"She's been here
forever. I thought she was going to retire soon. We can't count on her to come
up with any innovative ideas...we'll need to look outside the company for help
on this project."
"We better make
sure we don't hire too many millennials onto this team. Everybody knows they
never put in extra time...it's all about them."
"I wish the baby
boomers would just get over themselves. They act as if they are the only ones
who know anything around here. They don't even realize how ridiculous they
sound talking about bootstraps and not putting out effort. They don't even try
to stay current with today's world of work. It's embarrassing for them, and
they don't even know it."
I work with an amazing
group of people. The team I work with has employees whose ages span
sixty years. Yes, that is 60 years, from their 20s to their 80s. They're
productive, pleasant to work with, and support each other because we've made a
commitment on our team to embrace generational diversity.
It wasn't a document
anyone had to sign, it wasn't a proclamation I made in a meeting, and it
certainly wasn't the result of a corporate training initiative.
Our team behaves this
way because we are adults living in 2013.
Stop Whining
I wonder how much more
productive our respective workplaces would be if we never complained about any
generation? Think about that for a minute....no noise about others, but simply
a realization that not everyone is exactly like you and me, and we move forward.
Is that so hard? Am I
oversimplifying this issue? Do I need a lesson on why people in their 50s think
a certain way, and why other people in their 20s think a different way? I don't
remember needing a training session on how to interact with other people when I
go to church. It seems we all just naturally respect each other and treat each
other well.
Imagine
that...deciding to treat other people well regardless of how old they are? That
would never work in the corporate world, right?!
GIVE ME A BREAK!
How About You
Maybe it's time we stopped obsessing about difference? Perhaps there is a new opportunity, to
focus instead on respect, civility, and a willingness to listen first and open
our mouths second?
Do I need to roll out a massive training program to make
sure everyone in every job understands everything about everyone?
Um, no I don't. I need
to hire people that respect others.
I'd love to hear from
you.
No Excuses.
Great post! This has become a popular discussion among HR Professionals lately. Many organizations are dealing with an aging population and the related issues around this talent management. I recently came across a article that put a new prospective on this topic. The article suggested many aging Americans are working for insurance. Some baby boomers may be financially able to retire but not yet eligible for Medicare and either uninsurable or priced out of the individual market. The article suggested the creation of the new federally facilitated exchange subsidies and guaranteed access may cause baby boomers to leave the workforce all together. I’m not sure if I agree with that statement but it is definitely an interesting point to ponder. I guess we will see how it plays out in the coming months.
ReplyDeleteGreat perspective Jean. Insurance is a huge issue for everyone. I'm sure it's keeping many people at work. Imagine how much more complicated this will get as eligibility ages rise!
DeleteGreat article. Whenever I work with small business I hear many of the noted complaints from your article.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jules...greatly appreciate you reading and commenting!
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ReplyDelete