Generation Gap

Has the Generation Gap Narrowed?

Recently, I had a conversation with a friend who is in the process of building her career in the publishing field. For the past 10 years, this 30-something mother has been occupied with raising her children and working odd jobs. But, like so many of us, she has decided to jump into an exciting, full-time career.

She has been using networking and round table clubs to learn about and connect with her new industry. After one such meeting she told me about an intense conversation she’d had with another female networker in her group who was in her 50s and acting as a type of recruiter for the industry. The women accused her of not “paying her dues” and having the luxury of looking at this career as a hobby. This woman went so far as to tell her to call when she was really serious and not just looking for some kind of validation. Needless to say, my friend was offended by this person’s condescending assumption on her goals with respect to moving into a new career.

These types of conversations highlight an important point about what is currently happening in the workplace between the generations and their varied reactions to the current economic climate. Just as cultures within organizations have experienced adjusting to the global work environment, various generations of workers are experiencing the pains of adjusting to the instability of our economy. We seem to be looking at our older/younger counterparts as the enemy in a climate of sweeping lay-offs and overwhelming unemployment rates.

Although each generation processes change differently, the result is often a broad spectrum of workers being more flexible and adapting their attitudes about work. I see younger groups taking the idea of finding and maintaining their jobs more seriously and I see the older groups becoming more flexible about learning new technology and working virtually. I have also seen a shift in the perception that there is an endless abundance of opportunities – you can always find another job.

It is important to realize that the effects of the current economic climate are not necessarily a condition of tenure or age. The generational gap, which has always existed in the workforce, has possibly narrowed somewhat with the realization of the economic realities and the non-discriminatory nature of company layoffs. What is important for anyone still employed or looking for employment is the melding of both work ethics and innovation. All generations can learn something from the each other, and use that knowledge to help ride out this crisis. The employer must manage this economic situation by bringing these groups together as a cohesive team that is focused on production and flexibility. This takes a comprehensive structural review of the company’s values, attitudes, and work process to build that type of multi-generational team.

For business owners or employers, what experience would you like to share in re-shaping multi-generational teams within this economy? What other experiences would anyone like to share related to the multigenerational workforce?