Generational differences in the workplace

AMA 2000, a tag or description that has been given to children born in or after the year 2000, are quite amusing, especially on social media.

This amusement by the people born from 1999 signals a very functional society. This amusement stems from the behaviour, the thoughts, the choices, the conduct and the way of life of this group which is really different from the other groups.

These differences are what is referred to as generational differences. If these differences are noticed in the society, it means they play a major role.

These differences are caused by age and the situation in which the person or group of people grew up in. This inevitably mean that each generational group has differences in experiences, opinions, habits, and behaviour.

A person born in 1920 cannot have the same experiences as the person born in 1990.

For business leaders, having a multigenerational workforce is inevitable, thus having a better understanding of these differences is very essential. These age groups include the traditionalists (1925-1945), baby boomers (1946-1964), generation X (19651980), millennials (1981-2000) and generation Z (2001-2020).

Each group has its own unique traits that differentiate it from the other. The traditionalists are dependable, straight forward, tactful, loyal and are motivated by respect and recognition. These are of the view that obedience is better than individualism, age equals seniority and you have to advance through the hierarchy. They tend to prefer communicating through personal touch and written notes.

The next group, the baby boomers, are workaholics, optimistic, competitive and team oriented. They are motivated by company loyalty and teamwork and they prefer to communicate with whatever is efficient. This group is of the view that achievements come after paying one’s dues and you always have to sacrifice for success.

Generation X, which is the next group, is flexible, informal, skeptical and independent. This group is motivated by diversity, work life balance, one’s personal professional interests over their company’s interests and communicate with anything that is efficient. They are of the view that diversity is key. Moving on quickly is part of their DNA and change must be resisted.

The next group are the millennials. This group is competitive, civic, open-minded and achievement oriented. This group is motivated by responsibility, quality of their managers and unique work experiences. The group mainly communicates through texts and email. They tend to seek challenges, growth, development and a fun work life and work life balance.

Generation Z, which is the last group, is much global oriented, and are entrepreneurs, progressive and less focused. They are motivated by diversity, personalization, individualism and creativity. Communication is mostly on texts and social media. They view themselves as digital gadget addicts, independents, individuals and prefer to work with millennial managers who are creative and well versed with technology.

The differences are clearly evident and this can pose a problem for managers because in the workplace, generational differences can show up in the way people think, behave, and act. In such a multigenerational environment, stereotyping is high, working styles are different and communication might be difficult. There are conflicting expectations and the chance of having constant conflict is very high due to different attitudes, values and beliefs of the different age groups.

There is a common saying in Shona used by the older generation: “Vapfanha vemazuva ano”, meaning kids of nowadays. This alone is evidence of amusement by the older generation caused by the conduct and actions of the younger generations, thereby signalling a huge gab in their traits. To have a harmonious environment, business leaders have to address these generational issues.

Business leaders should certainly adopt different communication and approach styles that suit all generations. Avoiding generational stereotyping is another action that can lead to a harmonious environment.

The work benefits should not be similar across the board but should address the needs of each generation. The management styles of business leaders should be able to accommodate each generation.

People of different ages bring different viewpoints to the table, thereby helping to increase innovation and solve problems. Business leaders should take advantage of this and encourage hybrid working environments. Knowledge sharing should be done across all ages and company values should accommodate all ages and unify the workforce.

Generational differences can pose a threat to the harmony at any workplace that has a multigenerational workforce. Managing these differences is key to having a very productive, progressive and results oriented workforce.