Tapping Into Multi-Generational Talent
Does it ever seem to you as if we all walk around every day with what you might think of as a lens in our pockets, our own personal lens? And so when something happens in your world, you pull it out and look at the event through your lens. Now, one person's lens may say, “That’s a great development. I love it!†But your lens may say, “Are you kidding? That’s really scary and threatening, and I don’t like it at all.†And so we begin to misunderstand each other -- not only in personal life but also in the workplace.
One of the real challenges we've found in many organizations is it’s pretty easy for people in their late 50s and 60s—people we would call boomers—to have that sense of “What are they thinking?†when talking to co-workers who are in their 30s and 40s—people we would call Xers. It’s not always obvious that we see things alike, and that can lead to some issues.
This presentation excerpt explores these differences, and helps readers to understand and embrace a multigenerational workforce.
To download your free copy of Tapping Into Multi-Generational Talent, complete the form at right. Or, take a look at the excerpt below to sample the research included in this white paper.
Excerpt from Tapping Into Multi-Generational Talent:
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Now, think about the Ys. How would they get together with a friend for dinner? Almost certainly with text. When would they text? Not even an hour before, I can guarantee you that. And what do they text? Is it a plan? No, they almost never text a plan. From the texts I’ve looked at, the majority of them read something like, “Where are you?†And then the other guy sends back coordinates, and they begin this process of homing in on each other like ships until they meet up someplace. They never plan during the course of it. They coordinate.
This group has a very different way of getting things done. Because of their ubiquitous technology, they coordinate instead of plan. And I’m not going to argue that that’s the way we should do everything — we need some plans and schedules — but don’t be 100% resistant to their way. There may be some ways you can actually improve your business by building in some of their approaches.
I got a call from a CFO once who said, “Tammy, I can’t get anybody to take my job.†I said, “Well, that’s weird. What are you telling them?†He told me, “Well, I’m telling them it’s a 60-hour-a-week job. And they’re all telling me they would like 35 hours and maybe 40 in a pinch.†He asked if I could come down and talk to them. I said, “Well, I could talk to the kids, but why don’t I start by talking to you, and I’ll tell you what they’re thinking. They’re thinking that they’re really sorry it takes you 60 hours a week to get your work done. They don’t think it’s going to take that long.†Now, I don’t know who’s right, but what I do know is that you can shift away from time-based metrics and just say, “Here’s the task. I need it by Friday. Take as long as it takes. If it takes you 60 hours, that’s your problem. If it takes you 30 hours, go have fun. But I need it by Friday.†The more you can manage to task, the better off you will be with this group.
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