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Strengths And Weaknesses Of Boomers

Decent Essays

Communication Weaknesses
Boomers
Each generation’s weakness is a subset of their communication preferences and strengths. Boomers preferred method of communication necessitates multiple meetings, which can be rather time consuming for other employees of a company. Boomers have also grown accustomed to email, and are less likely to keep up with current technology trends. As of January 2017, new trends have signaled the decline of email in the workplace, according to Laurie Beaver of Business Intelligence: informal and engaging social networking apps are convenient, easy-to-use, and fast (2017). They may also take longer to get feedback to people, because it is in their nature to take their time to provide thorough and complete feedback. With older methods of communication on the decline, and new technologies emerging, Boomers need to avoid the obsolescence of their current skill set by following new trends in information technologies.

Gen X
Again, this generation inhabits a space between two very different generations, one which moves at a steady pace, and one which constantly adjusts to the newest trends. Gen X lies somewhere in the middle, where they rely on techniques they’re comfortable with, without growing complacent. Members of Generation X, according to De La Torre, grew up more skeptical of authority and rules, placing high value on independence and flexibility (De La Torre, 2016). Communication with Gen Xers needs to focus on meeting that preference, otherwise it will be inefficient. Work tends to run on their own schedule, which can slow down internal processes and result in conservative deadlines to allow scheduling discrepancies (Perine, 2012). Efficient time use both complements and conflicts with setting a schedule independently: when focused, Gen Xers can increase productivity and accomplish high volumes of work; when distracted, they inhibit their teams and decrease overall productivity.

Millennials
The same traits which make Millennials an asset to a company can also make them a liability. Millennials prefer brief, frequent communications with their colleagues, which can interrupt others’ work and cause distraction. Because of the frequency of those exchanges, this generation often leave

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