Walk through the tightly packed, hierarchically flattened corridors of America's businesses, and what do you hear? Not the sounds of harmony. Instead, you"ll probably hear the grumbles of irritation as people with wholly different ways of working, talking, and thinking have been tossed together side by side, cubicle by cubicle. It's the teeth-gritting sound of generations in collision.
Charlie, for example, is 61 and desperate for some clear, straight forward guidance from his 43-year old boss, Mary, who in turn, is using her trademark heartfelt, buzzword-laden management style in an attempt to radically alter Charlie's work processes. Jane, meanwhile, the 29-year old technical wizard of the team, sits sullenly in her cubicle, unimpressed with either of them, nor they with her.
None of them understands the other. None of them knows how to communicate with the other. And it's causing headaches and havoc for managers trying to mold this hodgepodge of ages, faces, values, and views into a productive, collaborative group.
(4) Generational groups:.
The Veterans 1922-1943 (52 million people). Those prior to World War II and .
those whose earliest memories and influences are associated with that world-.
engulfing event.
The Baby Boomers 1943-1965 (73.2 million people). Those born during or after .
World War II and raised in the era of extreme optimism, opportunity, and .
progress.
Generation Xers 1965-1980 (70.1 million people). Those born after the blush of .
the Baby Boom and came of age deep in the shadow of the Boomers and the rise .
of the Asian tiger.
Generation Nexters 1980-2000 (69.7 million people to date). Those born of the .
Baby boomers and early Xers and into our current high-tech, neo-optimistic time.
There is a problem in the workplace- a problem derived not from downsizing, rightsizing, change, technology, foreign competition, pointy-haired bosses, bad breath, cubicle envy, or greed. It is a problem of values, ambitions, views, mind-sets, demographics, and generations in conflict.