Generations: growing virtually

Summary: [You might view the earlier post “Generations: coexisting turmoil” before this.] Conflict generates energy for change. Groups need to integrate their knowledge base.

Virtual reality supports the spread of new trends across cultures, borders and generations. This global change is traumatizing the organization’s status quo.

Evolving changes

Much learning and interacting is done on Internet. Individual interests and purpose are changing now. Preferences for the unusual and uncommon seem to be growing.

Organizational members, both male and female –

• don’t plan on permanence at the first job
• want to be at the top right away
• are competitive with themselves and coworkers
• prefer small companies to giant ones

Managing styles are also evolving. Online leaders centralize group needs and goals. They adopt interpersonal language to refer to the group rather than to themselves, and put together ideas posted by others rather than solely contribute their own.

Energy from conflict

The conflict isn’t between older and younger age groups per se, but between orthodoxy (resistance to change) and progressiveness (disruptions of existing structure). Conflict actually alerts organizational members to issues needing attention, and opportunities to integrate diversity. It generates the energy for change.

A survey found that the top answers within the workforce to the question of where management could improve were:

• Use my skills and abilities better
• Step in and resolve conflicts
• Ask for, and listen to, my ideas.
  

‘Change’ is the important new trend here to stay.

Benefits of innovation

Companies are incorporating innovations in work processes, like digitizing accounting records, developing edutainment podcasts, etc.

Keeping up with technology is difficult because all organizational members aren’t on the same tech page. Older generations can perceive ‘threat’ in the move and resist change.

The benefits for them should be clear for the processes to work – an end to long waits for client data, the tedium of manual entries, stacks of print matter, etc.

Embracing differences

The system needs all its members to move forward together embracing their differences.

Older generations contribute matured thinking and varied experiences to the system. Social networking between generations would ensure that younger people benefit from elder wisdom on life and work, while they help with new technology and practices.

When generations get used to sharing experience and creativity, perceptions of threat may be effectively removed. It isn’t impossible then for diverse people of all ages to work together. Heterogeneous elements functioning as a team is critical for any organization to sustain high performance.

Comments/Opinions Anyone??