The news headline ‘Millennials Match Boomers for Population Share’ caught my attention this week.
In Australia, the government conducts a census every 5 years to get a picture of its population and the results are hot off the press.
The data about generational shifts is interesting for me as a Leadership Coach because I know that it impacts workplace cultures and calls out for leaders and organisations to take a hard look at the make-up of their employees and respond to potentially different needs.
Share of Population by Generational Cohort, Australia 2021.
Source: https://www.abs.gov.au/
Millennials are so entitled. They don’t have the same work ethic as us. Do those words sound familiar? I hear these comments over and over again from the older generation of leaders. And the problem is clear: new generations have entered the workforce; they work differently and have different priorities.
n many organisations these days, up to five generations work under one roof. If we want to work together, we need to first understand any fundamental differences and then find ways of working together towards common goals.
Overview of Generations in the Workforce.
The graphic above shows a comparison of the generational make-up of our workforce. By 2030, over 70% of the workforce will be Gen Y and younger.
I recall being in a room full of businesswomen in the finance industry who were talking about multi-generational leadership. This is what I said to the many baby boomers present: ‘You complain about the typical traits of millennials, but remember that you brought them up; that generation is your children.’
Each generation is a product of events and leaders during their lives, their own development, their upbringing, their parents, their culture, the country they live in, and the trends of their time. Historical events and trends of our time create something called social markers. Baby boomers grew up with their first TV, Millennials grew up with the internet.
It’s important to understand the fundamental differences at play when people bring their values and priorities into a workplace. What comes next is to simply have conversations about those differences and any commonalities, and decide how to meet in the middle.
In my book LEAD THE FUTURE I dive deep into the global megatrend of multi-generations.
Of course, you can get in touch and we can have a chat: jessica@intactteams.com
I love seeing you shine and being your brilliant best. Stay safe.
