Brazil Tours & Travel

Introduction

The extent of change that the world has experienced over the past 50 years is a staggeringly high amount, and the pace at which many of these changes have come about is no less impressive. These shifts have affected nearly every aspect of our lives beyond our fundamental physical needs and have had a profound impact on how we live our day to day lives.

One area of life which has not escaped these broad changes is the business world. Modern companies may operate within the same fundamental principles of profitability that have governed commerce since it began, but many of the traits of a successful organisation trading in the contemporary arena would seem foreign to businesses of the past.

An interesting problem that modern companies face is how to manage the different generations of individuals who make up their staff. This problem has been about for a long time, but as the requirements of companies change and the skills necessary have evolved, the differences between workers have become more pronounced.

This is partially due to the increasing life expectancy of humans, particularly in first world countries, which consequently prompts an ever increasing retirement age. As people work to a later point in their lives, they may stay with the same company into their late 60′s or early 70′s, and sometimes as hands- on workers rather than merely sitting on the board.

There is also a demand for a more diverse range of skills in the progressive business surroundings, triggered largely due to the swift development and wide reach of computer technology. Business processes, both internal and external, have undergone radical changes which require a fresh way of thinking.

Problems

One of the most typical problems that face a modern enterprise that is working with a number of distinct generations in its workforce is related to technology. Computers are commonplace in each of our lives these days and they form a pivotal piece of the corporate puzzle.

There are also generational issues when it comes to outward business factors such as the law. New laws and corporate best practices are emerging all of the time and critical business decision makers need to be aware of any that apply to their business.

Outside of this, there can be problems with communication between different generations of employee, physical limitations of the older personnel in an organisation and the need to satisfy a range of diverse needs and aspirations to keep an entire workforce satisfied.

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The Generations

The requirement to handle generations in the work environment may seem like an unneeded task, but the differences between the generations of worker that are often found in business are worthwhile taking note of.

Traditionals

Mature, or “traditional”, employees are the oldest that would be found in a modern corporate environment. They’re the people who were born before the Second World War, and will be in their late 60′s or early 70′s.

Their approach to industry and life in general is one of organisation and obedience. They were expected to make individual sacrifices for the greater good, and while this belief was nurtured under the shadow of a global conflict, many of the older generation still harbour this opinion in modern times.

Since many of the senior generation will hold senior ranks within a business their views and beliefs will generally carry more weight than those of younger generations. Their judgements will often be fundamental to the business and shape the future success or failure of the business. This disparity between modern thinking and business control requires direction.

Baby Boomers

The Baby Boomer generation includes those born between the end of the war and the mid- 60′s, when there was a general down turn in the birth rate around the world. Baby Boomers will be aged between 45 and 65 roughly speaking and probably form the vast majority of management jobs within a modern company.

This generation grew up without a lot of the oppression and discipline that was more normal amongst earlier generations. They are an aspirational collection of people that are highly family- oriented. They would be the parents of the classic “nuclear family”.

When it comes to the workplace, this group of workers will often be able to grasp the bigger picture while still maintaining a grasp on modern advances in terms of technologies and business procedures. Their family- oriented character tends to see them working well in teams, although it is often observed that they are not comfortable when taking criticism(no matter how constructive) , and they are not good at giving feedback to other workers. These communication issues can become very disruptive in a business environment.

Generation X

Members of Generation X were born between the mid- 60′s and the late- 70′s. They will be presently aged between 30 and 45 and will be spread amongst the various levels of management within a modern business.

Socially they grew up in very stressful times. Careers were an ever more important and defining part of people’s lives and this was made clear to Generation X from a very young age. Many will have progressed through lower and higher education before working their way up within one or perhaps two companies.

As such, they are often very good at problem solving and achieving short- term objectives but can struggle to grasp how their contribution affects the big picture. They will be motivated by financial benefits rather than a sense of duty since they feel they have paid their dues through a life of learning and work. Generation X need close supervision to ensure their efficient contribution to the organisation.

Generation NeXt

This generation were born since 1980 and are the youngest collection of people currently at work. They have borne witness to a changing social climate where being an extravert is seldom frowned upon. They are most open to radical concepts and processes and find hyper- consumerism and aggressive promotion to be second nature.

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The Working Environment

Technology

We are all familiar with the gap between the older generations and contemporary technological equipment. Whether it is a parent struggling to operate a new mobile phone, or a grandparent being truly confused about what the world wide web is, the void between the old and the new is made very apparent when it comes to technology.

In regards to the modern organisation, issues involving technology can have very far reaching implications. Computers are vital to many aspects of business, from managing payroll, to perform core tasks and even providing a route for marketing. As such, an employee who is not familiar with the systems being used by an organisation is likely to find difficulties in many areas of the business. This introduces the challenge of managing generations in the workplace.

The same principle may also be applied in reverse. The younger generations might be very comfortable with emerging technologies and routines, but may lack knowledge of the other systems that still carry out many of the critical functions of the business.

Physical limitations

There are obvious physical aspects that may influence how a successful company manages its workforce in regard to age. Older generations will by and large by physically inferior to their younger counterparts, and consequently they will be less suited to roles that involve physical exertions. There will be exceptions to this in many companies, but as a generalisation it is correct.

Fortunately, most of the older generations of employee will have advanced to senior levels of management within the business they work for, and these roles reward based upon knowledge and experience rather than physical capability.

Modern ailments

Modern companies are faced with physical conditions that businesses of the past would not have had to confront. Complaints like RSI, or repetitive strain injury, have become much more common since the widespread launch and use of computer keyboards.

The desk environment itself can create a number of problems if the ergonomics of any particular workstation are not great. Back problems and joint problems can develop after long intervals of sitting incorrectly, and long durations of exposure to computer monitors can contribute to long- term eye impairment. Studies are on- going to look into the full scale of the impact of the contemporary workplace on the human body.

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Solutions

The management of generations in the workplace has obtained greater exposure over recent years and many additional businesses have been made aware of the benefit of good generational management. This has spawned several new ideas and routines that are in one way or another aimed at improving the working rapport between the business and its workforce, no matter how old they may be.

If there are specific jobs within your business that are most appropriate for a particular generation then it is often beneficial to only get members of that generation to carry out the job. This kind of specialisation demands good organisational management.

There are a number of ways in which your company can learn about managing different generations of staff. Seminars dedicated to the subject have become a more common event in recent times, and the amount of useful advice that can be obtained from these occasions can be of special benefit to your organisation.

There are also many resources available on the web that discuss the problem in greater detail, and draw together a range of unique ideas for tackling various scenarios.

If setting your own administrators the job of learning about generations within the office does not seem suitable there are many business gurus that now incorporate the idea of generational management into their practice. Utilising their services may be the most recommended way to address your own corporate circumstances.

Conclusion

Different generations of employee can find that it is hard to work collectively. They have grown up in distinct times and learnt about a planet that has been constantly changing.

Each generation is also stimulated by different things, and have come from different social upbringings. It will rarely be true that one solution can be used across a multitude of generations but it is also crucial that you make sure that your business does not micro- manage different age groups working for it.

Contemporary businesses have a diverse range of skills requirements and these needs simply cannot be fulfilled by just one of the generations discussed on this page. As is so frequently the case, the path to success depends upon finding a balance between the generations- employing the advantages, mitigating the weaknesses and motivating accordingly – through educated and empathetic direction.