Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Learning about differences may be fun, but learning about cooperation is useful. And it's here that Generations at Work becomes a valuable tool." --Fast Company
Synopsis
Veterans...Baby Boomers...GenXers ...Nexters. Mix them all together, and what do you get? Sometimes disaster! Here are fresh insights and practical solutions for easing the inevitable conflicts of today's age- and values-diverse workplace, where people just don't see work (or life) the same way.
"They have no work ethic."
"So I told my boss, 'If you're looking for loyalty, get a dog."
"I will not attend meetings that start after 5."
There's a serious new problem in the workplace, and it has nothing to do with downsizing, change, foreign competition, pointy-haired bosses, cubicle envy, or greed. Instead, it's the problem of distinct generations--the Veterans, the Baby Boomers, the GenXers, and (coming soon) the Nexters--crossing paths and sometimes colliding.
So how can you manage this motley group with their conflicting work ethics, dissimilar values, and idiosyncratic styles? How do you get them to stop snarling at each other? How do you motivate them to work together?
Generations at Work is the first book to clearly outline each group's primary characteristics, and to explain the seminal events and cultural icons that shaped their attitudes and values. But it doesn't just provide an astute sociological portrait. The book also offers practical, sound solutions for avoiding (or remedying) the most common mistakes of managing in today's cross-generational workplace.
Readers will find profiles of companies with effective strategies for smoothing generational conflict...a true-to-life case study of a manager caught in the crossfire...and 21 key questions and answers for solving cross-gen problems.
For anyone struggling to manage a workforce with different ways of working, talking, and thinking, Generations at Work both explains the gulf that separates the generations and offers insightful solutions for creating workplace harmony.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 265-269) and index.
About the Author
"""Ron Zemke (Minneapolis, MN) is senior editor of Training magazine, president of Performance Research Associates, and author or coauthor of 23 books, including AMACOM's bestselling Knock Your Socks Off Service series.
Claire Raines (Denver, CO) is a nationally recognized expert on generational issues and author of Beyond Generation X: A Practical Guide for Managers.
Bob Filipczak (Minneapolis, MN) is a writer and an ""honorary member of Generation X."""
Table of Contents
Dynamics of the multigenerational workplace. Old farts and upstarts: crisis in the cross-generational workplace -- The veterans: what will the Colonel do now - work? retire? consult? -- The baby boomers: Peter Pan grays at the temple -- The gen Xers: absence and malice -- The nexters: chilling out and cheering up -- Case studies in generational peace. Where mixed generations work well together -- Advice-o-plenty. The plight of Charlie Roth: a cross-generational workforce case study -- Making the cross-generational workplace work: twenty-one often-asked questions - and some very practical answers -- Afterword. Predicting the cross-generational future -- Appendix A. Inventory: How cross-generationally friendly is your work group, department, business, or organization? -- Appendix B. Web resources across the generations.