It’s so funny to think of how our country has changed in just 50 years. What is relatively a small speck of time in the history of the Earth, feels like eons in our society and culture. Take the workplace for instance. If you took a snapshot of what a business looked like in 1959 and compared it to a photo in 2009, the changes would astonish you. The attitude of your employees are probably different as well, and there’s good reason for that.

Traditional office work rarely involved various generations in the past. Business was much about complete professionalism and youngsters lacked that appeal. While business is still professional, everything is centered around technology and using its ways to be more efficient. Generally, this favors the young but older generations shouldn’t be shunned as they adopt new technologies as well. What we’re left with is an amalgam of generations, and if handled properly, can be a huge benefit to your company.

When people think of various generations, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials, there tends to be negative connotations when mixing them together. This is many times a very wrong thought process, as all of these generations have wonderful things to offer one another. This BolingbrookSun article has a humorous take on the changing generations, stating that black flip flops will be considered formal attire in the future. Stating the Millennial generation loves flip flops, and is a great comparison of their mindset when it comes to business.

I found the article funny because I’m one of the older members of the Millennials (25 years old) and I love flip flops. I’d wear flip flops to formal occasions if it was completely acceptable. Hopefully any future wife I have will let me show some toe at the wedding. Why are flip flops great? Because they’re comfortable, let your feet breath and allow faster access when going off and on. This thought can encompass the overall feeling when talking about the workplace with younger generations. So much business is conducted in front of a computer, what’s the point of formal attire?

The paragraph I wrote above is a perfect example of why having various generations is a positive for a company. While I love my flip flops and would wear them to work all the time if possible, older generations see why they can be a negative. Having a perception of professionalism is also a positive, particularly if your company is selling perception to a client. Our generation needs that help, we need older and wiser minds to step in and give us a professional gut check.

If you’re to believe this latest Fidelity Investments study, many generations aren’t so different at all. Generation Y is trending to be more conservative in their views towards careers. Here’s a direct quote from the press release,

“Many young workers surveyed (41%) say the economic crisis has made their generation more conservative, which is reflected in not only their financial decisions, but also their employment choices. More Gen Y individuals today show a reluctance to “job hop” with one in four indicating the intent to remain with a current employer until retirement, up from 14 percent of those surveyed in early 2008.”

There are of course various factors which drive that mindset. The economic downturn probably affected every generation’s mindset when it came to jobs, retirement, and finances.

At the end of the day, human nature is still the bond that links us all. Young, old, Gen Y, Baby Boomers, the factors that have driven good business and employee management are seen as much today as was in 1959. Showing respect, having admiration for your employees, and utilizing strong management skills are the tools of success no matter which generation you’re dealing with.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 8:30 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

About the Author: John is a staff writer for WebProNews.