The Clash of Generations !....

Generation gap exists and it is getting wider at workplaces !

For the first time in modern history, we are challenged by having to recruit, retain, motivate and manage up to four generations in the workplace all at once. In India and emerging economies, this gap is increasing everyday. The diverse perspectives, attitudes and needs of these four generations have changed the dynamics of the entire workforce.

Perhaps a little insight into the differences and preferences among the generations can help us understand our colleagues in an age-diverse workforce. This will also help to leverage the talents and capitalize on the diversity within our teams.

Although there is no consensus of the exact birth dates that define each generation, they are generally broken into four distinct groups:

Traditionalists – Born between 1927 and 1945 – Patriotic, loyal, hard-workers and self reliant. They grew up in the shadows of the World War, Great Depression, India’s freedom struggle, feudalism, Partition and all these must have shaped their mindset. They respect leadership and aren’t concerned about career development. This generation is less tech-savvy and prefers personal interaction.

Boomers – Born between 1946 and 1964 - In the West, they are optimistic but in India, they are idealist, cynical and conservative. Partition, Wars (Pakistan/ China) coupled with JP movement, nationalization of industries and green revolution played a significant role in shaping their mindsets. Boomers worked in Government and manufacturing organizations. They feel their youth and almost better part of their career was wasted following egalitarian pursuits and Nehruvian socialism. Their career opportunities were stifled due to license raj, emergency, violent industrial relations and abysmally poor Hindu rate of growth. The Boomers therefore link “sacrifice” with “success.” Interestingly the youth in 60’s managed to twist, jive, shake and rebel.

Boomers demand job security, title, plush corner office, seniority, follow protocol and respect for hierarchy. It is starting to shift however to the value of time. They value face time in the office, respect for organisational hierarchies, and often detest work flexibility and / or even work/life balance trends.

Gen X-ers (Nexters) – Born between 1965 and the early 1980s - Optimistic and competitive. Gen Xers are academically brilliant, highly qualified, have filed several patents and the main culprits of brain drain in India. They saw the world changing rapidly with Indira’s populism, Gaddafi’s terrorism, Regan’s policies, the rise and fall of Thatcherism, Gorbachev’s Perestroika and Glasnost. Either you like these politicians or hate them but you could never ignore them.
Gen X in India developed a mental model patterned on a rich, rambunctious, violent and yet a vibrant democracy - comfortable with many views, perspectives, and voices. They have seen tremendous media inventions from cable TV, micro-waves, video games, pagers, cell phones and the most significant being the personal computer.

X-ers tend to look for career security rather than job security, focus on employability than just employment and prefer frequent global and varied work assignments . They dislike rigid work requirements and thrive on freedom, autonomy, diversity, challenge, responsibility and creativity. They want flexible leave policies, paid time off, accelerated career paths, relaxed dress codes, and continuous training. The end of license Raj in India followed with liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation immensely benefitted this generation to leap frog in their career and also become entrepreneurs.

Gen Y (Millennial’s) – Born in 1980 or later - Smart, practical, tech-savvy, outspoken and brand conscious. They believe, “It’s better to have a live-in relationship rather then having a divorced life!” They are just arriving and it is a little too early to really know what they will bring to the workplace.

Gen Y has been pampered, nurtured and programmed with a slew of activities since they were toddlers, which means, they are both high-performance and high maintenance. They communicate through emails, Facebook, YouTube, texting, and Instant Messaging giving them a reputation for being peer oriented and seeking instant gratification. However clear thinking, crisp communication, some what free spirited and restlessness are what defines Generation Y. They know what they want, desire instant gratification and have no qualms about it. They constantly need to know that what they are doing is making a difference and prefer the shortest and often quickest route to success. They expect to be recognized and rewarded more frequently even for mere participation!

Generation Y demands recognition, work/life balance and flexibility. When working with or supervising Generation Y, it’s wise to frequently communicate, reassure, reward and at the same time impose structure, stability and cultivate a team-oriented environment.

A generation's personality is determined by events and conditions that influenced its members during their formative years. These varied influences results in generational differences also known as “Clashpoint” and that is why generations collide. (Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman have coined the word Clashpoint in their book, ‘When Generations Collide’.)

ClashPoints frequently erupt around feedback, rewards, role change, and training. Organisations who are unprepared to deal with Clashpoints -- or worse, ignore them -- risk everything from reduced profitability to wasted human potential and attrition.

The keys to managing generational conflicts are awareness, empathy and flexibility. Apparently a one-size-fits-all career path, structure, reward programmes and HR practices will not work within a three or four generation workforce. Is it any wonder many companies are dealing with hiring challenges, job mismatch, managing expectations, increasing employee attrition, increasing usage of social network, communication challenges and low morale?

By 2020 the workplace in India will be known as ‘Youngistan’ and its time all four generations learn to adapt. To conclude, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin