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and this enables a free flow of communications across all levels of management, and employees are encouraged to speak freely. I also personally experience that ideas from the team members are encouraged without generation or gender discriminationandsmallsuccessesarecelebrated and appreciated which are a great morale boost for team members to create positive working relationships.” - Neelima Somashekar, GM Communications, Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts (SaPa), India
Meaningful engagement starts with powerful internal communications strategy, one that recognises contemporary social media tools keeping in mind the preference of the younger generations. Open, multi-way communications is the only way to ensure that different generations of workers understand each other better, recognise and respect each other, and address to the needs and priorities of each other.
“There are multiple ways in which generational differences are bridged. At a previous organisation we attempted reverse mentoring for senior leadership by younger generation. In another firm, we included them in a brand task force that came up with creative ideas and plans to improve recall and awareness. In yet another firm, we created solutions where all generations contributed solutions to existing company
References
issues like attrition and brand engagement. And in one firm, we invited them to be citizen journalists inside the firm.” - Aniisu K Verghese, Ph.D. Global Internal Communications Expert, Poland.
Conclusion
Generational diversity is a double-edged sword and cuts both ways, depending on how it is being managed. It can help organisations to leverage on experience as well as exuberance, wisdom as well as radical ideas, established factors of competitive advantage as well as new-age technological hues. On the other hand, if not managed peoperly, it can result in disharmony, misunderstandings, and conflict between generational members, resulting in disengagement, loss of voluntary efforts and organisational citizenship behaviour and undesirable turnover.
About The Author
dr debashish Sengupta is a professor at Royal University for Women, Bahrain. He is a master trainer and certified from Harvard University in Higher Education Teaching. He is author, The Life of Y and The Life of Z.
• Airswift. (2021, 11 01). How to retain Gen Z and Millennial employees during the Great Resignation. Retrieved from Airswift: https://www.airswift.com/blog/ retain-gen-z-and-millennial-employees
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• CNNBusiness. (2022, 03 30). The Great Resignation is taking root around the world. Retrieved from CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/30/economy/ greatresignation-uk-australia-europe/index.html
• Deloitte. (2022). The Deloitte Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Retrieved from Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/ articles/genzmillennialsurvey.html
• Financial Express. (2022, 04 22). Great Resignation to keep India Inc on toes. Retrieved from Financial Express: https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/ great-resignation-to-keep-india-inc-on-toes/2497131/
• Heaslip, E. (2022, 05 22). How To Embrace Generational Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved from Vervoe: https://vervoe.com/generationaldiversity-in-the- workplace/
• Purdue Global. (2022). Generational Differences in the Workplace. Retrieved from Purdue University Global:https://www.purdueglobal.edu/ educationpartnerships/generational-workforce-ifferencesinfographic/
• Rijswijk, L. v. (2022). The companies employees don’t want to leave. Retrieved from Resume.io: https:// resume.io/blog/the-companies-employees-dont- wantto-leave
• Sengupta, D. (2017). The Life of Y: Engaging Millennials as Employees and Consumers. New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
• Sengupta, Debashish. (2020). The Life of Z:Understanding Digital Preteen and Adolescent Generation. New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
Disclaimer:
The article was first published in Indian Management Journal (Issue 7 Volume 61) an AIMA & Spenta Multimedia publication
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