One of my psychotherapy clients asked me, “Is it normal for my husband to have his BlackBerry sitting next to us when we’re making love?” This woman’s doubt was proof positive that we’ve entered a brave new world. When our sending and receiving messages takes such a high priority that nothing, not even making love could stand in the way and when an intimate partner could doubt herself for feeling upset by the intrusion of this electronic device I knew that we had gone crazy.
According to a USA Today Digital Dependency survey 60% of respondents around the world say that they can't live without their devices and nearly four out of ten say the loss of their digital PC data would be an “unmitigated disaster.”
While Blackberrys have had a positive impact on productivity they have also had a negative impact on work/life balance. Technology can be your best friend or worst enemy. The compulsion to communicate incessantly—involving nonstop use of cell phones, BlackBerrys, PDA’s and the Internet tend to leave people emotionally breathless.
I was recently at a business luncheon. I had presented my program and was sitting at a table with a group of high-level executives. Once the organizer stood to say grace everyone bowed their heads. When the luncheon began these men and women kept their heads bowed with their hands on their laps. Even as the food was served they seemed to be immersed in deep thought over the profound questions of the day.
Then I realized that they weren’t praying at all. They were all intensely focused on their BlackBerry sending and receiving emails, frantically working on their little keyboards like frantic teens playing video games. They were lost to the world around them as they messaged back in forth, some of them with other people in the same room. They had fallen into a technological black hole in which they were drowning.
Think about how much time do you give away without meaning to. The more you give away, the less you have left for what you need and what you consider important. Remember, attention isn’t limitless nor is your energy. We have to take charge of technology and use it to our advantage.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
The Multigenerational Workforce is Here to Stay
This new multi-generation workplace is a complex and dynamic organism that requires flexibility and skill from everyone, especially from managers. Many organizations are sensitive to issues of diversity in race, culture and gender and have developed policies and programs to protect and promote diversity. To some extent, generational diversity has yet to be addressed. And yet in order to recruit and retain the best and the brightest this issue must be attended to.
As we look at the current labor market, in which the Traditional Generation delays retirement or returns to the workplace, Baby Boomers begin to retire, Generation Xers realign their work/family priorities and Generation Y enters the workforce with increased and distinctly different demands of their employers than those of previous generations, we are reminded about the challenges and opportunities of the multigenerational workplace.
All too often, people of different generations just don't see work (or life) the same way. Eliminating generational conflict is rooted in understanding what makes each tick. As the global marketplace expands, the talents of all generations must be leveraged and the behavioral and work/life balance challenges must be minimized to increase employee productivity and retention.
Traditionalists (those age 61 to 73 years old) and Boomers (those ages 42 to 60 years old) are the most work-centric. Gen X (those age 30 to 41 years old) and Gen Y (those age 12 to 29,) are more family-centric. Where the Boomers motto has been “live to work” the members of Gen X and Gen Y, “work to live.” These younger employees have a very different sense of success as well of loyalty.
In a study conducted by the Families and Work Institute entitled, Generation and Gender in the Workforce it was reported that 61% of the entire workforce and 80% of college educated Gen X, Gen Y and Baby Boomers would like to work fewer hours. However, as Boomers start to retire there is a vacuum that these younger employees must fill, thus they are in greater demand.
The initial challenge companies face is attracting this young talent. But many of the Gen X workers are opting out of long hours--and they have high expectations for personal and professional growth, even in entry-level jobs.
According to a recent article in Time Magazine “more than half of Generation Y's new graduates move back to their parents' homes after collecting their degrees, and that cushion of support gives them the time to pick the job they really want. Taking time off to travel used to be a résumé red flag; today it's a learning experience. And entrepreneurship now functions as a safety net for this generation. They grew up on the Internet, and they know how to launch a viable online business.”
With all these options, Generation Y is forcing companies to think more creatively about work-life balance. The employers who do are attracting the best and the brightest of the young talent.
Understanding Gen X and Gen Y is important not just for employers. Older workers—Boomers and Traditionalists need to know how to adapt to the values and demands of their newest colleagues. Afterall, before long, they're going to be the managers and supervisors.
As we look at the current labor market, in which the Traditional Generation delays retirement or returns to the workplace, Baby Boomers begin to retire, Generation Xers realign their work/family priorities and Generation Y enters the workforce with increased and distinctly different demands of their employers than those of previous generations, we are reminded about the challenges and opportunities of the multigenerational workplace.
All too often, people of different generations just don't see work (or life) the same way. Eliminating generational conflict is rooted in understanding what makes each tick. As the global marketplace expands, the talents of all generations must be leveraged and the behavioral and work/life balance challenges must be minimized to increase employee productivity and retention.
Traditionalists (those age 61 to 73 years old) and Boomers (those ages 42 to 60 years old) are the most work-centric. Gen X (those age 30 to 41 years old) and Gen Y (those age 12 to 29,) are more family-centric. Where the Boomers motto has been “live to work” the members of Gen X and Gen Y, “work to live.” These younger employees have a very different sense of success as well of loyalty.
In a study conducted by the Families and Work Institute entitled, Generation and Gender in the Workforce it was reported that 61% of the entire workforce and 80% of college educated Gen X, Gen Y and Baby Boomers would like to work fewer hours. However, as Boomers start to retire there is a vacuum that these younger employees must fill, thus they are in greater demand.
The initial challenge companies face is attracting this young talent. But many of the Gen X workers are opting out of long hours--and they have high expectations for personal and professional growth, even in entry-level jobs.
According to a recent article in Time Magazine “more than half of Generation Y's new graduates move back to their parents' homes after collecting their degrees, and that cushion of support gives them the time to pick the job they really want. Taking time off to travel used to be a résumé red flag; today it's a learning experience. And entrepreneurship now functions as a safety net for this generation. They grew up on the Internet, and they know how to launch a viable online business.”
With all these options, Generation Y is forcing companies to think more creatively about work-life balance. The employers who do are attracting the best and the brightest of the young talent.
Understanding Gen X and Gen Y is important not just for employers. Older workers—Boomers and Traditionalists need to know how to adapt to the values and demands of their newest colleagues. Afterall, before long, they're going to be the managers and supervisors.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
