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
1.) What difficulties—from retiring baby boomers in the United States to a graying China, to the massive overhang of Europe’s elderly—can private corporations, governments, and other sectors expect as the aging revolution unfolds across the globe? How will changing demographics affect workforce composition? Retirement age? Pension outlays? Taxation? Immigration? Economic growth? How can governments, corporations, and nongovernmental organizations work together to address these issues?
Shopping: Shopping for the Baby Boomers would have been somewhat limited. The traditional Macy's experience would be about as dynamic as a Baby Boomer could get in terms of choices. If the local Sears didn't have what they needed, they'd have to go to a specialty store and take the number from the catalog, and if they were lucky, get the correct item ordered in about 4 - 6 weeks!
“After a century of trying to control people, processes and information, we have come to a point in organizational history where we need to recognize that what worked before just simply isn’t enough anymore.” This goes to prove that over time just like everything else evolves our behaviors towards our colleagues has to evolve as well. And management has to learn the new behaviors of his/her employees. The Millennials and generation Z needs to know that they are appreciated and need to be challenged before they get bored, hence the reason why managers need to learn
Before we can get into the juicy information pertaining to the fascinating period of Baby Boomers, we must first take a quick glance at what was happening before this occurred.The main event that came to a conclusion that had a significance to the world and is a recent and relevant topic to the Baby Boomer period was the end of World War II.World War II had been going on since 1939 when the Nazi army and the Soviet Union united invaded Poland, resulting in the British and French declaring war on Germany.The allies allow Hitler to commit illegal actions without deciding to go after him(they just sat and watch him invade and grow as the years went by).It seems over for the Allies until the Japanese decided to obliterate Pearl Harbor December
For the first time in history there is a possibility that there could be as many as five different generations working together and communicating amongst each other on a daily basis.Coming from all different era’s, and eached raised with different values and thought processes, these different generations each have their own impact on the workplace. Each generation has its pros and cons on how well they will work with the other generations, and the ways they effectively communicate amongst themselves.
Today, the workforce is made up of many different generations, which is affecting and effectively changing the workplace culture as a whole. The major generational differences between millennials and baby boomers can be either positive or negative depending on whom you ask. Boomers may categorize millennials as lazy and entitled, while millennials may call themselves innovative. No matter what they call themselves or each other, they all have to work together now as simply as that. This topic has sparked a lot of discussion as to how it’s best for each generation to act and deal with their other generational coworkers.
Boomers is a family entertainment centers located in Boca Raton which feature indoor activities such as carousels, kiddie swings, restaurants, amusement arcades, and outdoor activities such as miniature golf, kiddie rides, bumper boats, batting cages, go-karts, kiddie roller coasters, and laser tag. I told my mother that I want my birthday party at Boomers. She told me I could have my party there but, I could only bring two friends. It’s going to be so much fun, I can’t wait.
In the 1980s when today's Baby Boomers were in their 30s, they practically re-invented America's perception of what constituted being physically and mentally fit and what was required to get there. Unlike their mothers and fathers whose fitness workouts often had been relegated to what was offered at the local corner gym, Baby Boomers flocked to gleaming chain-owned fitness centers -- the mirrored walls of which reflected hoards of them enthusiastically toiling about a plethora of high-tech weight training gadgetry and heart-pumping aerobics classes.
This mixture of generations creates many issues in the modern workforce, as many differences in culture, norms, behaviors, values and perceptions of the workplace exist across these generations. Also, for perhaps the first time in history, four distinct generations are working alongside each other in the business world. As noted by Sam in his email, the coexistence of different generations can have many influences on the workplace. One of the biggest influences is the different attitude and acceptance of technology, as the millennial generation was the first one to
Generation Xers: This generation entered into an era of rapid changes social and economic; therefore, were very adaptable to change. Their education was influenced by these growing phenomena. They are free-willed probably due to the fact that they grew up in a time when they were allowed to be away from their parents for long periods of time because mobile communication was not yet popular at this time. Xers are good at taking the initiative in getting things done because they are results-oriented. This generation appreciates a balance between work and family life; hence, are very good at setting limits for managing their time. Xers are very independent often causing them to prefer to work by themselves; therefore, working in teams is often less appealing to them. They are often defined as realists (Phillips, 2016).
“The third generation in the work place is the generation X”. (Tanner, 2011) They were born somewhere between the 1960’s and the 1980’s. They are sometimes called “Post-Boomers, Twenty-something’s, Xers, and Slackers”. (Tanner, 2011) The Xers are known to be “independent, self-sufficient, and skeptical”. (Tanner, 2011) “They value diversity, work/life balance, technology, and informality”. (Tanner, 2011) They also “view all work as just a job”. (Tanner, 2011) To work well with them it is important to partner them with co-workers that they respect. Also, do not have high expectations. Remember they have a balanced between their life and their job. They will not give a 100% to their job. Another thing is that they do not like to have people watching over their shoulder all day, so give them some space.
In a work environment everybody wants to climb the totem pole. For Millennials, they want to rise to leadership without working too hard for it. They are trying to reach the leadership positions as fast as they can and at times they are unprepared for the position they enter because they have not experienced enough along the way. Where Millennials are too fast to rise to leadership, people considered to be Generation X, who are known for their hard work ethic and experience are often complacent in the workplace. Though they gained their experience (unlike Millennials) by working their way up the chain of command and gradually paying their dues and though they also do not expect to be handed a higher position, like Millennials who feel entitled to higher positions in the workplace, they are also not as motivated as Millennials. (Bresman)
According to Helen, who posted a blog on Colorado Free University most Baby Boomers get involved with Facebook and other social media sites to stay connected with their friends and family, as well as to reconnect with folks they haven’t seen in some time. Since members of this age group highly value community involvement, it is not surprising that they often use social media to promote causes they advocate for. All this said, Baby Boomers can get very frustrated in their use of social media. Since they sometimes use social media intermittently, they can have a difficult time keeping up with all the changes in various social media sites, especially Facebook which seems to make the most changes. Baby Boomers are not always familiar with the how to use the settings of different sites, and they can find themselves getting inundated with unwanted emails. Most are very concerned about their privacy on social media yet are not fully aware of how to effectively use the privacy settings found on the sites they frequent. Some get overwhelmed with the
Many changes are happening in the workforce today. Our labor environment consists of multiple generations, which creates fundamentally differing approaches to everything from work ethics, business management, and co-worker cooperation. The most recent generation, commonly known as “Generation Y” or the “Millennial” generation, is slowly taking over the workforce. Because they bring with them a radically new mindset and opinion of labor, the global business infrastructure should be modified to not only accommodate “Millennials,” but also to remain sympathetic to the business practices characteristic of previous generations. Doing so will provide more harmony and productivity among co-workers of different generational backgrounds.
They are good at multi tasking and can work on simultaneous projects as long as the company allows them to prioritize the projects (Gursoy et al.2008).