Generations in the Workforce, not just talk anymore

It's finally happening to me. For the past 10 years I've been hearing and learning about the impact of having four generations in the workplace at the same time. Recognizing the generational differences, and being told what can be done to accommodate each and help them all work in harmony. Good stuff, but all book work, talk and little application - well, up to now.

For the first time in my professional career I'm actually experiencing the following things in the workplace. (1) many of the most senior leaders in the company I work for are contemplating retirement (most are boomers, some traditionalists), or at least a significant change in work status. But for many reasons (next generation not ready, economic downturn, professional withdrawal) many are re-thinking their traditional views of what retirement actually means. (2) Many of the up-and-coming leaders (most are generation X) are eager to step into top leadership posts. Some have "arrived" but most are still searching and waiting in the wings for the right opportunity to present itself - in effect, for the old person to retire. And for some of the most reflective and insightful of these Xers there is a real and true appreciation for how overwhelming top leadership can be - and lonely and unforgiving. It's a big ask and there are people, thousands of them in some cases, that are impacted positively or negatively by your decisions. Daunting. (3) I'm seeing the new generations (mostly Y) entering the workforce en mass. They have completely different expectations of "work" and are now forging changes to the workplace that before was only being talked about or implemented in the most innovative companies, like Google, Facebook, or others in silicon valley. But now, based on their sheer numbers the impact they are having is being seen wide spread across global companies large and small. It's becoming a virtual world.

So my viewpoint is as a middle manager, HR Director, and member of Generation X with some boomer tendencies - and being amidst this change, chaos, and conflict has sure been interesting. I have spoken to senior colleagues whose sentiment is "the younger generation is in for a rude awakening" and I have also spoken with junior colleagues who suggest "ah, the world will be a better place when the old guys get out of the way". And finally the newest generation to enter the workforce doesn't even seem to care who's running the place - they are re-writing the place without any formal authority at all.

Well, I can't predict the future but I don't believe the world will come to a crashing end, but the journey of change will be a rocky road as the Xers become the top leaders in companies and the newest generations collect (not earn) their stripes. The traditionalists are all but gone, reminiscing about "the good ole days". The boomers will soon be there with them. And the Xers will learn through mistakes, failure and misjudgment, just as the previous generations did. What works and what doesn't.

I hope to have the chance to succeed (and fail) in a top leadership role sometime soon. And daily I'm gaining a larger and larger appreciation for the leadership challenge that our four generation working world will bring. It will be humbling I'm sure ...