• Home
  • About
  • Contributors
  • Write for Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Women on Business

Business Women Expertise, Tips, Advice and More to Build Winning Careers and Brands

You are here: Home / Uncategorized / The Value of an Intergenerational Organization

The Value of an Intergenerational Organization

January 16, 2009 By Susan Gunelius

Post by Amy Blais, contributing Women On Business writer

In recent years as the workforce diversifies, many offices have become intergenerational. Managing a staff diverse in age, background, experience, and motivation can be challenging. However, as a CEO, it is important to utilize the resources that different generations bring from their varied experiences.

In an intergenerational workplace environment, communication is necessary and even critical. Generations may work and communicate in different ways. Entrepreneurs should encourage employees of different experience levels and with different expertise to work together, and use this as an opportunity. The role of the CEO is to integrate the staff; they are on the same team, with different perspectives that can be used to the advantage of the company.

More seasoned employees can take their management skills and experience to be resourceful, take the lead, and delegate tasks around the office. Newer employees, with different generational perspectives, are a great resource for the social media craze. This internet savvy generation can use their knowledge of Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Analytics, and other social media for the business. Instead of looking outside your staff to hire someone new for these tasks, use the resources you already have, the most significant being your staff.

It is important that there is no hierarchy of generations in an office. Age should not dictate power or authority. At the end of the day, the contributions that an employee makes are what matters. Collaborative interactions between generations will benefit business all around. Be aware of the differences in generations, but do now dwell on it. Motivate employees to work together.

With layoffs looming in the economy, there should be no fear of threats from either side of the generational spectrum. Enhance the values, contributions, and skills that each generational category brings and find balance between generations to ensure your staff works as a succinct team. It is not about the years of experience one has, but the knowledge and expertise they bring to the business because of their experiences.

 

Technorati Tags: workplace diversity,intergenerational staff,mixed generation business,intergenerational employees,women in business,women on business,businesswomen,business women

Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:
TwitterFacebookLinkedInPinterestYouTube

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Sponsors

Awards & Recognition

Categories

  • Board of Directors
  • Books for Businesswomen
  • Business Development
  • Business Executive Team
  • Business Travel
  • Businesswomen Bloggers
  • Businesswomen Interviews
  • Businesswomen Profiles
  • Career Development
  • Communications
  • Contests
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
  • Customer Service
  • Decision-making
  • Discounts & Offers
  • Education
  • Equality
  • Ethics
  • Female Entrepreneurs
  • Female Executives
  • Female Executives
  • Finance
  • Franchising
  • Freelancing & the Gig Economy
  • Global Perspectives
  • Health & Wellness
  • Human Resources Issues
  • Infographics
  • International Business
  • Job Satisfaction
  • Job Search
  • Leadership
  • Legal and Compliance Issues
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Networking
  • News and Insights
  • Non-profit
  • Online Business
  • Operations
  • Personal Development
  • Politics
  • Press Releases
  • Productivity
  • Project Management
  • Public Relations
  • Reader Submission
  • Recognition
  • Resources & Publications
  • Retirement and Savings
  • Reviews
  • Sales
  • Slideshow
  • Small Business
  • Social Media
  • Startups
  • Statistics, Facts & Research
  • Strategy
  • Success Stories
  • Team-Building
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • Videos
  • Women Business Owners
  • Women On Business
  • Women On Business News
  • Women On Business Offers
  • Women On Business Partners
  • Women On Business Roundtable
  • Women on Business School
  • Work at Home/Telecommute
  • Work-Home Life
  • Workplace Issues

Authors

Quick Links

Home | About | Advertise | Write for Us | Contact

Search This Site

Follow Women on Business

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2025 Women on Business · Privacy Policy · Comment Policy