Cross Generation Management and Communications

By Tita Datu Puangco


One core challenge in business today is how to manage and communicate to people coming from different generations. It is an added dimension to managing diversity of race, culture and religion. Today one of the fast growing industries for example, is business process outsourcing that has attracted all generations baby boomers and people of Generations X, Y and Z.

Leaders and managers are asking very tough questions. How does one manage when you are a baby boomer managing people from different younger generations? Or more interesting is how the front line leaders who are coming from Generations X and Y can gain leadership maturity?

Should the policy prohibiting connecting to social networks at work be flexed to encourage recruitment and retention?

I have interesting experiences relating to my four children who come from 2 generations X and Y. What spiked my interest was how similar they are but how different are their ways of thinking and working.

UNDERSTANDING THE BABY BOOMER SELF

Understanding them means, understanding myself first. I am a baby boomer born in the fifties. Baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964.I checked out the web for a description. I can’t help but agree to most of their characteristics.

Baby boomers were described as work centric, independent, goal oriented and competitive. Work centric means extremely job focused, hardworking and motivated by position, perks and prestige, valuing security and stability, willing to stay in the same job for a long time. They are self-reliant. They believe they can change the world. I remember fondly the experience of “the third quarter storm”. They believe in ranks and hierarchy and may experience stress adjusting to work place flexibility and may question younger generations working remotely.

GENERATION X

I have two children who are generation Xers (born between 1965 and 1980) . They tend to be individualistic, independent and self-sufficient, valuing freedom and dislike being micromanaged. My eldest daughter for example has worked in Italy and now works in Vietnam. She is tech savvy. I remember learning how to use the computer (transitioning from typewriters) from her. She is comfortable with all types of gadgets. She is flexible and adapts well to change. She values work life balance. In fact in Vietnam, she is active in the church choir and has gained membership in the Ho Chi Minh Philharmonic Orchestra. She enjoys travelling for leisure. She works to live rather than work to live.

GENERATION Y

Once again I am fortunate to have two children who belong to generation Y. Generation Y were born between 1982 and 2001.

Let me talk of my Generation Y son. He is tech savvy, armed with all sorts of gadgets, plugged in 24 by 7. He prefers to learn through online technology, like his learning how to converse in Spanish as well as learning to vocalize with on line aids. He bought his wide assortment of shoes online. He is achievement oriented, delivers good work while seeking personal and professional growth. He is team oriented and values constant stimulation. He likes appreciation and attention and seeks work life balance. My son is always eager to do other things after work.

GENERATION Z

Generation Z were born from 1995 onwards. I experience Generation Z in our younger employees, who are constantly integrated and immersed in technology. They breathe the internet, and are constantly tuned into social networking and blogs. They are muli-taskers, meaning they can focus on 3 or more activities at a time. To focus on a single activity bores them.

They are environmentally aware. They process massive amounts of information quickly and can handle mentally demanding jobs. They have typically short attention spans and are online consumers.

UNDERSTANDING GENERATIONS

Understanding different generations matter if a leader is to achieve results in the work place. Not to understand is to be surprised or even frustrated not knowing whether one is communicating or not. Our experiences and exposure growing up have shaped us to think that what we know as the way is the right way. How does one then reach out to other generations.

I realized a lot of the lessons we learned communicating in cross cultural situations apply.

MANAGEMENT TIPS

One, is to try to be one with the person of a different generation, showing respect, trying to understand where they are coming from. This can range from their choice of music, their views about people and events.One author suggests we put ourselves in their shoes, understanding what excites and motivates them, learning how they spend a typical day.

Two, is to recognize the differences and try to bridge them. Gain an appreciation where differences in opinions and possible conflicts may arise. Listen empathically and suspend judgment even if their view is different from yours. Try to find thegem of an idea you like and build on what is common versus focusing on what is different and reach polar or conflicting positions.

Three, use differences in the descriptions in generation cultures as simply guidelines and not prescriptions for action. You use them as guidelines in deepening understanding but not to form biases or to prescribe it to all persons within the age group. For many times, distinctions may arise not necessarily from age alone but can come from other factors like nationality, profession, sex, gender or religion.

Four, approach people from different generations with curiosity and deep interest. Each generation has something to teach us. How many lessons I have learned from my children. How to write a blog, how to find material in the internet and how to find a long lost friend through the web, how to facebook and use linked in to mention a few.

Fifth, relax and don’t be nervous approaching or conversing with those of other generations because you share a common humanity. It maybe what colored your world growing up is different from theirs. These differences make for a world that provides variety, adventure and excitement. It keeps us exploring,growing and learning. Let us welcome the new world of cross generations.