The seafood industry is as old as human civilization itself, steeped in culture and traditions, yet flexible enough to make way for new ideas. Finding ways for a generation that serves as guardian of those traditions to work with a newer generation with equally valuable new approaches can be a challenge.
At Seafood Expo North America’s keynote address on 15 March Ali Hall, a founding partner of Oxford, U.K.-based consulting firm Versa Ventures, will discuss generational shifts in the business world, and how to work with them to ensure success. This week, Hall spoke with SeafoodSource about generational differences and their impact on the business community.
Q: What are some of the most overlooked generational differences/problems you’ve observed?
According to Canadian Douglas Coupland, author of Generation X: Tales of an Accelerated Culture, Generation X was born during the single most anti-child phase in American history. Compare this with Australian Peter Sheahan who authored Thriving and Surviving with Generation Y where he describes his own generation as “the most over-parented, over-indulged, over-educated generation ever.” Now imagine individuals who clearly meet these descriptions working together.
Chief among the complaints we hear from Gen X about their younger colleagues are: (1) they need too much of my time and attention, it would be easier to do it myself; (2) they ask too many questions; (3) they think they we are here to serve them rather than them being here to serve the organization; (4) they want too much too fast; and (5) they’re just not that reliable.
Gen Y poses the polar opposite set of problems: (1) my manager won’t give me any time or attention; (2) my manager never responds to my questions; (3) why should I work here, or “what’s in it for me”; (4) why do things move so slowly – if I have a good idea, I should be able to present it to any level of the organization; and (5) why does it matter what time I’m here or from where I work as long as I get the work done?
Q: How do some of these differences and problems correlate to performance and success of the company overall?
Companies are most successful when they have engaged employees and in several studies over the past several years by organizations including Towers Watson, McKinsey & Co. and the Corporate Leadership Council have found that chief among the factors that lead to employee engagement are the characteristics and leadership styles of their direct managers, and whether employees feel that their leaders show a sincere interest in them. Thus, when one generation fails to see the needs of another generation (let alone meet them), employees feel less engaged and therefore provide less discretionary effort, or at times even leave the organization, which has a negative impact on the company overall.
Q: Is there an optimal generational “ratio?” Is there such a thing as a workforce that is “too old” or “too young?”
There is no such thing as an optimal ratio; however, it is probably worth considering a few facts about the generations. The Baby Boom generation was named for the fact that fertility rates reached an all-time high during their birth years. For many, they have enjoyed the benefits of having been the largest generation and their social security and pensions remain secure while the younger generations worry. Generation X is also referred to as the Baby Bust generation, and while they are in the prime of their working age, it is worth remembering that they are the smallest generation. In terms of demographics worldwide, Generation Y dwarfs them all. Thus, while you may have a minority of Generation Y employees in your workforce at the moment, they will soon dominate the workplace and that trend will last as Generation Z is a smaller generation.
The other point I would make here is about team composition. It is often the case that the more heterogeneous your team is, the more diversity of opinion and innovation you will get. Thus, we encourage mixed generation teams when you are hoping that people with think and act differently, or challenge one another to think about their projects from a different perspective.
Q: What are some of the key steps a company needs to take to solve inter-generational problems?
A few top tips are:
• Give employees more feedback.
• Create a flexible work culture.
• Fully leverage technology, such as having the best tools for collaboration and execution.
• Increase transparency around compensation, rewards and career decisions.
• Build a sense of community, and have a strong on-boarding process.
• Provide younger employees with opportunities to try working in different offices or different departments.
• Implement a reverse mentoring program.
• Train your employees on generational diversity.
