Why don’t you all fade away;
Don’t try to dig what we all say.

The Who song, “My Generation,” written by Pete Townshend and released in 1965, showcased the angst of his generation living through a time of growing unrest, assassinations, teach-ins and draft card burnings protesting the Vietnam war.

World events have changed since 1965 but generational differences have not. Older generations will always continue to struggle to relate to younger generations. None of us should be surprised by this.

According to Townshend, the Baby Boomer and Gen-X generations need to step aside and stop wasting time trying to understand the millennial and Gen-Z generations. However, the reality is that many of our business owners and senior managers are boomers and Gen Xers who aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

A better approach is to understand the differences between generations, embrace these differences and be open to change. According to Gallup, there are six major shifts occurring in workplace expectations between generations. I will be discussing each of these six shifts in future blog posts.

Many employers have embraced change and have implemented new management practices designed to engage a younger generation. Other employers have resisted change, holding on desperately to the past. Guess which employers have few or no openings and very little turnover?

There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and how it will affect our businesses. Demand for services will suffer for the short term, and the labor shortage may become less of a factor during this time. At the same time, unemployment benefits have been increased, keeping more people on the sidelines. Nothing is being done about immigration policies. A new generation is an increasing majority of our workers. Change is inevitable. Will you fade away or try to dig what they all say?

Let’s continue this discussion next month.

Now go forth.