Our corporate consulting around intergenerational issues is customized for the needs of each client. A few of our past and present corporate clients are: 3M Corporation; Capella Learning Corporation; CLIMB Theatre; Thrivant Financial; The Platinum Group; and Minnesota Leadership Circle.
The article below outlines the principal reasons a company or corporation should include an intergenerational perspective.
Generational Diversity in the Workplace:
It's Time We Paid Attention
(an edited version, originally published in the Johnson Institute National Newsletter)
By James V. Gambone Ph.D.
Intergenerational Management Consultant and author of Together For Tomorrow: Building Community Through Intergenerational Dialogue
Several years ago, a Fortune Magazine story, "Boomers vs. Busters," reported that large corporations could lose between 2-4% bottom line productivity due to generational differences and miscommunication in the workplace. Most corporations today have at least 3 generations functioning at various levels of production, sales, marketing, senior management and serving on Boards of Directors. Billions of dollars are lost each year because corporate leadership has not yet recognized, nor accounted for, the impact of significantly different generational values, attitudes and expectations about work and the workplace.
In the book, Managing Generation X, Bruce Tulgan identified at least 4 consistent themes which seem to separate younger and older workers.
1. Belonging. Many younger workers feel they are not given the opportunity to make a significant and meaningful contribution.
2. Learning. Younger workers feel they are not given sufficient access to important job-related information.
3. Entrepreneurship. Younger workers want to define their own work problems, develop solutions at their own pace and produce their own results.
4. Security. Younger workers want to be able to monitor the success rate of their performance, their status at work and how they specifically contribute to the return on their own investment.
Tulgan's generational differences need to be further examined as they relate to the recruitment and retention of younger workers. Visionary corporate leaders also need to account for the impact of an aging society on the modern workplace. Managers and team leaders will increasing face "caring" issues and other intergenerational concerns in unprecedented volume over the next 10 years.
The book, Rocking the Ages: The Yankelovitch Report On Generational Marketing, provides additional research evidence on the importance of accounting for the generations working in your companies and corporations. Nearly 40 years of their generational survey market research points up significant generational differences and the need to develop generational and intergenerational strategies for promoting better communication and understanding.
To successfully bridge these generational differences, hire and keep new workers and confront new aging issues in the workplace, a number of management consultants are adapting or creating new management tools to promote better cross-age dialogue and problem solving. This newly emerging generational/intergenerational perspective may provide an innovative platform for launching new diversity and human resource initiatives in today's corporations and other large organizations.
The Intergenerational Dialogue Process™ I have developed brings generations together to air workplace issues in a respectful, caring and cooperative environment. It can be used as a leadership tool with senior management to help them understand how identifying generational similarities and differences can be a real asset in strategic planning, recruitment, appraisal, recognition and promotion. My process challenges all generations in the workplace to develop solutions to problems which can improve productivity and create a real learning environment within the corporation or business...
A resource for understanding generational diversity is found in our booklet Generations. See our SHOP page for information on how to order this and other helpful resources.
Past Intergenerational Dialogue topics have included: family violence • respect and responsibility • elder fear • gang violence • entitlements • disaster relief • community empowerment • communication • neighborhood safety • increasing productivity in the workplace • bridging racial & cultural differences. See our previous and future Intergenerational Dialogues and Events.
Please e-mail us at mail@pointsofviewinc.com for further information on our customized consulting and training programs.