The four discrete generations now present in the workforce get lots of attention for (and pay lots of attention to!) their differences. All sorts of ways of looking at the differences keep cropping up.
My turn to offer one: time and space.
Why not simplify the differences by bringing them all down to the Traditionalists’, Baby Boomers’, Generation X’s and Millennials’ different perceptions of time and space? Here’s how:
SPACE
And Work…Traditionalists and Boomers and even the older Gen Xs expect to work in an office, in the shop, on the assembly line. In other words, at the workplace.
Younger workers–Gen Ys some Gen Xs–are “tech-immersed.” They can carry their office with them in the form of iPhone, Blackberry, notebook. The shift from product to service, from hardcopy to electronic filing, and from desktop computers to laptops (and smaller) has supported this freedom of work-space.
And Communication…The introduction of e-mail and its evolution to txt and twit have made younger workers at home with brief–even abbrev’d–electronic communication. Boomers and Traditionalists likely remain more comfortable with face-to-face meetings and conversations that require both parties in the same space.
And Learning…Approaches to learning and to new tasks vary among the generations. Raised to be linear learners, Traditionalists and Boomers head for the classroom, pull out the manuals and textbooks, and sit down with a coach or mentor. Gen Xs and Ys rely on the Internet and immediate sources of (digital) information that satisfies them on-demand and as-needed.
And then there is time, which offers just as many points of divergence among the four generations.
TIME
And Work…Work for Boomers and Traditionalists is largely defined by the hours: 9 to 5, 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week. Being at work on time and staying on the job until time to leave comprised the assumed behavior.
For the younger workforce members today–driven by the absence of space demands–the actual to-from hours one works are unimportant. Doing the work–perhaps as expeditiously as possible–is what matters.
And Scheduling…The older members of the workforce (Traditionalists, Boomers, and older Gen X) plan and schedule. Meetings, though lamented, are sacrosanct. Gen Ys, on the other hand, view reliance on scheduled meetings inefficient and frustrating. Their preference is for instant (likely electronic) communication when/if needed.
And Advance…Workers who have been around more than a couple of decades are familiar with the “pay your dues” philosophy. They have known to settle in and wait their turn for advancement and promotions. Gen Ys demonstrate less patient. “Want it now” may overstate Gen Y’s attitude, but they believe they should be considered for the ripe assignments once they demonstrated the ability to handle same.
And Feedback…Gen Ys (and younger Gen Xs) are eager to learn and to learn quickly. This translates to a desire for immediate and frequent feedback. As well, Gen Ys seek more and more personal interaction, and feedback from their managers is a prime type. Boomers have grown accustomed to the once-maybe-twice-a-year performance review with their supervisors.
Everyone works in time and space. Not everyone approaches either or both the same way.
Tags: Employee Engagement, generations
