‘Designing Strategies’ Newsletter
March – April 2007 Volume 4 – Issue 15
Did you ever have an advertisement catch your eye and deliver its message on the spot? Then, it sticks in your mind long after you’ve closed the magazine or turned off the television. Ads like this make marketing folks beam. These are the things that make great advertising.
Just the other day, a Toshiba copier ad caught my eye. The ad features a gray haired Baby Boomer CFO, neatly attired in a navy pinstriped three piece suit and wing tips. He was shown hand-in-hand with a much younger, CIO with shoulder length hair, dressed in jeans, an untucked pullover, sandals and a string of beads around his neck. The Gen-X IT guy could easily have been the CFO in his younger, ‘hippier’ years; long hair, love beads and all. The text beneath their picture read: “CFO & CIO — So happy together.”
The message was about copiers meeting different levels of expectations. To me, it showed that regardless of the changing generations in the workplace, they can peacefully coexist. How do you address the generational differences of your workforce? Are you still stuck to the old model of time clocks and 40-hour workweeks? Still operating on the old military chain of command model where upper management seldom set eyes on, much less talks to the underlings? Do your managers operate under the premise that they say “Jump!” and employees are expected to say “How high?” Or, better (or worse) yet, it’s still OK for managers to expect their subordinates to just shut up and do it?
Even Bob Dylan knew in the 1960s that things were becoming different than in the past. He sang about it in: “The Times They Are A Changing.” Younger, very talented people are at your doorstep hoping to fill vacancies made as Baby Boomers and Traditionals move to retirement. Most Boomers don’t understand Gen-X and Gen-Y candidates, or know how to handle them. And, truth be told, these new entrants into the workforce aren’t sure what to do with you, your management style, or your expectations, either. The times are well beyond ‘changing’, they have changed. Hopefully you noticed and decided to do something about it.
Review how you are recruiting these different groups. Each generation has different expectations, from compensation and benefits packages to style of work, from corporate culture to scheduling and opportunities for advancement. Generation X will not accept what was good for the Baby Boomer generation, nor will Generation Y . Once you’ve figured out Generation X, get to work on Gen-Y right away. Discover what makes each group tick and develop strategies to accommodate their wants and needs.
It is imperative that you make a place – an inviting place – for these younger generations to fit into your workplace. At some point in the not that distant future, they will be running your company. Think of this changing workforce like feeding plants. Plan to provide a quality, fertile atmosphere that supports growth. Nourish them regularly with feedback and praise, and prop them up when necessary. This care will result in strong, productive employees upon whom you can base the growth and success of your firm. The positive results will be well worth your effort.
Changing Generations in the Workplace: “If You Build It They will Come”
Remember that memorable line in the Kevin Costner movie, “Field of Dreams”? “If you build it, they will come.” Unfortunately, that is not the rule of the workplace. Designing a single strategy that will appeal to employees of all ages isn’t going to work. Take a look at what Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman said in their book, When Generations Collide, about generations and career goals.
Traditionals: Build a legacy
Baby Boomers: Build a stellar career
Generation X: Build a portable career
Generation Y: Build parallel careers
How could anyone hope to meet all those different goals with one basic strategy? Thinking that one size can fit all is clearly no longer the case.
Maurer On The Move…
Do you want to learn more about these four different generations as clients and employees? Contact Terri Maurer to set an appointment, or to schedule one of our Small Business Success programs for your leadership.
Designing for the Generations
Recruiting, Retaining and Managing an Age-Diverse Workforce
Marketing and Sales in the New Age-Diverse Marketplace
Contact Terri by phone at: 330.666.0802 or by email.
Maurer Consulting Group is a strategies firm helping clients evaluate and formulate strategies for success. ‘Designing Strategies’ is a bi-monthly, email-generated newsletter sent to you by the Maurer Consulting Group. If you’d like to be removed from our recipients list, please send an email to tlmaurer@maurerconsultinggroup.com.
