Generation Gap - Opportunity or a problem?

Is Generation Gap an opportunity or a problem in Organisations?

There’s been much discussion around the increasing Millennial workforce and declining baby boomers and Gen Xers in organisations across the world .

It has been increasingly challenging for managers to lead employees from different generations in their workforce because they haven’t learnt the art of customising the leadership style to suit the generations. The problem arises when leaders try to use the same leadership style approach for all generations.

The issue of generational differences in leadership is not going to stop at Gen X managing Gen Y. But sooner than later Gen Y will lead Gen Z and the cycle will propagate as long as there is an expansion of mankind.

The question of concern is:

·     Are leaders trained to embrace the generational differences and utilize the full potential of the employees?

·     Are leaders willing to learn from someone younger than them and adapt to different working styles?

·      Are leaders ready to manage the upcoming leadership transition?

Are you ready for Gen Z?

To untangle this mystery, we have to go back to the fundamental question – where are we learning leadership practices from? Who is teaching people management techniques? It is an art, but not everyone gets to learn from their schools or colleges – it is not part of the curriculum!

Leaders are made over time through real-world experience, observations, challenges and self-reflection. While the trans-generational gap has created some issues, let us not forget the real issue is the learning itself.

It is natural for people to learn leadership from others surrounding them, especially their immediate managers, higher-level leaders inside and outside the organization – so we can assume that Gen X learnt its leadership skills from their Baby Boomer bosses,  while Gen Y learnt from Gen X. So there is a huge gap in our learning itself since we are learning the leadership practices from right leaders but for managing a generation which our leaders have never managed or no exposure. Our learning may be an obsolete leadership style for the new generation. Do we need a new leadership curriculum, books, and authors? Are we going to still stuck to the old & outdated leadership principles and philosophies by some of the famous authors who have no idea about the needs of the new generation?

So the need of the hour is to constantly evolve not get stuck with what I know ablur leadership practices. I have been there done that won’t help when it come to the new generation if your "been there" is with different generation situations. 

Instead of focusing our energy on how to manage millennials,  Gen X and Gen Y (millennials) to come together to unlearn and re-learn leadership practices to manage Gen Z. That would be more relevant! They are not too far to occupy our offices and important roles. Their motivation needs may be entirely different from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs!

Can schools and universities help future leaders by incorporating situational leadership as a part of their curriculum in all disciplines of graduation?

Can Diversity & inclusion be renamed as Generations & Diversity & Inclusion (G&D&I)?

Being a Gen Xers and having learnt my leadership skills from a combination of Baby Boomers and Gen X leaders, I have been fortunate to mentor people across generations including Gen Z!

All generations have their strengths to offer to other generations, but it is up to each one to leverage on them, rather than spend time on the weakness of other generations. In summary, a good leader knows how to embrace all generations to get the best of them!

Great organisations, developed countries, broad-minded families, and top-class universities have learnt the art of working past generation gaps by appreciating the strengths that each generation brings to the table and value them. This is where success lies!

Generation mix plays such an important role and it is not enough to mention in D&I policy that age is one of the factors in diversity instead, it may be the right time to redefine D&I and to include Generation and rename it as G & D & I?

Authored by Chella Pandian Pitchai

The views and options expressed are those of the author and not of the company he represents.