The Engaging Brand

Think Trends in Our Time Not Generational Differences

I was invited to speak in London today about  - Inside the Bloggers Mind, The Gen Y Perspective.

I struggle in a way to talk about generational differences...why? Because I don't believe that we can categorize people by age. I know we love to categorize, as that is easier - however I think it is too dangerous. My mum at 77 is a member of social networking sites such as Linked In...my nephew who is 21 has not heard of Facebook!

What I do think we can look at, are the trends in society that are strong as we enter the workforce. Why? Because I think the trends of our time, influence the way we behave before corporate life potentially "makes us to conform to the way we do things around here!"

Trends of this time which will affect the Millennial's are

• A sense that personal debt is normal
• A sense of freedom and desire for personal expression
• A sense of embracing technology to make life easier
• A sense of our impact on the world
• A sense of sharing, collaboration
• An awareness of social media

To name but a few....now these are trends, not specific to an age group. Society is evolving, there are people across the generations that will evolve with these societal changes and others that will see these changes as bad and will resist them for as long as possible. I believe in business, we need to see people's resistance to change rather than their age...that way we don't disengage people who could be agents of change.

Understand the Power of Now and Us

As you grow throughout your career, there is a danger that you can become out of touch and not even realise it. The memories that you have, are useful pointers for the future but always remember those memories were created in the past, were relevant in the past and not necessarily a precursor for future success. They should be used as a guide for the right questions to ask rather than the determination of the answer.

That is why I love the newer generation - they keep me young, they keep me fresh, their experiences are now, their experiences are based much more on present conditions and reality. Key for me is using the experienced members to ask the right questions, using the freshness of the newer members to feel free to explore possible answers. That way you can combine the past and the present, reducing the possibility of an understanding gap to emerge.

No generation has all the answers,  no generation is better than the others, it is the combination of the generations that can make powerful source of creativity and execution. Generations...when combined....can GENERATE success.

Diversity - The role of leaders

I have been reading a fantastic book called Workforce Crisis which has really made me think about how the world of work and indeed the world is changing. One of the stats in the book shows that racial and ethnic diversity is increasing according to the US Census Bureau, 2000

Baby boomers   White (74%), Hispanic (10%) African/American (11%)

Mature             White (81%), Hispanic (6%) African/American (9%)

Gen X               White (66%), Hispanic (14%) African/American (14%)

This gives us all something to think about. How do you foster a culture of collaboration, a shared set of values at the same time that there is a changing profile of beliefs? For me unity comes in understanding the purpose of the company, the purpose of your role and contribution being valued.

Leaders roles must be to embrace the difference and translate the vision in a way to each individual that appeals to them as a person.
I remember having to adjust how our team celebrated when we recruited 3 people who were muslims. They did not feel comfortable going for a drink.....it didn't mean that we celebrated less, it meant that we celebrated our differences and grew together because of our respect for each other. I have managed to get an interview with one of the authors so watch out for that in the next week!

Environment and the Young

A recent study showed that younger people - under 25's would prefer to pay higher taxes and have that invested in climate control. Indeed they take into account the reputation of the company before joining - if you are ignoring your social responsibility, you could be turning young talent away.

When you are trying to recruit a key factor is now working for a company that has a sincere, authentic CSR policy. Not one because it is trendy, but one which stems from the values of the company. The definition of community seems to be expanding from local to global, it is important to think about how your consumer AND your employment brand impact on the environment/community.

For me it seems like going back to the old days like Rowntree, Bourneville and Titus Salt who all understood their role as a community leader. So I laugh at people who say this is a latest trend, for my mind it is returning to the old business principles!

Creating Value

For me a Generation Xer (just!) there is a real shift in how people perceive creating value at work. The Boomers and Gen Xers have always seen working hard, long hours and serving your business is how you create value and how you gain success. This is changing and if we are to understand and get the best out of the younger generation that we lead, we need to understand that they are slightly different. They grew up with technology, they grew up with a certain independence...they want to be judged on output rather than input. Once us oldies put aside our cynicism, you can see that this is incredibly sensible! They are living what we have dreamed of! Also doesn't it actually make sense  - judging on the value created rather than the hours put in! The younger people understand that technology can help us, speed the change process, they can also help us achieve that life/work balance that we crave.

There is a definite tension at the moment between the generations....but we need to understand that neither is right, neither is wrong....to succeed we need to embrace the different generations and the strengths that they bring.... this is about learning about how others feel, how they think, how they can bring strengths to the team. If you are one of the boomers or gen xers expand your mind by trying some of the new technology that the new generation have been brought up with...podcasts, my space, blogging, wiki's etc and see, what they see....that there are new ways, new ways that can help....they don't have the commercial experience but that is where you come in....you are not redundant, your role has moved from managing to mentoring the new generation. The best thing is that you can learn a whole new world, and develop your potential even further!

Closing the Generation Gap

The slowing of people entering the working population, the increase in people wanting a life/work balance and the emergence of the "boomers" approaching retirement has all led to generational issues for companies.

For me it will become a huge issue over the next few years and it is no longer about the new generation replacing the older workers but how to create a culture that the generations can live and work together. Generational differences exist - fact. No generation is better than another...fact. Our role is about designing development, working conditions, practices, policies that appeal to all generations. Their needs are different, and we need to be more flexible in our approach. No longer one size fits all. To start we need to understand the different demographics which exist in our organizations and then create dialogue to understand how this impacts on motivation. Development is a good example. For the new generations we can use new technology to enhance their experience, but also look to see how, as the boomers approach retirement, we can develop their skills to retain them longer. Although it is in magazines, the news etc as we consult with companies they are still applying a one size fits all approach - can we afford to continue in this way?...I don't believe we can as the talent war intensifies.