The Generational Choice: Will You Take Advantage of the Generational Differences OR Will The Differences Take Advantage of You?

Given as Toastmasters speech #5 on December 3, 2008.

Aren’t we all just trying to get things done at work??  Unfortunately, there are a great many things that impede productivity and potential.  40% of HR Professional surveyed in a recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management observed workplace conflicts as a direct result of generational differences, specifically in the areas of 1. Work Ethic and 2. “Work-Life balance”.

65% of employees say that generational differences get in the way of getting things done at work.  That is a huge percentage.

So, Generational differences are very much a part of the current challenges that more and more organizations – and management in particular – are facing.

Given this reality, organizations are faced with a choice:

1. They could either try to cope and tolerate

OR

2. They can look at how they can leverage these diff and create opportunities for increased ENGAGEMENT and productivity – and ultimately profitability.

Engagement

A study done a few years ago showed that only 11% of workforce are totally engaged (engagement being defined as doing more than asked, helping others, choosing to stay instead of choosing other opportunities)

Only 13% are totally disengaged though. 76% are ambivalent -engagement agnostics – not sure if they want to engage.

The critical question is whether people are moving toward engagement or away from engagement.

Guess what the key variable is?  The relationship with his/her direct supervisor.

We suggest that giving supervisors tools to help them leverage generational difference is a key to helping people engage more at work.  This is based upon a paradigm shift of moving from the Golden Rule to the Platinum Rule of management – from traditional rule of management (manage others as you prefer to manage)…To the platinum rule -  focused on the DIFFERENCES – manage how people like to be treated. The evidence points – that when management chooses to focus on understanding the differences, people choose engagement.

That’s the OPPORTUNITY – And the question that I leave you with is…IF YOU DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DIFFERENCES, WILL THE DFFERENCES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU?

~ by Priscilla Goodman on December 9, 2008.