Did you know that Socrates complained about youth as early as 400 BC? He accused the young of “bad manners, contempt for authority, and disrespect for elders.”
We easily blame particular generations for changes that do not suit us. Example? Here you go. According to The Guardian, the Baby Boomers swept all the well-located real estate off the market and destroyed the planet. Millennials are responsible for the breakdown of marriages, the decline of office parties (if you think about it… 😉), and even the decline in marmalade sales.
Sociologists, on the other hand, love to use nomenclature to refer to different generations, which in fact leads to the stigmatization of generations and labeling them as “digital natives”, “loyal traditionalists” or “lost in the chaos of modernity” (excuse me).
What is the Generation Gap?
The generation gap in the context of the labor market refers to differences in attitudes, values, work styles and expectations between different generations of employees.
How can we bridge the generation gap?
Bridging the generational gap requires understanding that differences between generations can be valuable and can contribute to diversity and innovation in the workplace. It is crucial to take these differences into account and strive to create a harmonious and productive working environment for all employees, regardless of their age. How to do it?
- Recognizing the communication preferences of different generations and adapting the way of conveying information.
- Providing flexible work options such as remote work and flexible working hours.
- Creating a variety of career paths that will enable employees to develop skills in various areas.
- Creating mentoring and training programs, intergenerational exchange of knowledge and perspectives.
- Understand the differences in values and goals between generations. Younger generations may be more interested in a job related to the company’s mission and values, while older employees may place more emphasis on financial stability.
- Creating a corporate culture that takes into account the diversity of generations, enabling each employee to contribute to the success of the company on their own terms.
- Listening and engaging, regular feedback.
What is needed most, however, is a historical understanding of what the behaviors, styles and attitudes of a given generation result from. It’s a bit like therapy. We go back to the past to understand the genesis of the scheme. Leaving this point, we are already moving towards the light.
Turn on curiosity 😊
