having with their staff, they discover that they really don't have a generational issue at all. They actually have an issue that has nothing to do with age but has everything to do with recruitment and selection.
Many people don't grasp that communication is an evolving thing. The rules of communication for one decade do not necessarily transfer through to a new decade. If people want to communicate effectively to the maximum possible audience, they need to observe the changing trends and adapt their style to suit the situations.
Posts and articles on the social networks suggests that these young Gen Y upstarts will be pulled into line by the tough economic times and that their 'unacceptable' behaviour will become a thing of the past.
In the last 40 years the workplace has gone through a real evolution. We have seen the emergence of various policies, procedures, rules and regulations designed to make workplaces more inclusive.
Many people today are simply not interested in working with companies that don't provide career opportunities - and they are prepared to vote with their feet rather than put their backside on the wrong seat!
With the growth in people staying at work longer (some by choice, others forced by circumstances) a new skill set is required by managers to ensure they are making the most of what can be their most valuable asset - the older worker.
We all know that it has never been harder to attract, recruit and retain staff, so it makes sense to focus on how we look after people who work for and with us. Motivating each generation will help you create a workplace that people won't want to leave!
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