AUSTRAIN International will from time to time, provide on this page an article that reflects this consultancies thoughts on some aspect of business management, people issues, training or counselling. These articles will be able to be downloaded and utilised by the reader.

Management, Leadership and Culture

More than ever, age group culture is and will continue to have an enormous impact upon how organisations lead and manage their workforce. To not understand and appreciate the forces of culture is a receipt for ongoing staffing issues which in turn will affect the bottom line.

Various data reports would suggest that between 1925 and 2000, Australians can be divided into five distinct cultural groups.

The following summary of those groups may provide employers with a starting point where they can explore the cultures within their own organisation.

Group 1 – The Silent Generation (born between 1925 and 1942)

• This group is of the World War 2 generation and in general have a very strong sense or morality and ethics and believes that the male is the breadwinner in a family unit.
• They are much more active than 55+ people of the past are healthier and more focused on fitness.
• They are used to working in a hierarchical work environment which was male dominated.
• Staying healthy, security and working towards retirement motivate them.
• Their favoured management approach is to choose a formal approach face-to-face communications and telephone calls with recognition in the form of plaques and certificates. They provide and desire the logic behind required actions.

Group 2 – The Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964)

• Baby Boomers are the first generation to have fewer children than previous generations and have an expectation of getting further education.
• They tend to focus on a career path and expect upward advancement.
• They are obsessed with youthfulness and reject aging.
• They are motivated towards retirement and staying and looking young.
• Their favoured management approach is to receive and give clear steps to a defined goal and in terms of people see teams as their preferred option.

Group 3 – The Generation X (born between 1965 and 1975)

• Family life has almost diminished with Generation X people more group orientated with friends and sometimes diverse friendships, taking the place of absentee families
• They are more sceptical and cynical than their parents and value opportunities to develop themselves.
• In discussion, they get to the point quickly and expect the same in return.
• They are motivated to look from commitment from leaders to develop capabilities and give them opportunities.
• Feedback is essential for them and they love results and recognition for those results.
• If dissatisfied, they move quickly.
• In management terms they expect or tell others what needs to be done but not how to do it. They enjoy multiple tasks but demand to set their own priorities. Feedback is often needed.

Group 4 – The Generation Y (born between 1976 and 1984)

• This group now seeks a balance between family and work.
• They want flexible schedules, lots of time off even taking time off without pay to travel or do community work.
• They do not know a world without computers.
• 1/3 will change jobs every 3 years while 2/3 will hold a job for less than 5 years.
• They are motivated in knowing that the skills that they have is their signally most important tool to be employed so they will hone their skills and require coaching.
• They will leave their employers when their expectations are not being met.
• In management terms they expect continuous learning and building skills. They know their personal goals and aspirations and expect the world to fit into those goals and expect coaching to achieve those outcomes.

Group 5 – The Generation Z (born between 1985 and 2000)

• This group was born in an age of technology and have known life without it.
• Possibly because of it, they have short attention spans.
• Looking good cosmetically is important yet they struggle with obesity.
• They believe that knowledge is power resulting in the need for self-development courses, mentoring and coaching.
• Their motivation emerges from the dislike teamwork and preference for individual challenge.
• In management terms they need technology to succeed, encouragement and mentoring/coaching. They also want leadership and need to know their boundaries.

Group 6 – The Generation ? (born between 2000 and 200? onwards)

As with past groups, all future groups will assume their own individual characteristics that reflect on the past yet reflect the culture of the society and their natural desire to be different to those of the past.

Leaders and managers of each generation will need to understand the cultures of their past and the future so the challenge although different will also be there.

Where to now?

The dictionary describes culture as ‘a type of civilisation’ and every civilisation is different and unique to another. It is for that reason there are no standard methods of dealing with organisations which may explain why many managers and leaders who are successful in one organisation, are not so successful in another for when they shift they take with them their cultural group and tend to take their learning’s as wellAV and try to implement them in the same way, perhaps to a different cultural group.

This type of thinking is and will continue to be a challenge.

Employers who consider this type of information may assist in their organisations structure and work ethic in regard to generation culture may also like to explore each of its staff’s personality type and mode of operation in a team and in the organisation.

This type of cultural exploration is termed psychrometric profiling. Should you wish to find out more or perhaps explore your organisations culture, please speak to one of this consultancy’s consultants.

AUSTRAIN INTERNATIONAL

[back to top]