Age has no boundaries – part one
Posted by admin in 3 Generations : 1 Workplace, Genera(lisa)tion Y, tags: ageless wisdom, baby boomers, Chaminade, Critchley, Gen X, Gen Y, Generation Gap, generational behaviours, generational interaction
Time and time again we see comments about age sterotypes, whether they be baby boomers (BB), Generation X, Y’ers or the teen youth of today. As we’ve said before these boundaries are becoming blurred. What we see are behaviours not age groups.
People tend to follow cycles or stages throughout their lives, some more than others; adapting, embracing and making changes as they go.
Generation classifications were discussed with author Robert K Critchley in ‘Ageless Wisdom’ (hrmonthly, Australia, June 2006, Chaminade):
“I think the terms are useful for understanding the differences between people. The most important thing is not to run your life by ‘I’m a Gen X and I must live this way’. Understand that people are thinking differently, because so often the generational myopia is such that we think everyone thinks like we do. There is value in understanding the way different generations think and act – understand but don’t try to typecast.”
Another way of looking at classifying talent was outlined in Generation Gap (hrmonthly, October 2005, Chaminade), considering four different categories for talent rather than those of age:
The Explorers – seeking new career paths (mostly GenY but also those changing career or coming onto the market later in life). To engage them, job rotation, interest indicators and talent recognition to help them understand who they are, what they like and what they can do.
The Professionals – looking for a career, sometimes accepting starter roles despite being more than academically qualified. They are often highly committed and easy to retain, but without respect, reward and recognition they won’t give the best of themselves.
The Experts – have a single goal to be the best in their field, whether they are lawyers, consultants, cooks or telemarketers. They are more committed to their work than their company. To engage them, you need to provide them a challenging job and development support to become even more competent.
The Passionates – driven by something else entirely different, their life outside their main work; whether that be a hobby, community or not-for-profit project, publishing a book, starting up another business, taking courses/qualifications, planning to sail around the world, etc. To engage them, they need true work-life balance. Some weeks they may be prepared to work extended hours in order to have more time off and so on.
Individuals may switch or evolve between these states regardless of age, even though there may be some indicators that members of one generation or another may be more closely aligned to a particular state.
One example cited by Critchley was that of the population in Peru, where only 20% of the population had entered a formal workforce (as of 2006), so 80% have no idea what a career is and they have no concept of Gen X or Y. All they know about is survival which gives them great instincts.
Another observation was that some of the most powerful people in the world are over 80 years old! Some of the richest, such as the YouTube guys are amongst the youngest too.
A recent European study confirmed that there are more similarities than differences between the generations and that there are specific things we should be focussing on. More to follow.
For a full copy of these articles please feel free to contact us and we’ll gladly send you a copy. (info@generationy20.com)
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