Guide the younger lot to be as great as their predecessors
citizens generally see young people as immature and childish, who know little about the ups and downs of the occupational world, so they cannot be acknowledged or promoted quickly.
However, for me, acknowledgement and job promotion should not be based on age or tenure, but on performance and potential. This open acknowledgment is on a par with the demands of the organisation today, which prioritises the competitiveness of human resources.
The theory and study of organisational management show that acknowledgements of actual performances, rather than acknowledgements of seniority, trigger a highperformance work culture.
A healthy competition among citizens of an organisation also develops a comprehensive human capital so they can bring themselves out of the comfort zone and be equipped with future skills that can be of use to the Industry 4.0.
The development of the digital technology of the organisation today and in the future showcases the transformation towards the empowerment of skills in the virtual simulation and reality, system integration, Internet of Things, analytical data skills, cyber security, cloud computing, system integration, super data analysis and automation robotics.
This technological development signals to the old employees that
Generation X (born in 1961-1980) and Y (born in 1981-1994) can face the changes that happen in the organisation. This includes making the effort to increase the knowledge and skills so that they can stay relevant although the era has changed.
If they are not ready to change and continue to stay in the comfort
zone, it is not impossible that their position will gradually be taken over by Generation Z (born in 1995 - 2010) and Alpha (born in 2011 - present).
Generation Z and Alpha make technology, gadget and the social media part and parcel of their lives. They allocate on average six to seven hours a week from their time on
social media.
Generation Alpha are born in the era of growth and they have become very closely attached to smart gadgets, so much so that they seem to be unable to live their lives without these gadgets. These people can easily adapt to the current technological growth, which triggers technophobia and technostress, especially among Generation X and Y.
Despite the fact that working experience and emotional maturity are placed in the hands of these two generations, the mastery of skills and new technology among the generations cannot be denied. In truth, their brief learning process on the new technology causes Generation X and Y, who are reluctant to change, slowly become insignificant to the organisation.
The generations are still needed in the organisation, especially those who have the experience, show good performance and are open to new things.
Broad experience and emotional maturity, coupled with the capability to master Industry 4.0 skills make Generations X and Y qualified to guide young employees. At the same time, younger people should be given the chance to showcase their talents and capabilities, as they are the successors of the organisation.
It has to be reminded that Generations X and Y will not be around forever. Thus, give young people the space and opportunity to venture into the world, to set their sails and broaden their horizons so that they can be just as great as their predecessors.