22Practice 11: Manage a Multigenerational Workforce
A large medical laboratory had employees ranging in age from 21 to 65 working side by side. Clashes occurred daily. Company managers were unprepared to handle a multigenerational workforce, because they didn't take into account the cultural differences that exist between different generations. By the time the company's leaders recognized the cause of the problem, resistance to management had hardened. It took a long time to restore equilibrium.
Walk down any typical office corridor, and you're likely to find a 25-year-old working next to a 48-year-old, who’s right across from a 67-year-old. Today's workplace has, indeed, become multigenerational, with workers representing four distinct age groups:
- World War II Generation (those born before 1946).
- Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964).
- Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980).
- Millennials/Generation Y (born between 1980 and 2000).
Each generation, defined as a group of people who have experienced the same trends and events, over the same historical period, has a similar worldview.
In the workplace, their sometimes divergent values and belief systems may become apparent and lead to conflict. Leaders must learn how to manage each generation based on its core values, life experiences, and professional needs.
Shifting Demographics
Over the ...
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