URL: http://www.esparzaspeakers.com/blog/index.php/view/19/Understanding_the_Generations_is_Vital
Carol Muratore can help organizations gain insights into the preferences and motivations of the generations
Since 1620, when the Mayflower brought the first families across the Atlantic to the new world, 19 generations have come of age. The Pilgrims were lucky if three generations were alive in a family at any given time during the Puritan days. Today our communities are filled with individuals from six generations. A longer life expectancy is responsible for this phenomenon.
For the first time in the history of the industrialized world, four generations are working side-by-side in the workplace. Older generations will stay in the workforce until a later age due to longer life spans, personal desires and financial necessity. Younger generations are sometimes slowed or blocked from moving up in their careers because of this trend. And our youthful tech-savvy employees often view the people in charge as slow-to-adopt dinosaurs. Coupled with their preference to communicate via technology versus face-to-face, younger generations sometimes appear aloof and inconsiderate to older generations.
A generation is a birth period that spans 20 years and is defined as a group of people who have common life experiences and defining moments. For many Americans those moments include Pearl Harbor, the assassinations of the Kennedy's and Martin Luther King, Jr., the Challenger explosion and September 11th. The impact is greatest, if an individual is coming of age when those events occurred. Common threads of a generation include:
Because of these common experiences, each generation tends to have a similar outlook on life and perspective on work. Baby Boomers came of age in the altruistic "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" advertising era, while fast-paced, impatient Gen Xers were saying "Just Do It".
While every person has their own unique set of personal experiences, each generation tends to have a common belief and value system, with similar attitudes and appreciations. Each generation brings a distinct management style to work and a shared expectations as to the appropriate way their boss should manage them. And generations don't always understand each other, and sometimes generational clashes are experienced in the workplace.
Companies can't afford this tension. They need to retain older, experienced workers in light of a looming workforce shortages in some industries. Nor can companies lose out in hiring the best and the brightest recruits who to provide technological leadership within their organizations. So the ability to manage and motivate a diverse group of people spanning several generations will be a coveted leadership skill.
And if your company is marketing products or services to various generations, then understanding their preferences and needs is vital. Many of the marketing directors in advertising firms are people under the age of 30 who can't afford to miss the mark in targeting the 78 million Boomers (those born between 1943 and 1960). Baby Boomers currently outnumber and out-earn every other generation. But no business can afford an ill-fated campaign that wastes marketing dollars because it insults a generation it needs to reach.
There is a new body of information evolving around the generations, and many businesses find it is imperative to understand these important dynamics to successfully manage people and market to win.
Check out Carol's page on the ES site, to learn more about the business, management and leadership topics which she addresses, or call Jane at 703.243.1620 to learn more about engaging her for your next event.