There’s a talent shortage coming, and those of us managing today’s workforce must pay heed and take some action, or deal with the consequences in as little as 5 years. Sadly, our workforce is suffering from a serious lack of excitement about work. More than half of Americans are unhappy on-the-job. And dissatisfaction can make an employee shy away from taking on more responsibility, a.k.a. being a leader.
A lot of this problem can be attributed to the varying attitudes of the generations currently on-the-job. Don’t believe me? Let me introduce you to today’s workforce:
Gen Y (most educated, but least prepared for the realities of work)
Gen X (most disgruntled and feeling like a hostage at work)
Baby Boomers (retirement ready, but too under-funded to leave)
Matures (not ready to call it quits and believe tenure still counts)
Multi-generational teams are causing confusion, frustration and sadly, a lack in motivation that has reached a critical point in the workplace. American workers just don’t know how to work together anymore, mainly because each generation wants the other to respect and pay attention to them - and only them. Everyone claims they want to be part of team, but a definition of a team on their own terms. This increasing friction in the workplace due to generational differences is no joke. More and more, we are seeing productivity and morale issues stemming from the inability for multi-generational teams to ‘get along.’ The result: a group of people who want to be paid, but don’t want to be in charge. And honestly, can you blame them? With shows like The Office making managers out to be the lowest form of life in the workplace, it’s no wonder more and more employees are saying ‘no thank you’ to a promotion that involves managing their peers. Worst still, this can also mean the only individuals left wanting these jobs are often viewed by employees as the least capable of doing them. (Is Dwight from The Office coming to mind?)
So, how can we get high-potential employees back on track and excited about leadership opportunities? By removing the roadblocks to work-life balance that make the ‘good’ employees say ‘no’ to more responsibility. Professional development, succession planning, retention strategies - they all hinge on a company’s capacity to identify, coach and retain future leaders. But that’s only half of the equation. The other half lies in knowing how to tap into generational strengths and leverage them through the creation and promotion of a corporate culture that resonates with ALL generations. And that only comes when leaders know how to model the way to a satisfying career that supports a successful life - at any age.
It’s time to assess our talent and determine how to fill the leadership reserves. This starts by gaining a baseline understanding of the generational differences in your company and seeking tools and resources that can help you bridge the gap and develop multi-generational teams that work well together. Create better teams and you’ll attract better leaders.
Want to read more on the epic talent shortage on the horizon, check out Deloitte Research’s POV - It’s 2008: Do You Know Where Your Talent Is?
Better still, are you ready to take action? Then call us today at (877) 588-5455 to learn more about how J.T. O’Donnell and her team can educate, enlighten and inspire your company to bridge the generation gap and avoid the talent drought.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:35 am
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