Youthful, Mature or Veteran
Age based generalisations are fairly accurate and predictive when we are younger. The same approach is inaccurate when we are older. We will soon have five generations working side-by-side. It is important to take a nuanced view of those who are above 50 years old. You have to think of “Subjective Age” and not chronological age.
According to Sloanreview dated June 16,2021, how old one feels (ie subjective age) may be more important than chronological age when we think of workplaces holding 5 generations of employees.
While chronological age is useful to track childhood development, it is less predictive of behavior as we get older. There are larger differences within age groups than between age groups. Sociologists call this concept aged heterogeneity. People who are of the same age, could be very different from each other.
Our stereotypes about people who are older (or younger) are often inaccurate.
“How old one feels may be more important than chronological age for some life outcomes — including those in the workplace”
There are three types of people in the over 50 cohort of workers. There are those feel younger than their age. There are those who feel older than their age and those who are somewhere in the middle. They would be called youthful, mature and veteran. Here is what makes then different.
YOUTHFUL: They feel a decade younger. They are still engaged, highly productive and happy to take charge of work. These people make excellent mentors and teachers. They love mentoring and teaching the next generation of leaders.
MATURE: This group is not as engaged and productive as the youthful group. With some creative reward and recognition system, they can be utilised in creative ways in the organisation.
VETERAN: This group is a tough one to motivate. They need flexibility in their work schedules and their output is inconsistent. They need to be motivated and that can take a lot of effort by the employer.
Knowing these differences can make a big difference to managing the productivity of a multi-generational workforce.
Want to connect with me. Email me at abhijitbhaduri@live.com
