Age is no longer an indicator of mindset.
Grandparents are webcam-ing their grandchildren on Skype to stay in touch on a Sunday night.
Young adults are learning resilience in the downturn and becoming frugal with their finances after witnessing their parents’ superannuation disappear overnight.
Generational gaps are closing. The lines between traditionally distinct generational groups are becoming blurred and less relevant in our personal and professional lives. Skills, behaviours, mindsets, influences, values, hopes and fears are converging and morphing across generations every single day.
Take technology and social networking for instance:
> 33% of Twitter users are more than 40 years old;
> 40% of MySpace users are between 35 and 55 years old;
>The average age of a Linked-In user is 41 years old;
> 45% of Facebook users are more than 26 years old;
> The fastest-growing demographic of Facebook users is women aged 55+
Clearly, web 2.0 social networking is no longer just the domain of the young.
If a phenomenon as widespread as social networking, once seen as the domain of the young, has been embraced in everyday life by people of all ages to the extent it has ... what other popularised generational assumptions no longer hold true?
And are you ready for what that could mean?
We can no longer view our people, customers and leaders as members of distinct generational groups. It’s time for a Multi-Generational approach.
The challenge that will infiltrate how we lead, manage and grow our people is that we need to reframe how we think about generations. Gen Y, Gen X and the Baby Boomers are redundant definitions – so where do we and our people, customers and leaders fit in?
Chances are we don’t.
Our beliefs, behaviours and mindsets are shaped not only in our early years, today we are influenced and shaped every single day. The magnitude and reach of modern day change means no-one escapes its impact.
Choosing to operate with generic, generalised generational assumptions will disengage our people, disconnect our customers and disempower our leaders.
The impact of multi-generational thinking and the closing of generational gaps on young professionals, middle managers and senior leaders is profound.
If you were a young professional this year, what would it mean for you in 12 months time if your leader reviewed your performance and told you that over the last year you have been an extraordinary performer ... That you have stood out and caught the eye of senior leaders in the business who have all asked for your name and earmarked you for a fast track talent program to elevate your career forward? That you have developed an incredible ability to engage with people, customers and leaders of all ages and backgrounds like few young professionals they have seen?
If you were a middle manager this year, what would it mean to you if you could walk in to any meeting at any level in your business with any group of colleagues or clients with the capacity to inspire and the skill to engage people of all ages. Whether they be 21, 41, 61 or a convergence of all three, you drive them through change, uncertainty and growth and in to action to move your company forward?
If you were a senior leader this year, a top executive, what it mean for you if in 12 months time, that after leading through the second, maybe third major economic downturn in your esteemed career that you remain dominate in your industry as a leader of thought, people and success?
The Real Challenge
The real challenge is to rethink how relevant popularised generational assumptions are. The time is now to understand how skills, behaviours, mindsets and influences are converging across generations across all parts of our lives.
In our organisations, the questions leaders must answer are:
1. How can we best understand and leverage the generational convergence of our people and customers?
2. How can we best develop multi-generational leaders?
3. What is the impact of generational convergence on our strategy and plans for growth?
4. How can we best understand and leverage generational convergence in our every-day lives?
The Future
Leaders, teams and organisations who realise the challenges and opportunities generational convergence presents will be those who succeed in to the future.
Generational convergence is having profound implications on how all people interact, deal with change and do business.
Are you ready?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
