| STRATEGIC ANALYSIS |
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| The generation challenge (III) |
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In the first two parts of my article I looked at the general characteristics of different generations as well as the way in which they react in certain situations. In this last part we will analyze the way in which generations behave when it comes to change, management and rewards.
How do they see change and diversity?
1. "The Silents" generation ("Inter-War")
• They appreciate conformity, rules and responsabilities
• They grew up in a period of transition from an agricultural economy to an industrial one
• They don't feel at ease with ambiguity and change
2. The "Baby Boomers" ("Collectivization" generation)
• They prefer a nice working environment, democratic, human
• In some countries they fought in order to have equality within the system
• In Romania they had equality during the communist regime but after the revolution they found a lot of inequality and competition, which sometimes makes them yearn for those times in which everyone was equal
• They tend to judge those who have different opinions
3. The "X" generation (the "Decreeds")
• They are less preoccupied with what happened in the past and traditions
• They are comfortable with change, used to the fast pace and changes around them
• They work well in multicultural systems and accept diversity, whether it is religious, political or social
• They are very receptive when it comes to women or minorities present in management positions and they believe in equality when it comes to the chances you have, not systems
• They learned to respect different points of view
4. The "Y" generation
• From a worldwide point of view, due to the high mobility, they are likely to become the first heterogeneous generation (loosing race and ethnicity characteristics), they are aware of this and easily accept this situation
• They enjoy innovations and they always look for better ways of solving things
• They move at the same pace with the changes that are happening around them - they aren't affected by the economical or political instability happening in the world
• They want attention and equal treatment
How do they see management?
1. "The Silents" generation ("Inter-War")
• They are more comfortable with a directive leadership style
• They accept hierarchical feedback
• Punctuality is their key advantage
2. The "Baby Boomers" ("Collectivization" generation)
• They are passionate and preoccupied with participative management and employee involvement
• They don't have very good conflict solving abilities
• They always look for a purpose in what they do
• They accept hierarchy but prefer a more participative working style
• They need coaching for personal and professional development
• They can be very sensitive when they get feedback
• They sometimes have a tendency to put the process before the results
3. The "X" generation (the "Decreeds")
• They have a less than traditional approach when it comes to time and space, if the performance is satisfactory and there are results, they don't see the need to be present at the office
• They tend to be focused on results
• They don't like micromanagement and they want to have ownership over the processes
• They want a comfortable and relaxed working environment, even if they work in corporations
• They tend to be independent, they want the freedom to make decisions
• They prefer working in small teams without any clearly defined leadership
4. The "Y" generation
• They appreciate a direct approach, due to their desire to be informal they can sometimes be perceived as disrespectful
• They feel important when their work is appreciated and they don't like to be criticized
• They can be impatient and always desire immediate results
• They work fast, they are creative and have their own ways of getting results
• The process is more important than the result
• They are loyal to the idea of finishing a project but they can criticize authority if something doesn't sit right
• They accept rules and procedures as long as these don't compromise their individuality, free time or fun
• They are capable of learning or accomplishing several tasks at the same time
• They want and expect to have fun where they work
• They want managers who behave like teachers or facilitators rather than the traditional way, they want to work with their managers not for them
• They need a lot of supervision and structure when it comes to their activity
• They feel comfortable in a less stressful environment
• They respond well to a constant directional behavior, positive feedback and frequent rewards
How do they regard rewards and work motivation?
1. "The Silents" generation ("Inter-War")
• They expect to be rewarded for their work but they don't ask this right away
• They work their way up through the organization with a lot of effort
• They value seniority and age
• They want financial security
2. The "Baby Boomers" ("Collectivization" generation)
• They want to achieve great things - they sometimes choose challenging projects
• They put a high price on personal time as they grow older
• They like to be rewarded with titles, money, seniority or other advantages that can consolidate their position
• They find satisfaction and purpose in what they do
3. The "X" generation (the "Decreeds")
• They appreciate planning, flexible working hours, casual clothing
• They are willing to develop themselves through training
• They expect to be rewarded for small success that occur while the project is finalized
• They want to earn money without spending a lot of their personal time
4. The "Y" generation
• Salary is important because this way they can make their desired expenses
• They insist on being left to do the tasks in the way and at the time they see fit
• They want to succeed right away - if they don't see that they are immediately rewarded for their successes, they can easily decide to move to another company
• They appreciate flexible working hours and manage their personal time carefully
• They take advantage of any sort of personal development opportunity or chance to advance in their carrier
• They like to be publicly recognized for their successes and want to be rewarded at shorter intervals of time in comparison with other generations
• They like to have fun while they work
This is where we end our incursion into the world of generations and their differences. I hope that all of this information will be useful and you can use it as a guide in different situations in which you encounter work processes where employees of different generations are involved.
My personal experience (in Human Invest we have members of both the X and Y generation) proved that , although these two are linked through their feelings towards technology, there are still a lot of aspects that make them different, so that, in certain moments, behaviors can be significantly different and require different approaches. On the other hand, as I said in the beginning, the fact that there are some characteristics does not mean that all those born in the same period have the same behaviors or needs. The most important element for a manager is to be prepared, to expect reactions such as those described in this article and prepare his or her own approach, so that there are very few conflicts and a high level of motivation at the workplace.
I wish you great performance in the way you manage generations!
Rares Manolescu
Senior Manager |
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Human Invest is a Premier League company in the arena of training and organizational development consultancy services, present on the Romanian market since 1998.
We are recognized for conceiving and implementing programs which offer managers an authentic experience towards improving their leadership performances, and thus we support companies in becoming more and more engaged in delivering excellent services for their clients.
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