Having trouble relating to the different generations at work? Each generation brings its own set of values and rules to the workplace. These generational differences have recently created challenges for hiring, motivating, communicating, and retaining employees. A common interaction like this may hit close to home:
Richard, a 50-year old baby boomer and business owner, was walking down the hall to his office having just returned from a lunch appointment. In the middle of the office, Jim, a 28-year old aggressive and successful salesperson at the company, abruptly stopped Richard.
Having trouble relating to the different generations at workω Each generation brings its own set of values and rules to the workplace. These generational differences have recently created challenges for hiring, motivating, communicating, and retaining employees. A common interaction like this may hit close to home:
Richard, a 50-year old baby boomer and business owner, was walking down the hall to his office having just returned from a lunch appointment. In the middle of the office, Jim, a 28-year old aggressive and successful salesperson at the company, abruptly stopped Richard.
Jim was anxiously awaiting the owner’s approval of a customized pricing agreement that he desperately needed in order to make a sale. In a rather demanding tone, Jim asked Richard if his pricing had been approved yet and if so, could they sit down together and review it right nowω Richard was put off by the sharp and urgent tone of Jim’s request, not to mention being confronted so casually in front of the rest of the sales team. After all, Richard thought to himself, “He could have at least given me time to take my coat off!”
Richard asked Jim to meet with him to go over the details at 3 p.m. that afternoon. Richard wanted time to get organized, check his email and voicemail messages, and formulate his ideas for a discussion with Jim later that day. He felt that Jim’s pricing request was unrealistic. He wanted some time to discuss it with Jim privately to see if they could come up with a different strategy on how to make the sale, but he desperately wanted time to prepare for that meeting with Jim first.
Jim’s sales manager, Ellen, who was standing nearby and heard the conversation, sensed the agitation in both men and came to the rescue. She rushed in and asked Jim to come to her office to discuss the issue. She then addressed Richard, her boss, and explained to him that she would accompany Jim to that meeting at 3 p.m. as he requested. Ellen took Jim swiftly into her office to calm him down and allowed Richard to continue on to his office to get settled.
Whew! How do you think that conversation would have gone had Ellen not stepped inω
Now Ellen, also a baby boomer in her late 40s, had quickly learned the ropes of dealing with the younger, up and coming Generation X’ers. After all, she had 4 of them on her sales team.
Understanding some of the characteristics of the generations would prove useful to all of the generations, along with some solutions on how each generation might handle the situation in the future. See below for some useful tips.
To see comparison chart between babyboomers and Gen X’ers see printied issue of Small Business TImes.
Shari Saeger is the owner of Classic Corporate Coaching LLC, a coaching, training and consulting firm, specializing in employee and team development, located in Menomonee Falls. She can be reached at (262) 957-7838 or via email at: sharisaeger@wi.rr.com.
