Discuss Competitive Strategies Coca Cola Should Adopt to Develop Essay

Talk about Competitive Strategies Coca Cola Should Adopt to Develop Business Expansion in China - Essay Example the Study: Globalization and the expanding rivalry in the current business world mirror the development and advancement of various organizations and their extension across various nations. The refreshment business is perhaps the biggest business on the planet. The Coca-Cola Company being one of the main organizations in the world’s refreshment industry (www.rediff.com), an exploration on their business systems would help in a comprehension of how driving organizations make and keep up their situation in their own nations just as in different nations through developments. With 126 years in business, the Coca-Cola Company presently has 142,200 overall representatives, more than 3,500 brands, 49 back to back a long time in expanded profits and more than 200 nations where their drinks sell (www.thecoca-colacompany.com). The organization originally entered China in the 1920’s with the first packaging plant built up in Shanghai, 1927. It before long extended its packaging act ivities to Tianjin, 1927 and afterward Qingdao, 1930. In 1949, the organization shut tasks in China when the communist system rose. Since its reemergence in 1979, The Coca-Cola Company has seen huge development, where throughout the last 25 years, brands of The Coca-Cola Company have become significant commonly recognized names in China. It as of late opened its 42nd packaging plant in the nation to help further the company’s strength in the refreshment business inside the nation (www.thecoca-colacompany.com). China’s drink industry mirrors an immense market, especially for enormous organizations like the Coca-Cola Company. The organization firmly has its activities in China however the developing rivalries and other inward and outside elements may influence the effective extension plans of the organization (Zhang and Alon, 2011, p.287). The justification of the investigation is... The method of reasoning of the investigation depends on learning and understanding the serious business procedures of a main refreshment organization that may profit the development of the organization in the China advertise. In the cutting edge universe of expanded globalization, there is a need to get familiar with the hypotheses and ideas followed by enormous organizations. This is to have a view on the methodologies important to keep up a place of an organization in the business among its rival organizations. This investigation would concentrate on the Coca-Cola Company that as of now has its activities in the China advertise and would search for additional extensions to which the organization has the necessity of inventive and serious techniques that would keep its situation over its rivals. The consequences of this investigation would demonstrate key to business improvement administrators and the business advancement group enriched with the duty of recognizing development openi ngs. The investigation would likewise help different organizations who expect techniques to extend business somewhere else. The analyst will pick up information in definition of serious procedures that can be applied in future undertakings. Henceforth, this investigation is reasonable in the setting that the serious business techniques of one of the main organizations could be scholarly and the examination would empower different organizations to utilize such methodologies in making their upper hands while extending their organizations.

Citizen Kane An Accurate Portrayal of William Randolph Hearst Essay Example For Students

Resident Kane: An Accurate Portrayal of William Randolph Hearst? Article Many have called Citizen Kane the best true to life accomplishment ever. It is without a doubt a genuine artful culmination of acting, screen composing, and coordinating. Orson Welles, its young virtuoso chief, lead entertainer, and a co-essayist, utilized the best abilities and strategies of the day Bordwell 103 to recount to the account of a paper goliath, Charles Kane, through the eyes of the individuals who adored and loathed him. Be that as it may, when it came out, it was disdained by Hollywood and saw uniquely in the private performance centers of RKO, the maker. Assigned for nine Academy Awards, it was for all intents and purposes booed off the stage, and just won one honor, that for Best Screenplay, which Welles and Herman Mankiewicz shared Mulvey 10. This was all because of the weight applied by the best paper man of the time, one of the most influential men in the country, the man Citizen Kane depicted as a degenerate force monger, to be specific William Randolph Hearst. One can't overlook the striking similitudes among Hearst and Kane. So as to clarify at the start precisely what he planned to do, Orson Welles incorporated a couple of insights regarding the youthful Kane that, given even a simple information on Hearstquot;s life, would have set one speculation about the life of that paper mammoth. Not long after the film opens, a columnist is seen attempting to find the importance of Kanequot;s final word, Rosebud. He starts his hunt by experiencing the records of Kanequot;s childhood gatekeeper, Thatcher. The scene springs up in midwinter at the Kane lodging. Kanequot;s mother has come into one of the most extravagant gold mines on the planet through a defaulting visitor, and at age twenty-five, Kane will acquire his sixty million dollars Citizen Kane. His mom is far fetched of the nature of the instruction her child will get in Colorado, and in this way wishes to send her child to concentrate with Thatcher. Hearstquot;s guardians stopped by their cash through gold mines Swanberg 5, so both Hearst and Kane were brought with brilliant spoons up in their individual mouths. Kane is bizarrely committed to his mom, as demonstrated when he gets some distance from his dad to tune in to his mom, and when he just pays notice to his motherquot;s answers to his inquiries Citizen Kane. Hearst in like manner was totally dedicated to his mom. He was shielded from this present reality by his mom and her cash for a large portion of his young life, once in a while in any event, seeing his voyaging father Swanberg 25. Additionally, Kanequot;s kicking the bucket word and the name of his youth sled, Rosebud, Citizen Kane was the name of a town twenty miles east of where Hearstquot;s guardians were conceived and grew up Robinson 13. Everything from the newsreel toward the beginning of the film on Kanequot;s life matches Hearstquot;s superbly. Kane ran more than thirty papers, radios, and coops, had a very much pitched sentimental illicit relationship, attempted futile to be chosen for open office, was absolutely and totally reckless with his cash, continually expecting there would be considerably more coming, and assembled himself a joy royal residence called Xanadu, which incorporated a colossal assortment of sculptures and creatures Citizen Kane. Hearst additionally did every one of these things through an incredible span, which further served to persuade film watchers of Wellesquot; hostile aims really taking shape of the film. Swanberg. After the initial newsreel on Hearstquot;s life, the film experiences the childhood scene where Thatcher removes Kane from his folks. It at that point rapidly moves to a point twenty years after the fact, when Kane is going to acquire the 6th biggest private fortune on the planet. Thatcher is worried that Kane wonquot;t know his place on the planet, and his feelings of trepidation are confirmed when Kane sends a message saying that he has no enthusiasm for gold mines or banks, at the same time, rather, he might want to assume control over a little paper of which Thatcher has collected, the Morning Inquirer, since, I figure it is enjoyable to compose a paper. Resident Kane The conditions under which Hearst entered the paper world were fundamentally the same as. Hearstquot;s father, an about ignorant mining investor, claimed a paper in San Francisco, The Examiner, which he utilized as simply a political organ to assist his application for a seat in Congress Swanberg 26. Against his fatherquot;s wants for him to enter the universe of mining, youthful Hearst assumed responsibility for the paper to attempt to turn around his fatherquot;s tremendous misfortunes on it Swanberg 47. Both Hearst and Kane promptly started to change everything about their separate papers. Kane actually moved in to the workplace with the goal that he may be continually around his paper, continually ready to re-try it at any hour, night or day. He makes it very certain that, starting now and into the foreseeable future, The Examiner would accomplish something other than report what the present editorial manager thought about newsworthy. It was going to report all news, huge or little, particularly in the event that it could be made into a sensation and sell papers. Furthermore, if there was no present sensation, Kane would make the news. Hearst did likewise, altering his paper to take on undignified points to pick up flow, brandishing stunning title texts and accounts of wrongdoing and clothing. In a great case of comparability, Kane about cited Hearst precisely: You gracefully the writing and sonnets, Iquot;ll flexibly the war, Orson Wells, Citizen Kane as Kane examined what to message back to a man in Cuba. Hearst was a lot of against Spanish dur ing the Cuban upset, and notwithstanding his endeavors, it is plausible that the war would not have even been battled. In any case, Hearst, who might do anything for a feature, c oncocted unbelievably adulterated stories of Spanish ruthlessness. As accounts of Cuban bad form became old news to general society, particularly as there was no genuine war, a journalist broadcast Hearst that he might want to leave. Hearst answered, Please remain. You outfit the photos, Iquot;ll outfit the war. Swanberg 127 Such an undeniable likeness can just have been intentional, as Kane for all intents and purposes cited Hearst. In the film, Thatcher was angry with Kanequot;s achievement in assaulting confides with regards to the individuals and giving bogus features, for example, those about the Spanish Armada being secured off of the Jersey coast, a feature printed with for all intents and purposes no confirmation to validate it. Kane even utilized his paper to assault an organization of which he himself, alongside Thatcher, was the significant investor. As Thatcher arranged to leave after his conversation with Kane on what new is, he referenced to Kane his huge misfortunes, which totaled one million dollars for the year, a stunning aggregate to have been lost by one individual, particularly around then. Kane,. be that as it may, ignored it, kidding that, at that rate, hequot;ll need to shut down in sixty years Citizen Kane. Every one of these things were normal for Hearst also. He assaulted the trusts for the individuals a most loved expression of Hearstquot;s and employed legal advisors to attempt to get directives against the trusts and in the long run decimate them. He upheld the eight hour workday and the worker's organizations Swanberg 235. He stood out as truly newsworthy going after peoplequot;s dread and contempt of Spain and Japan which, not adventitiously, he had stimulated by past articles in The Examiner and different distributions of his about Spanish barbarities in Cuba and the yellow threat of Japan Swanberg 122, 352 Hearst discarded cash as if to him it truly developed on trees. A man with a salary of fifteen million dollars every year at the tallness of his influence, he had practically no investment funds and here and there needed to obtain cash Swanberg 88. Directly in the wake of assuming control over The Inquirer, as told now by Bernstein, Kane requested the proofreader to hype less significant stories for the paper, the sorts of things that the country needed to see and read about, not simply exhausting, plain news. He turned out to be engaged with the article substance of his paper, continually attempting to improve it that the rest, keeping awake until late, considering title texts and thoughts for scoops. The Blanton Museum - Santo, San Antonio de Padau EssayHearst fabricated San Simeon for Davies, to whom he was genuinely committed Swanberg 447, not at all like Kane and Susan. The last couple in the long run separated after Susanquot;s discourse in which she says that Kane had never supplier anything to her, he had recently attempted to get her into giving him something. At last, with the perspective of Kanequot;s steward come two additional similitudes. Kane flew into rough wraths when he didnquot;t get something he needed, as when Susan left him and he said that game changing word just because, Rosebud. Kane was likewise a gatherer of everything, he didn't toss anything out, and was continually purchasing something. Resident Kane Hearst had the equivalent strange practice. He would decimate a great many dollars worth of collectibles in an attack of outrage and afterward burn through one hundred thousand dollars on a passing impulse. He never, in any case, tossed anything out Swanberg 585. The film shut on the location of the goals of the Rosebud puzzle. Among all the garbage Kane had gathered, lay a minuscule wooden sled, the one from the day when Thatcher removed him from his mom, which was dragged away and tossed into the fire. Upon closer assessment, the word Rosebud can be made out as it is gradually burned. Having considered the proof introduced above, obviously Orson Welles had based his film around the life of William Randolph Hearst, a reality which upset Hearst continually. Indeed, an agent of the Hearst Organization offered 800 and forty 2,000 dollars to RKO, the filmquot;s maker, on the off chance that they would consume it. This plot having fizzled, RKO was boycotted by the colossal Hearst press and needed to show the film in private theaters. But, Welles despite everything guaranteed that his film had no expectation of being personal. He stated, It did not depend on the life of Mr. Hearst or any other person. Then again, had Mr. Hearst and comparable money related nobles not lived during the period we talk about, Citizen Kane couldn't have been made. Zinmen 238 In howdy

Enhancing Your Business through a Multigenerational Workforce

Enhancing Your Business through a Multigenerational Workforce ‘..the whole point of pushing our limits is progress…’This was a quote from a 2009 movie called ‘The Boondock Saints’. I wish I could remember the whole quote word for word. But that segment has always stuck with me and I have found it to apply in almost all aspects of life. It applies even in the business. I don’t believe in ‘sticking to the norm’. I believe in pushing the limits, trying new things, taking risks, trying different approaches, and comparing results. Push your boundaries. That is how we make progress.How would you like to break from a monotonous workplace routine, working with the same kind of people every day?How would you like a happier and more engaged workforce?How would you like to experience fresh outlooks and perspectives in your workplace? How would you like to acquire new skills for your workforce without necessarily having to train them? How would you like a more reputable organization?How would you like a generally more efficient and effectiv e workforce while increasing your business’s profitability at the same time? Well, if these are some of your ambitions, a mixture of generations in your workforce is just what you need.WHAT IS A MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE?As a business leader and entrepreneur, I am certain that you have realized that there is quite a complicated mixture of generations in the workforce today. To be precise, there are about four different generations of workers at your disposal, each at a different stage in their life and career. Most workers will fall in either of these generations; the Silents (Traditionalist) Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, or Generation Y (Millennials).As much as each individual is unique, people of the same generational class have been heavily influenced by the same social and economic events that occurred during their formidable years. This results in each generation having specific outlooks, perspectives, and expectations from their careers. As an employer or business leader, you will notice that each generation has distinct skills and talents a nd distinct outlooks on values such as teamwork, loyalty, the importance of social relations amongst colleagues and society, and so forth.Take a minute to reflect…What would happen if you pooled all these skills, talents, and outlooks together?WHY SHOULD I ENCOURAGE A MIXTURE OF GENERATIONS IN MY WORKFORCE?I understand perfectly that it would be more difficult for you to manage such a diverse group of employees in comparison to employees from just one or two generational classes. I also understand why you would be inclined to employ a specific generation of workers and leave out another based on your generational class and open-mindedness. For example, if you fall under the Baby Boomers class you may naturally be inclined to recruit employees of this generation because you relate with them the best.However, successfully blending the four generations in your workforce could lead to a more effective and productive workforce.According to a study conducted by the Sloan Center on Aging and Work on six of the biggest employers in the United States, organizations that implemented age diversity strategies (policies and programs that include various generations in the workplace) witnessed positive impact in their businesses.According to the study, some of the benefits to the employees were:Increased workplace experience and improved retention rates.Increased loyalty to the organization due to a feeling of ‘being valued’.Increased motivation.Stronger feeling of cohesion amongst employees.Improved relationships with organizational leadership.On the other hand, the businesses themselves experienced:An increase in sales and profitability.Improved customer service.Improved business savings.An improvement in organizational reputation.According to the study, your business will automatically increase in profitability when the composition of your workforce reflects the multi-generational market on the ground.In the near future, the available workforce will be an increasin gly multigenerational one, with members of about five to six generations. Based on this, a more realistic and strategic approach in building your employee-base will give you a head start in realizing a high-performing workforce of the future; especially seeing as only about 1 in 4 organizations are harnessing the advantages of a multigenerational workforce.While there have been discussions in the past, age diversity benefits at the workplace and strategic leadership approaches for such a workforce are elements that have not been clearly defined. This is what this article seeks to accomplish. By the end of this article you will clearly understand what entails a multigenerational workforce… What benefits you will get from having multigenerational workers and Strategies you will apply to guarantee the efficiency of your multigenerational force.Before we get to the benefits and strategic approaches of a multigenerational workforce, it is important that you understand who you are deali ng with. It is also important to understand the experiences that have shaped each generation.FUNDAMENTAL QUALITIES OF EACH GENERATIONThe Silents, also known as the Traditionalists, were born between 1922 and 1943. This group was influenced by the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War… The Silents Generation lived in an age of prosperity and conformity and was heavily influenced by military experiences. They define themselves with discipline, diligence in duty, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to their employers and workplace. As a leader, you can be assured that members of this generation possess qualities such as respect for authority, outstanding work ethic, dependability, adaptability, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, all of which are assets to any business.The Baby Boomers generation is comprised of individuals born between 1943 and 1960 and some of their experiences will include the development of Civil Rights Movements, Space Travel, the Sexual Revolutio n, the Cold War, Television Influence… Baby Boomers grew up in an optimistic era and were taught to think big and reach for the stars, which causes them to bring a refreshing drive to the workplace. However, their drive seems to take from their innovation and long-term planning capabilities. Some of the traits employees of this generation will possess are good education levels, excellent collaboration skills, they are questioning to authority, and they tend to perform best under pressure or in highly demanding environments.Generation X includes individuals born between 1960 and 1980. This group witnessed the crumbling of the Berlin Wall, Desert Storm, Womens’ Liberation Movements… Generation Xers grew up in a period where women began going out to work alongside the men and two-income homes became the norm. These individuals were raised to be independent and not to shy away from their individuality which allowed them to heavily influence growth and development in the world of t echnology and art. Employees from this generation are open to learning, they love to explore and innovate, and when their work is not satisfactory they look for fulfillment elsewhere. Some of the primary traits they portray include being hardworking, independent, being intolerant to bureaucracy, family-orientation, and social responsibility.Millennials, also known as Generation Y, were born between 1980 and 2000. The Millennials experienced terrorism, development of Gay Rights, widespread entrepreneurial spirit, and the radical development of the computer era… Millennials grew up in a child-focused environment and were raised to be increasingly sociable, connecting with their peers through technology. The Millennials can be described as having broken away from the individualism encouraged by Generation X, returning to the conformity of the Silents. The Millennials have also experienced high involvement levels from their parents, persisting into young adulthood resulting in an imme nse pressure to succeed. They have a need to continuously prove themselves in their work and are likely to thrive in respectful work environments where they feel valued and where their contributions are recognized and rewarded. Millennials found in the workplace are technologically savvy, loyal, highly sociable, and have a need for a healthy work-life balance.Which generational class do you fall under? BENEFITS OF A MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCEThe questions on your mind at this juncture might be: why should I promote a multigenerational workforce for my business? Is it really necessary? Or, why can’t I just recruit employees I think are most suitable for my business as the need arises regardless of their age group?These are all valid questions, but let me convince you why a generational mixture in your employee base results in a much more efficient, adaptable, and high-performing workforce that stays relevant with each evolution in the business world.Mutual MentorshipHave you ever noticed that when you hang out with the same group of friends the subjects of discussion and approaches to various issues tends to be more or less the same? And when you hang out with a different crowd you get to discuss new subjects and to experience fresh and sometimes even more creative approaches?The reason behind this is that when you tend to always hang out with the same people you are rarely going to learn anything new. The diversity brought about by interacting with different people is necessary to learn new things, to acquire new points of view, to challenge yourself to look at things in more than one light, it is necessary for growth.By adopting a multigenerational workforce you create an environment and an opportunity for mutual mentorship amongst your employees. For example, a Millennial will learn about communication skills, leadership, and the art of navigation within the business from Generation Xers and Baby Boomers. These are skills that cannot be taught to a person in a classroom or on the internet, they have to be practically acquired.The older generations will be available to impart these skills in the younger generations. On the other hand, technology has become an aspect of the business world that cannot be ignored unless you want to risk your business becoming irrelevant or obsolete. In this case, Millennials who are technologically savvy, having grown up in a period of great technological evolution, will add value to your business by mentoring Generation Xers and Baby Boomers on the application of technology in your business.Everyone’s experience is different meaning that there is something for each generation of employees to learn from the other. It is a cycle of mutual benefit that will result in a well-rounded workforce that would be impossible to achieve in an environment where any generation has been excluded. As a smart businessman you will minimize the risk of your workforce not being at optimum performance due to a deficiency in certain skills or values by ensuring that there is a representation of every generation in your workforce.Case Law: British GasBritish Gas changed all of its recruitment practices and policies as soon as the age discrimination legislation was passed. The Company now encourages apprenticeships to older generation employees with the oldest apprentice having been 56 years old. In turn, the Company has realized that the older generation employees have influenced the behavior of younger generation employees, making them more mature and disciplined.The older generation employees acquire skills and in turn act as life mentors to their younger counterparts. This environment of mutual mentorship has availed a healthy and more positive work environment. British Gas has also enhanced its reputation in the market, being regarded as an employer of choice.InnovationDiversity in your workplace is pivotal for innovation.If your workplace only has a particular generation of employees, the approac h to various issues will always be from a single perspective, leaving no room for new viewpoints or fresh creative approaches.You know those moments when you are working on a task with a co-worker and they propose an approach you have never considered that happens to wow you? Don’t you appreciate the moment and think about what else you can learn from one another to be better than you already are individually and as a team? This is what a multigenerational workplace encourages. They challenge people to reflect, to create, to innovate, and to think outside of their boxes.By encouraging a generational mix in in your workplace, you will harness the experiences and perspectives of all generations included. The Silents, BabyBoomers, Generation Xers, and Millennials can work collaboratively, learning from each other, and blending their different experiences to come up with creative and wholesome approaches. By employing a multigenerational workforce, you are sure to receive a beautiful combination of ideas and outlooks that result in more spontaneous and innovative breakthroughs.Skillset DiversityIn the same way a multigenerational workforce will avail diverse points of view, it is expected that it will also welcome a vast range of skills to your business, right?For your business to be at optimum performance you will need to achieve a balance of technology, communication, leadership skills, problem-solving skills… and a multigenerational workforce will possess all of these skills, among others.Imagine a situation where your employee-base is comprised of people of different generations, where each generational class of workers brings different talents to the business. Consider the younger generation of employees having a strong understanding of technological instruments related to business including social media networking, search engine optimization for web content, and online product advertising. While on the other hand, the older generations of employees posse ss better interpersonal skills and thrive in traditional environments where the primary means of communication is on a one-on-one or face-to-face basis.This mixture of skills will undoubtedly be advantageous to your business especially where you have a diverse or multi-generational customer demographic. Your workforce could be thought of as a product of your business. The business makes (hires and trains) and sells (customer service) their workforce to consumers and different consumers will have different needs and preferences depending mostly on their generational class. A multigenerational workforce will ensure that each demographic of your customer-base has representation. Therefore, it is reckless to assume that your business can do without any generation in your workforce.TechnologyI mentioned earlier that technology is an aspect of business that you cannot afford to ignore in the world we live in. While it is a necessity for all generations of employees to adopt technology in order to effectively reach and communicate with your business’s customers, older generations of employees will find it significantly difficult to adapt because they grew up in a primarily manual era.A business with naturally technologically savvy employees i.e. Millennials, will definitely have a competitive advantage over a business that only has older generations in their roster.Let us look at it more practically…Where does this advantage lie?Members of Generation X grew up in a period when the computer era was just budding and they therefore have fairly decent technological knowledge making it easy to relate with and learn from Millennials. The Baby Boomers will, however, find it difficult to directly relate with and learn from Millennials but they do have close relations with Generation X who can, therefore, relay technological skills they have learnt from the Millennials in a more fluid manner.The result of such a generationally diverse employee-base is a technologically kn owledgeable workforce that is able to compete in an increasingly technological business world.Happier Workforce and Enhanced Customer ExperienceA survey conducted by McDonald’s indicated that multigenerational employee teams are significantly happier than teams composed of a single generation. According to survey conducted on 5000 people, employees working in multigenerational environments are 10 percent happier and provide improved customer service. The survey also indicated that working with people from other generations is a top priority for workers who fall in the youngest and oldest generations at the workplace.Think about it, when you are happy at work doesn’t it make you more energetic and driven? Don’t you feel a certain pride and loyalty towards your employer and your organization? Doesn’t it make you want to better the services you offer to the organization and its customers?A happy and driven workforce will definitely render better services to your customers, givi ng them an enhanced experience of your business and leading to higher customer retention, satisfaction, and loyalty rates.As earlier mentioned, a generational mix of employees guarantees that all demographics of your customer base are appropriately catered for, also leading to customer satisfaction. For example, the older customers might feel more in touch with your business dealing with older staff members on a face-to-face basis. Similarly, the younger demographic of your customer base may be much more engaged dealing with young staff members who understand and relate to their needs.However, let us note that employee-employer matching is not set in stone. An older customer may prefer to deal with a young and dynamic staff member while a younger customer may prefer to deal with an older and more experienced staff member. It is very individual. The point is that the different needs and preference of your customers are readily catered for regardless of their age group in order to giv e them the best customer experience possible.Case Study: Dairy FarmDairy Farm is Singapore’s biggest employer having been in business for over 100 years. The firm is the leading retailer in Singapore with over 10,100 full-time employees and 2,000 franchisees. Dairy Farm has a flexible recruitment policy where it hires workers from all generations. 27% of Dairy Farm’s workforce is between the age of 40 and 54, 7.5% is between the age of 55 and 61, and 6.6% is over 62 years old.Dairy Farm has openly embraced the ideology of a multi-generational workforce. The organization has even taken it a step further by allowing for housewives to work part-time in order to provide for them time to handle their family affairs while still making some money on the side. Dairy Farm is also in support of rehiring employees that have reached the retirement age as long as they are capable of effectively performing their duties, the oldest worker being a Mr. Tan Lim who has worked in the organization for over half a century.Dairy Farm has wholly embraced a multigenerational workforce. In the organization’s experience, older generation workers’ maturity, experience, skills, and knowledge is crucial in guiding younger generation employees’ as well as in keeping customers happy, satisfied, and loyal to the organization.On the other hand, the younger generation employees bring agility and energy that the older generations may lack. Therefore, bringing about a situation where the different generations in the workforce complement each other and ensure that all demographic groups of customers can be served to their satisfaction.TraditionThere is value in tradition in the business world, don’t you think?What defines you? What is your reputation? How have your customers always related with you? What do people think of/expect when they hear the name of your business?Never disacknowledge the value and importance of older-generation-employees passing on their experience, expertise, knowledge, as well as the traditions and history of your organization to the younger generations of employees.This is what maintains your business’s code of conduct, values, customer relations, and the general identity of your business. If you have too much of one generation in your workforce, the opportunity for the succession of skills, values, history, and tradition will eventually fade away. STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO SUCCESSFUL MULTIGENERATIONAL LEADERSHIP AT THE WORKPLACEIt is not enough to simply ensure that your workforce has a mixture of generations. I am certain you can already anticipate that the management of a multigenerational workforce will be much more challenging in comparison to a workforce composed of one or two generations. True. But the benefits you stand to gain are worth the effort.Your biggest concern so far may be: What strategic approaches can you apply to guarantee that you successfully harness the power and benefits promised?Encourage Cross-Generational Te amwork and MentoringOlder generations of employees, the Silents, Baby Boomers, and Generation Xers, have remained relevant in your business for a reason. Over the years, they have had the opportunity to acquire skills, experience and wisdom that cannot be quantified or written off, making them high-value employees in the workplace.As a business leader, encourage these older generations of employees to be open to sharing their experiences, passing on wisdom and skills they had to acquire over several years immediately to younger generation employees. Also ensure that these older generations understand that rejecting younger generation employees at the workplace is toxic to the work environment and detrimental to your business.You could have Silents, Baby Boomers, and Generation Xers reflect back on when they were just starting their careers to help them empathize with the new comers. Remind them of their own mentors who gave them guidance as they were growing in their work and remind them that it is time that they reciprocated. Remind them that as much as they have been in the game for as long as they have, there is also quite a lot they can learn from the younger generations. For example, you could have each older generation of employees regularly create educational or inspirational videos for the generations below theirs.Similarly encourage the younger generations to seek out the knowledge of older generation co-workers and to seek their council when they are having difficulties in their work. Encourage these young employees not to be intimidated by the much more experienced employees but rather to view it as an opportunity to acquire experience without necessarily having to work for years to gain it.Create a Supportive and Communal Work EnvironmentI am sure that you will agree that employees’ experiences are not only shaped by the kind of work they do but also by the people they interact with on a daily basis as well as the quality of relationships that th ey have with those people.To establish a successful multigenerational workforce in your business, you must create an environment where people from all generations are able to connect on a personal level. This way, your employees will be bound by their relations to each other and, consequently, to your business as the binding factor.So, what sort of measures can you take to build such a communal environment?You can start by ensuring that mentors and managers provide support that enhances the day-to-day performance of employees across all generations as well as the career progression of those employees. This will ensure that no generational class of employees feels sidelined within the business.This can be achieved by implementing a system where mentors and managers have to interact with each and every employee under their supervision on a daily basis regardless of their age or experience. The mentors or manager can then document each employees concerns, performance, satisfaction leve ls… These mentors and managers will then address each employee’s unique concerns and promote the enhancement of their individual performances and career growth rates.However, managers and mentors will address similar/common concerns amongst their employees in a communal manner through open forum. Here every employee under the manager or mentor, regardless of their age or experience, will be allowed a chance to voice their opinion until a collective and agreeable solution has been reached on a subject. This will create a feeling of togetherness and community, where every employee feels that their opinions and input is valued regardless of their generational class or their experience.The feeling of community will in turn lead to a stronger, unified, and cohesive workforce that appreciates and incorporates each generations input in the workplace.You could also create generationally diverse employee teams with common goals and objectives. Remember, these multigenerational employee t eams will only thrive if there is a group process. By creating employee teams where employees of different generations have to work together, each generation of employees will soon begin to realize the value that other generations of employees bring to the table. Through a successful combination of efforts to achieve a common goal by pooling each generation’s skills and talents, a mutual feeling of respect and unity will be realized and employees will be encouraged to do it again.It is also important to remember the importance of emphasizing equality when creating these multigenerational employee teams. Equality in workload, equality in accountability, and fair indiscriminate rewarding of high-performers regardless of generational class. This will bring about a feeling of inclusion, fairness, and community where every employee’s input is equally important regardless of their age or experience.Case Study: JD WetherspoonJD Wetherspoon is a U.K pub Company with over 750 outlets. JD Wetherspoon has a very broad customer base and for this reason the Company has chosen to reflect this in its workforce. As of 2006, JD Wetherspoon has no retirement age in order to retain valuable experience within the organization by enabling its succession to younger generation employees, which avails a communal feel in the workplace in the process. This also ensures that each customer demographic is properly catered for regardless of their age.One of the Company’s biggest challenges was its difficulty in attracting older generation employee applications. While the Company was able to attract applications from students, applications from the older generations were scarce, which led them to scrapping off the retirement age in 2006. The Company now receives applications from people of all ages and avails an inclusive and indiscriminate environment where there are training programs available for employees of all levels and ages.JD Wetherspoon’s experience has revealed the benefi ts of a multigenerational workforce to be that it enables the company to reflect and effectively service its broad customer base, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. It also allows the Company to stay consistently relevant with the constantly evolving consumer demographic. Additionally, since adopting a multigenerational workplace staff retention levels have risen above the industry average, indicating high levels of employee satisfaction.Creating an Inclusive Work EnvironmentHave you noticed that employees tend to perform better in environments where they feel that they are making a real contribution and that their contributions are being recognized?For you to successfully lead a multigenerational workforce you will, therefore, have to create an environment that caters for the needs of the different generational classes under your employ. This will entail reviewing and modifying policies and organizational communications in order to ensure that no generational c lass is excluded or sidelined.In order to cement an inclusive culture you can also implement a reward system that recognizes and rewards any employee that promotes values and behaviors of a harmonious and inclusive culture. Additionally, you could organize informal activities for your workforce where workplace experience and age disparities are insignificant and employees from different generational classes can finally look at one another with fresh perspective.   For example, friendly sports activities, holiday celebrations, and organizational gathering where employees can bring their families along.Once employees have interacted on neutral ground and looked upon each other as equals regardless of their age, this mentality will be subliminally translated in the workplace. A budding culture of equality and inclusion will then become a part of your workplace culture, where every generation of employees feels that they are part of the collective.Case Study: NASAOlder generations of em ployees at NASA had expressed the sentiment that, they wished they had gotten an opportunity to have been engaged in a leadership program at the beginning of their careers. NASA Assistant Human Capital Administrator, Toni Dawsey, then set out to find an effective way to involve the younger, less experienced workers in resolving the agencies problems.Dawsey initiated an entry-level leadership program that would prepare younger generation employees for future leadership positions. A key requirement of the program was to challenge the young employees to engage a particular issue within the agency and work on it. The pioneer class of the program was assigned the subject: ‘Is NASA prepared to be a recruiter and retainer of next generation workers?’After conducting extensive research and gathering relevant data, the group concluded that NASA was not ready. The group presented their findings to the Administrator of the Strategic Management Council. Having being impressed by the group†™s reports he instructed NASA Directors to implement some of the recommendations presented by the group. Some of these recommendations are:NASA should promote leadership training programs for Millennials. This generation of employees is more likely to stay at the agency if they can see some development in their career paths.NASA should provide innovative opportunities for the young generation employees in order to realize immediate growth in their careers rather than having to wait for change that will occur five or ten years into their employment at the agency.NASA should provide opportunities to enable technology studies and apply them immediately. This would definitely be aided by hiring younger generation employees who are more adept to the latest technology.NASA enrolled new hiring targets eighteen months later that would encourage a multigenerational workforce, eventually enabling growth, progression, and employee satisfaction within the agency. In an effort to achieve this, t he new hiring targets dictated that half of all new employees would be from the Millennials generation.CommunicationOne major reason you may fail to harness the advantages of a multigenerational workforce is because you fail to understand each generation’s uniqueness. Show awareness, acceptance, and respect for the differences existent in your workforce. The idea is to make everyone feel like they are a perfect fit and communicate these differences in such a way as to encourage diversity, innovation, and creativity.You should strive to facilitate open dialogue about how to utilize the diverse skills and talents of each generation in order to unlock the potential of your multigenerational workforce. Speak in such a way as to motivate each generation, especially the younger generation employees who are easily demotivated by negatively perceived comments. Let us analyze what form of communication appeals most to each generation.Silents: This generation responds best to a respectful t one during communications. Your communication to this generation of employees should be in proper grammar, clear instructions, and no profanity. The language will hit home for this generation where it is formal, professional, and without slang.Baby Boomer: Communications with this generation can be slightly informal and in a more casual form and setting. This generation tends to value personal relations just as much as they value their work. When communicating to employees of this generation be sure to make the conversation engaging by leaving room for their input.Generation X: This generation is more receptive to direct communications with minimal pleasantries. When communicating with employees from this generation, get straight to the point. This generation is decently adept to technology so, even better; send them an email or a text message dictating very clear instructions.Millennials: Approach this generation positively. They are very easily intimidated, especially due to their lack of experience. Avoid condescending tones that feed their insecurities. Encourage them to voice their opinions and link communication to their own ambitions and goals. Like Generation X, Millennials are accommodative to technological mediums of communication so a friendly text message or email will be effective too. Conflict Prevention and ManagementIn any multigenerational setting, a little conflict is to be expected due to the conflicting perceptions, outlooks, and approaches to various issues. It is a natural reaction for people to reject change or the unknown.As their leader, your part in this is to ensure that conflicts amongst the various generations in your workplace are minimized and easily contained when they do occur. While encouraging the different skills and talents of each generation is an effective approach, it is equally important to promote common goals amongst different generations, for example, the employees’ need for high-quality service delivery or a frien dly, accommodative work environment. Assure/show them that they are all on the same team and that they all want the same things out of their work.You can also encourage regular and mandatory self-assessments on the quality of relations amongst employees. These assessments could then be used to develop suitable policies that will minimize friction between employees of different generations. These are guidelines meant to further foster a respectful work environment for everyone. You should then also implement a recognition and reward system for employees that uphold those guidelines the best.CONCLUSIONA multi-generational workforce will enhance your business by availing both acquired wisdom and experience from seasoned employees and new skills, energy, and enthusiasm from younger generation employees. It is important to have a healthy balance in your business; a unique understanding (both old and new) of the business world, fresh perspectives, a proper understanding of rapidly changin g technology… that will enable you to stay relevant and competitive.A multigenerational workforce will bring about benefits to your business, but let us not overlook the immense benefits it offers employees exposed to this environment. Employees in a multigenerational work environment are forced to step out of their comfort zones, challenged to think outside the box, and encouraged to collaborate with colleagues from all generations, making them incredibly versatile. Younger generation employees, having minimal or no experience, get to receive free mentorship on the workings of real world and in turn these young employees are able to keep older generation employees in touch with evolving social norms and rapidly advancing technology.However, remember that implementing the strategies we have discussed in this article is not enough to create a happy, efficient, and highly productive workforce. People under your employ want more or less the same thing regardless of what generational group they happen to be in.Human beings want to be respected, treated honestly, to feel included, and to do work they enjoy alongside people they trust. This is what will fundamentally give you an effective workforce. A multigenerational environment then works to enhance this by creating a well-rounded and equipped workforce that is highly adaptable and accommodative to any customer base.Your business will realize great benefit from appreciating the experiences and talents of all generations and including them in your workforce. Each generation of employees brings a unique perspective to the table, creating a stronger, creative, and more innovative team that leads to a more profitable, reputable, adaptable, accommodative, and relevant business. It is up to you as a business leader to harness the potential of a multigenerational workforce; to be brave enough to exploit this beautiful mix of skills and talents to enhance your business as a whole.

Enhancing Your Business through a Multigenerational Workforce

Enhancing Your Business through a Multigenerational Workforce ‘..the whole point of pushing our limits is progress…’This was a quote from a 2009 movie called ‘The Boondock Saints’. I wish I could remember the whole quote word for word. But that segment has always stuck with me and I have found it to apply in almost all aspects of life. It applies even in the business. I don’t believe in ‘sticking to the norm’. I believe in pushing the limits, trying new things, taking risks, trying different approaches, and comparing results. Push your boundaries. That is how we make progress.How would you like to break from a monotonous workplace routine, working with the same kind of people every day?How would you like a happier and more engaged workforce?How would you like to experience fresh outlooks and perspectives in your workplace? How would you like to acquire new skills for your workforce without necessarily having to train them? How would you like a more reputable organization?How would you like a generally more efficient and effectiv e workforce while increasing your business’s profitability at the same time? Well, if these are some of your ambitions, a mixture of generations in your workforce is just what you need.WHAT IS A MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE?As a business leader and entrepreneur, I am certain that you have realized that there is quite a complicated mixture of generations in the workforce today. To be precise, there are about four different generations of workers at your disposal, each at a different stage in their life and career. Most workers will fall in either of these generations; the Silents (Traditionalist) Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, or Generation Y (Millennials).As much as each individual is unique, people of the same generational class have been heavily influenced by the same social and economic events that occurred during their formidable years. This results in each generation having specific outlooks, perspectives, and expectations from their careers. As an employer or business leader, you will notice that each generation has distinct skills and talents a nd distinct outlooks on values such as teamwork, loyalty, the importance of social relations amongst colleagues and society, and so forth.Take a minute to reflect…What would happen if you pooled all these skills, talents, and outlooks together?WHY SHOULD I ENCOURAGE A MIXTURE OF GENERATIONS IN MY WORKFORCE?I understand perfectly that it would be more difficult for you to manage such a diverse group of employees in comparison to employees from just one or two generational classes. I also understand why you would be inclined to employ a specific generation of workers and leave out another based on your generational class and open-mindedness. For example, if you fall under the Baby Boomers class you may naturally be inclined to recruit employees of this generation because you relate with them the best.However, successfully blending the four generations in your workforce could lead to a more effective and productive workforce.According to a study conducted by the Sloan Center on Aging and Work on six of the biggest employers in the United States, organizations that implemented age diversity strategies (policies and programs that include various generations in the workplace) witnessed positive impact in their businesses.According to the study, some of the benefits to the employees were:Increased workplace experience and improved retention rates.Increased loyalty to the organization due to a feeling of ‘being valued’.Increased motivation.Stronger feeling of cohesion amongst employees.Improved relationships with organizational leadership.On the other hand, the businesses themselves experienced:An increase in sales and profitability.Improved customer service.Improved business savings.An improvement in organizational reputation.According to the study, your business will automatically increase in profitability when the composition of your workforce reflects the multi-generational market on the ground.In the near future, the available workforce will be an increasin gly multigenerational one, with members of about five to six generations. Based on this, a more realistic and strategic approach in building your employee-base will give you a head start in realizing a high-performing workforce of the future; especially seeing as only about 1 in 4 organizations are harnessing the advantages of a multigenerational workforce.While there have been discussions in the past, age diversity benefits at the workplace and strategic leadership approaches for such a workforce are elements that have not been clearly defined. This is what this article seeks to accomplish. By the end of this article you will clearly understand what entails a multigenerational workforce… What benefits you will get from having multigenerational workers and Strategies you will apply to guarantee the efficiency of your multigenerational force.Before we get to the benefits and strategic approaches of a multigenerational workforce, it is important that you understand who you are deali ng with. It is also important to understand the experiences that have shaped each generation.FUNDAMENTAL QUALITIES OF EACH GENERATIONThe Silents, also known as the Traditionalists, were born between 1922 and 1943. This group was influenced by the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War… The Silents Generation lived in an age of prosperity and conformity and was heavily influenced by military experiences. They define themselves with discipline, diligence in duty, self-sacrifice, and loyalty to their employers and workplace. As a leader, you can be assured that members of this generation possess qualities such as respect for authority, outstanding work ethic, dependability, adaptability, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, all of which are assets to any business.The Baby Boomers generation is comprised of individuals born between 1943 and 1960 and some of their experiences will include the development of Civil Rights Movements, Space Travel, the Sexual Revolutio n, the Cold War, Television Influence… Baby Boomers grew up in an optimistic era and were taught to think big and reach for the stars, which causes them to bring a refreshing drive to the workplace. However, their drive seems to take from their innovation and long-term planning capabilities. Some of the traits employees of this generation will possess are good education levels, excellent collaboration skills, they are questioning to authority, and they tend to perform best under pressure or in highly demanding environments.Generation X includes individuals born between 1960 and 1980. This group witnessed the crumbling of the Berlin Wall, Desert Storm, Womens’ Liberation Movements… Generation Xers grew up in a period where women began going out to work alongside the men and two-income homes became the norm. These individuals were raised to be independent and not to shy away from their individuality which allowed them to heavily influence growth and development in the world of t echnology and art. Employees from this generation are open to learning, they love to explore and innovate, and when their work is not satisfactory they look for fulfillment elsewhere. Some of the primary traits they portray include being hardworking, independent, being intolerant to bureaucracy, family-orientation, and social responsibility.Millennials, also known as Generation Y, were born between 1980 and 2000. The Millennials experienced terrorism, development of Gay Rights, widespread entrepreneurial spirit, and the radical development of the computer era… Millennials grew up in a child-focused environment and were raised to be increasingly sociable, connecting with their peers through technology. The Millennials can be described as having broken away from the individualism encouraged by Generation X, returning to the conformity of the Silents. The Millennials have also experienced high involvement levels from their parents, persisting into young adulthood resulting in an imme nse pressure to succeed. They have a need to continuously prove themselves in their work and are likely to thrive in respectful work environments where they feel valued and where their contributions are recognized and rewarded. Millennials found in the workplace are technologically savvy, loyal, highly sociable, and have a need for a healthy work-life balance.Which generational class do you fall under? BENEFITS OF A MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCEThe questions on your mind at this juncture might be: why should I promote a multigenerational workforce for my business? Is it really necessary? Or, why can’t I just recruit employees I think are most suitable for my business as the need arises regardless of their age group?These are all valid questions, but let me convince you why a generational mixture in your employee base results in a much more efficient, adaptable, and high-performing workforce that stays relevant with each evolution in the business world.Mutual MentorshipHave you ever noticed that when you hang out with the same group of friends the subjects of discussion and approaches to various issues tends to be more or less the same? And when you hang out with a different crowd you get to discuss new subjects and to experience fresh and sometimes even more creative approaches?The reason behind this is that when you tend to always hang out with the same people you are rarely going to learn anything new. The diversity brought about by interacting with different people is necessary to learn new things, to acquire new points of view, to challenge yourself to look at things in more than one light, it is necessary for growth.By adopting a multigenerational workforce you create an environment and an opportunity for mutual mentorship amongst your employees. For example, a Millennial will learn about communication skills, leadership, and the art of navigation within the business from Generation Xers and Baby Boomers. These are skills that cannot be taught to a person in a classroom or on the internet, they have to be practically acquired.The older generations will be available to impart these skills in the younger generations. On the other hand, technology has become an aspect of the business world that cannot be ignored unless you want to risk your business becoming irrelevant or obsolete. In this case, Millennials who are technologically savvy, having grown up in a period of great technological evolution, will add value to your business by mentoring Generation Xers and Baby Boomers on the application of technology in your business.Everyone’s experience is different meaning that there is something for each generation of employees to learn from the other. It is a cycle of mutual benefit that will result in a well-rounded workforce that would be impossible to achieve in an environment where any generation has been excluded. As a smart businessman you will minimize the risk of your workforce not being at optimum performance due to a deficiency in certain skills or values by ensuring that there is a representation of every generation in your workforce.Case Law: British GasBritish Gas changed all of its recruitment practices and policies as soon as the age discrimination legislation was passed. The Company now encourages apprenticeships to older generation employees with the oldest apprentice having been 56 years old. In turn, the Company has realized that the older generation employees have influenced the behavior of younger generation employees, making them more mature and disciplined.The older generation employees acquire skills and in turn act as life mentors to their younger counterparts. This environment of mutual mentorship has availed a healthy and more positive work environment. British Gas has also enhanced its reputation in the market, being regarded as an employer of choice.InnovationDiversity in your workplace is pivotal for innovation.If your workplace only has a particular generation of employees, the approac h to various issues will always be from a single perspective, leaving no room for new viewpoints or fresh creative approaches.You know those moments when you are working on a task with a co-worker and they propose an approach you have never considered that happens to wow you? Don’t you appreciate the moment and think about what else you can learn from one another to be better than you already are individually and as a team? This is what a multigenerational workplace encourages. They challenge people to reflect, to create, to innovate, and to think outside of their boxes.By encouraging a generational mix in in your workplace, you will harness the experiences and perspectives of all generations included. The Silents, BabyBoomers, Generation Xers, and Millennials can work collaboratively, learning from each other, and blending their different experiences to come up with creative and wholesome approaches. By employing a multigenerational workforce, you are sure to receive a beautiful combination of ideas and outlooks that result in more spontaneous and innovative breakthroughs.Skillset DiversityIn the same way a multigenerational workforce will avail diverse points of view, it is expected that it will also welcome a vast range of skills to your business, right?For your business to be at optimum performance you will need to achieve a balance of technology, communication, leadership skills, problem-solving skills… and a multigenerational workforce will possess all of these skills, among others.Imagine a situation where your employee-base is comprised of people of different generations, where each generational class of workers brings different talents to the business. Consider the younger generation of employees having a strong understanding of technological instruments related to business including social media networking, search engine optimization for web content, and online product advertising. While on the other hand, the older generations of employees posse ss better interpersonal skills and thrive in traditional environments where the primary means of communication is on a one-on-one or face-to-face basis.This mixture of skills will undoubtedly be advantageous to your business especially where you have a diverse or multi-generational customer demographic. Your workforce could be thought of as a product of your business. The business makes (hires and trains) and sells (customer service) their workforce to consumers and different consumers will have different needs and preferences depending mostly on their generational class. A multigenerational workforce will ensure that each demographic of your customer-base has representation. Therefore, it is reckless to assume that your business can do without any generation in your workforce.TechnologyI mentioned earlier that technology is an aspect of business that you cannot afford to ignore in the world we live in. While it is a necessity for all generations of employees to adopt technology in order to effectively reach and communicate with your business’s customers, older generations of employees will find it significantly difficult to adapt because they grew up in a primarily manual era.A business with naturally technologically savvy employees i.e. Millennials, will definitely have a competitive advantage over a business that only has older generations in their roster.Let us look at it more practically…Where does this advantage lie?Members of Generation X grew up in a period when the computer era was just budding and they therefore have fairly decent technological knowledge making it easy to relate with and learn from Millennials. The Baby Boomers will, however, find it difficult to directly relate with and learn from Millennials but they do have close relations with Generation X who can, therefore, relay technological skills they have learnt from the Millennials in a more fluid manner.The result of such a generationally diverse employee-base is a technologically kn owledgeable workforce that is able to compete in an increasingly technological business world.Happier Workforce and Enhanced Customer ExperienceA survey conducted by McDonald’s indicated that multigenerational employee teams are significantly happier than teams composed of a single generation. According to survey conducted on 5000 people, employees working in multigenerational environments are 10 percent happier and provide improved customer service. The survey also indicated that working with people from other generations is a top priority for workers who fall in the youngest and oldest generations at the workplace.Think about it, when you are happy at work doesn’t it make you more energetic and driven? Don’t you feel a certain pride and loyalty towards your employer and your organization? Doesn’t it make you want to better the services you offer to the organization and its customers?A happy and driven workforce will definitely render better services to your customers, givi ng them an enhanced experience of your business and leading to higher customer retention, satisfaction, and loyalty rates.As earlier mentioned, a generational mix of employees guarantees that all demographics of your customer base are appropriately catered for, also leading to customer satisfaction. For example, the older customers might feel more in touch with your business dealing with older staff members on a face-to-face basis. Similarly, the younger demographic of your customer base may be much more engaged dealing with young staff members who understand and relate to their needs.However, let us note that employee-employer matching is not set in stone. An older customer may prefer to deal with a young and dynamic staff member while a younger customer may prefer to deal with an older and more experienced staff member. It is very individual. The point is that the different needs and preference of your customers are readily catered for regardless of their age group in order to giv e them the best customer experience possible.Case Study: Dairy FarmDairy Farm is Singapore’s biggest employer having been in business for over 100 years. The firm is the leading retailer in Singapore with over 10,100 full-time employees and 2,000 franchisees. Dairy Farm has a flexible recruitment policy where it hires workers from all generations. 27% of Dairy Farm’s workforce is between the age of 40 and 54, 7.5% is between the age of 55 and 61, and 6.6% is over 62 years old.Dairy Farm has openly embraced the ideology of a multi-generational workforce. The organization has even taken it a step further by allowing for housewives to work part-time in order to provide for them time to handle their family affairs while still making some money on the side. Dairy Farm is also in support of rehiring employees that have reached the retirement age as long as they are capable of effectively performing their duties, the oldest worker being a Mr. Tan Lim who has worked in the organization for over half a century.Dairy Farm has wholly embraced a multigenerational workforce. In the organization’s experience, older generation workers’ maturity, experience, skills, and knowledge is crucial in guiding younger generation employees’ as well as in keeping customers happy, satisfied, and loyal to the organization.On the other hand, the younger generation employees bring agility and energy that the older generations may lack. Therefore, bringing about a situation where the different generations in the workforce complement each other and ensure that all demographic groups of customers can be served to their satisfaction.TraditionThere is value in tradition in the business world, don’t you think?What defines you? What is your reputation? How have your customers always related with you? What do people think of/expect when they hear the name of your business?Never disacknowledge the value and importance of older-generation-employees passing on their experience, expertise, knowledge, as well as the traditions and history of your organization to the younger generations of employees.This is what maintains your business’s code of conduct, values, customer relations, and the general identity of your business. If you have too much of one generation in your workforce, the opportunity for the succession of skills, values, history, and tradition will eventually fade away. STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO SUCCESSFUL MULTIGENERATIONAL LEADERSHIP AT THE WORKPLACEIt is not enough to simply ensure that your workforce has a mixture of generations. I am certain you can already anticipate that the management of a multigenerational workforce will be much more challenging in comparison to a workforce composed of one or two generations. True. But the benefits you stand to gain are worth the effort.Your biggest concern so far may be: What strategic approaches can you apply to guarantee that you successfully harness the power and benefits promised?Encourage Cross-Generational Te amwork and MentoringOlder generations of employees, the Silents, Baby Boomers, and Generation Xers, have remained relevant in your business for a reason. Over the years, they have had the opportunity to acquire skills, experience and wisdom that cannot be quantified or written off, making them high-value employees in the workplace.As a business leader, encourage these older generations of employees to be open to sharing their experiences, passing on wisdom and skills they had to acquire over several years immediately to younger generation employees. Also ensure that these older generations understand that rejecting younger generation employees at the workplace is toxic to the work environment and detrimental to your business.You could have Silents, Baby Boomers, and Generation Xers reflect back on when they were just starting their careers to help them empathize with the new comers. Remind them of their own mentors who gave them guidance as they were growing in their work and remind them that it is time that they reciprocated. Remind them that as much as they have been in the game for as long as they have, there is also quite a lot they can learn from the younger generations. For example, you could have each older generation of employees regularly create educational or inspirational videos for the generations below theirs.Similarly encourage the younger generations to seek out the knowledge of older generation co-workers and to seek their council when they are having difficulties in their work. Encourage these young employees not to be intimidated by the much more experienced employees but rather to view it as an opportunity to acquire experience without necessarily having to work for years to gain it.Create a Supportive and Communal Work EnvironmentI am sure that you will agree that employees’ experiences are not only shaped by the kind of work they do but also by the people they interact with on a daily basis as well as the quality of relationships that th ey have with those people.To establish a successful multigenerational workforce in your business, you must create an environment where people from all generations are able to connect on a personal level. This way, your employees will be bound by their relations to each other and, consequently, to your business as the binding factor.So, what sort of measures can you take to build such a communal environment?You can start by ensuring that mentors and managers provide support that enhances the day-to-day performance of employees across all generations as well as the career progression of those employees. This will ensure that no generational class of employees feels sidelined within the business.This can be achieved by implementing a system where mentors and managers have to interact with each and every employee under their supervision on a daily basis regardless of their age or experience. The mentors or manager can then document each employees concerns, performance, satisfaction leve ls… These mentors and managers will then address each employee’s unique concerns and promote the enhancement of their individual performances and career growth rates.However, managers and mentors will address similar/common concerns amongst their employees in a communal manner through open forum. Here every employee under the manager or mentor, regardless of their age or experience, will be allowed a chance to voice their opinion until a collective and agreeable solution has been reached on a subject. This will create a feeling of togetherness and community, where every employee feels that their opinions and input is valued regardless of their generational class or their experience.The feeling of community will in turn lead to a stronger, unified, and cohesive workforce that appreciates and incorporates each generations input in the workplace.You could also create generationally diverse employee teams with common goals and objectives. Remember, these multigenerational employee t eams will only thrive if there is a group process. By creating employee teams where employees of different generations have to work together, each generation of employees will soon begin to realize the value that other generations of employees bring to the table. Through a successful combination of efforts to achieve a common goal by pooling each generation’s skills and talents, a mutual feeling of respect and unity will be realized and employees will be encouraged to do it again.It is also important to remember the importance of emphasizing equality when creating these multigenerational employee teams. Equality in workload, equality in accountability, and fair indiscriminate rewarding of high-performers regardless of generational class. This will bring about a feeling of inclusion, fairness, and community where every employee’s input is equally important regardless of their age or experience.Case Study: JD WetherspoonJD Wetherspoon is a U.K pub Company with over 750 outlets. JD Wetherspoon has a very broad customer base and for this reason the Company has chosen to reflect this in its workforce. As of 2006, JD Wetherspoon has no retirement age in order to retain valuable experience within the organization by enabling its succession to younger generation employees, which avails a communal feel in the workplace in the process. This also ensures that each customer demographic is properly catered for regardless of their age.One of the Company’s biggest challenges was its difficulty in attracting older generation employee applications. While the Company was able to attract applications from students, applications from the older generations were scarce, which led them to scrapping off the retirement age in 2006. The Company now receives applications from people of all ages and avails an inclusive and indiscriminate environment where there are training programs available for employees of all levels and ages.JD Wetherspoon’s experience has revealed the benefi ts of a multigenerational workforce to be that it enables the company to reflect and effectively service its broad customer base, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. It also allows the Company to stay consistently relevant with the constantly evolving consumer demographic. Additionally, since adopting a multigenerational workplace staff retention levels have risen above the industry average, indicating high levels of employee satisfaction.Creating an Inclusive Work EnvironmentHave you noticed that employees tend to perform better in environments where they feel that they are making a real contribution and that their contributions are being recognized?For you to successfully lead a multigenerational workforce you will, therefore, have to create an environment that caters for the needs of the different generational classes under your employ. This will entail reviewing and modifying policies and organizational communications in order to ensure that no generational c lass is excluded or sidelined.In order to cement an inclusive culture you can also implement a reward system that recognizes and rewards any employee that promotes values and behaviors of a harmonious and inclusive culture. Additionally, you could organize informal activities for your workforce where workplace experience and age disparities are insignificant and employees from different generational classes can finally look at one another with fresh perspective.   For example, friendly sports activities, holiday celebrations, and organizational gathering where employees can bring their families along.Once employees have interacted on neutral ground and looked upon each other as equals regardless of their age, this mentality will be subliminally translated in the workplace. A budding culture of equality and inclusion will then become a part of your workplace culture, where every generation of employees feels that they are part of the collective.Case Study: NASAOlder generations of em ployees at NASA had expressed the sentiment that, they wished they had gotten an opportunity to have been engaged in a leadership program at the beginning of their careers. NASA Assistant Human Capital Administrator, Toni Dawsey, then set out to find an effective way to involve the younger, less experienced workers in resolving the agencies problems.Dawsey initiated an entry-level leadership program that would prepare younger generation employees for future leadership positions. A key requirement of the program was to challenge the young employees to engage a particular issue within the agency and work on it. The pioneer class of the program was assigned the subject: ‘Is NASA prepared to be a recruiter and retainer of next generation workers?’After conducting extensive research and gathering relevant data, the group concluded that NASA was not ready. The group presented their findings to the Administrator of the Strategic Management Council. Having being impressed by the group†™s reports he instructed NASA Directors to implement some of the recommendations presented by the group. Some of these recommendations are:NASA should promote leadership training programs for Millennials. This generation of employees is more likely to stay at the agency if they can see some development in their career paths.NASA should provide innovative opportunities for the young generation employees in order to realize immediate growth in their careers rather than having to wait for change that will occur five or ten years into their employment at the agency.NASA should provide opportunities to enable technology studies and apply them immediately. This would definitely be aided by hiring younger generation employees who are more adept to the latest technology.NASA enrolled new hiring targets eighteen months later that would encourage a multigenerational workforce, eventually enabling growth, progression, and employee satisfaction within the agency. In an effort to achieve this, t he new hiring targets dictated that half of all new employees would be from the Millennials generation.CommunicationOne major reason you may fail to harness the advantages of a multigenerational workforce is because you fail to understand each generation’s uniqueness. Show awareness, acceptance, and respect for the differences existent in your workforce. The idea is to make everyone feel like they are a perfect fit and communicate these differences in such a way as to encourage diversity, innovation, and creativity.You should strive to facilitate open dialogue about how to utilize the diverse skills and talents of each generation in order to unlock the potential of your multigenerational workforce. Speak in such a way as to motivate each generation, especially the younger generation employees who are easily demotivated by negatively perceived comments. Let us analyze what form of communication appeals most to each generation.Silents: This generation responds best to a respectful t one during communications. Your communication to this generation of employees should be in proper grammar, clear instructions, and no profanity. The language will hit home for this generation where it is formal, professional, and without slang.Baby Boomer: Communications with this generation can be slightly informal and in a more casual form and setting. This generation tends to value personal relations just as much as they value their work. When communicating to employees of this generation be sure to make the conversation engaging by leaving room for their input.Generation X: This generation is more receptive to direct communications with minimal pleasantries. When communicating with employees from this generation, get straight to the point. This generation is decently adept to technology so, even better; send them an email or a text message dictating very clear instructions.Millennials: Approach this generation positively. They are very easily intimidated, especially due to their lack of experience. Avoid condescending tones that feed their insecurities. Encourage them to voice their opinions and link communication to their own ambitions and goals. Like Generation X, Millennials are accommodative to technological mediums of communication so a friendly text message or email will be effective too. Conflict Prevention and ManagementIn any multigenerational setting, a little conflict is to be expected due to the conflicting perceptions, outlooks, and approaches to various issues. It is a natural reaction for people to reject change or the unknown.As their leader, your part in this is to ensure that conflicts amongst the various generations in your workplace are minimized and easily contained when they do occur. While encouraging the different skills and talents of each generation is an effective approach, it is equally important to promote common goals amongst different generations, for example, the employees’ need for high-quality service delivery or a frien dly, accommodative work environment. Assure/show them that they are all on the same team and that they all want the same things out of their work.You can also encourage regular and mandatory self-assessments on the quality of relations amongst employees. These assessments could then be used to develop suitable policies that will minimize friction between employees of different generations. These are guidelines meant to further foster a respectful work environment for everyone. You should then also implement a recognition and reward system for employees that uphold those guidelines the best.CONCLUSIONA multi-generational workforce will enhance your business by availing both acquired wisdom and experience from seasoned employees and new skills, energy, and enthusiasm from younger generation employees. It is important to have a healthy balance in your business; a unique understanding (both old and new) of the business world, fresh perspectives, a proper understanding of rapidly changin g technology… that will enable you to stay relevant and competitive.A multigenerational workforce will bring about benefits to your business, but let us not overlook the immense benefits it offers employees exposed to this environment. Employees in a multigenerational work environment are forced to step out of their comfort zones, challenged to think outside the box, and encouraged to collaborate with colleagues from all generations, making them incredibly versatile. Younger generation employees, having minimal or no experience, get to receive free mentorship on the workings of real world and in turn these young employees are able to keep older generation employees in touch with evolving social norms and rapidly advancing technology.However, remember that implementing the strategies we have discussed in this article is not enough to create a happy, efficient, and highly productive workforce. People under your employ want more or less the same thing regardless of what generational group they happen to be in.Human beings want to be respected, treated honestly, to feel included, and to do work they enjoy alongside people they trust. This is what will fundamentally give you an effective workforce. A multigenerational environment then works to enhance this by creating a well-rounded and equipped workforce that is highly adaptable and accommodative to any customer base.Your business will realize great benefit from appreciating the experiences and talents of all generations and including them in your workforce. Each generation of employees brings a unique perspective to the table, creating a stronger, creative, and more innovative team that leads to a more profitable, reputable, adaptable, accommodative, and relevant business. It is up to you as a business leader to harness the potential of a multigenerational workforce; to be brave enough to exploit this beautiful mix of skills and talents to enhance your business as a whole.

Synthesis Essay General Tommy Franks - 1656 Words

Synthesis Essay – General Tommy Franks MSgt Brian G. Harper Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy 9 September 2014 Instructor: MSgt Adrian L. Hall General Tommy Franks General Tommy Franks last Army post was as the Commander of the U.S. Central Command, overseeing U.S. military operations in a 25-country region, including the Middle East; however, the command that stands out to me was his first. He was a truly a transformational leader, both visionary and ethical. Visionary Leader The time was 1973, just at the tail end of the Vietnam War. General Franks was a Captain commanding a Battery of nine howitzers in Bayreuth Germany. His unit was full of drug dealers and draftees that didn’t want to be in the Army.†¦show more content†¦His unit was performing well and morale was high, but he realized that he still has a lot to learn about leadership. That summer one of his Lieutenants approached him about a soldier he refers to as Garcia. He tells Captain Franks that Garcia is always late for the morning formation and that the night before he cussed him out. Handing Captain Franks Garcia’s paperwork he said he was recommending Garcia for a Court Marshal. As Captain Franks looked over the personnel folder he realized that there was something wrong; Garcia had recently re-enlisted, earned a GED, and had been nominated for Soldier of the Quarter. He calls Garcia into his office and asks him what was wrong. Garcia’s mannerisms and clear disr espect were readily apparent. Captain Franks gets straight to the point and asks Garcia what his problem is. After hearing a gut wrenching story of Garcia requesting leave through the chain of command to return to the states for his Grandmothers funeral and being denied because he was too important to the team to let go, then a subsequent request for leave, after his younger brother was murdered, again being denied for the same reason, and the emotional anguish that Garcia was going through Captain Franks was deeply moved. This is the point that he begins a change into a transformational leader. At that moment he put his arm around Garcia and states â€Å"What happened is my fault. I know

Whether Homelessness Is a Young Persons Problem Free Essay Example, 2250 words

As I approached the dissertation stage of my studies, I naturally began to reflect upon the personal qualities which would facilitate the completion of this stage and those which could obstruct the satisfaction of this objective. One of the first areas of weakness which confronted me was indecisiveness. I was hesitant about settling on a topic and when I finally did, I was too overwhelmed by the vastness of the selected topic to decide upon a specific focus and approach. During this period my supervisor s advice was invaluable, whether in guiding me towards the selection of homelessness as my research area and homelessness among youth as my research focus. If my initial indecisiveness functioned as an obstacle to my settling on a topic, my determination to succeed motivated me throughout my literature collection stage. It further incited me to read as much of that literature as needed for the acquisition of a sound understanding of the topic. Accordingly, my strengths and weaknesses ultimately balanced out. My supervisor s advice was not limited to guidance on topic selection, which I had initially proposed to do on a mental health issue, but extended to advise on research aims, objectives, methodology and readings. We will write a custom essay sample on Whether Homelessness Is a Young Persons Problem or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Socrates and True Knowledge - 2367 Words

Writing Prompt : Socrates and â€Å"True Knowledge† With the notion of philosophy and the studying of philosophy it is well known that it is powerful and dangerous. Philosophy has many reasons for its importance such as how to understand your ideas, the origin of your ideas, how to contrast arguments. Philosophy can also help you defend arguments, read it, build your position and understand it. Philosophy is used for the betterment of the world, gender, race, civilization, town, state, country, etc. But in order to practice philosophy you need parrhesia and you need philosophy to practice parrhesia, they come hand in hand with each other. There have been many imperative philosophers that gave us the knowledge and foundation for our study of†¦show more content†¦This becomes the soul of his progression to learning about true knowledge as this is a pure display of ignorance, â€Å"A pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to mak e the others false conception conspicuous by adroit reasoning (Vlastos 2). This will be later and formally known as Socratic irony. Socrates goes on to develop criteria necessary for such knowledge which drives onto the ethics of life, or the proper way on behaving. According to Socrates the criteria is to determine whether something is right or wrong and that one shouldn’t concern themselves with the outcome but whether the act was just or unjust, which brings morality into the picture. Socrates believed that in order for morality to exist depended on whether one had knowledge of such definitions. So in essence, virtue is knowledge, if you know what is right, you will do what is right. The necessity and sufficiency for moral behavior hinged upon knowing a Socratic definition. This in the end depicts to us the difference between a life lived with pleasure or utilitarian goals, a life lived honorably. So in reality to practice philosophy is to practice for dying and death, whi ch is the separation of body and soul. The soul referring to matters of ideas and intellect and body to material matters. Philosophy thus teaches us how to care more for our mind than our body and to move away from body because the body is an obstacle to gainingShow MoreRelatedSocrates s Relationship Between Knowledge And True Opinion920 Words   |  4 Pagesthese questions concerns the nature of learning itself, as Socrates and Meno discuss the relationship between knowledge and true opinion. Socrates concludes by not only defining knowledge and true opinion as separate entities, but also by placing knowledge as the higher of the two in value. He makes this value judgment by pointing to knowledge s status as opinion that is substantiated with reasoning and truths, arguing this makes knowledge concrete and unwavering. However, due to the notion of changeRead MorePlato s Meno : True Opinion Vs.983 Words   |  4 PagesPlato’s Meno: True Opinion vs Knowlege Socrates was one of the most influential and thought-provocative people in all of Ancient Greece; he was so monumental in his teachings that his theories and argumentative styles are still utilized today. 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However, the issue that I will focus on in this paper is the way Socrates theRead MoreEssay on MENO: PLATO600 Words   |  3 PagesSocrates, can virtue be taught?1 The dialogue begins with Meno asking Socrates whether virtue can be taught. At the end of the Meno (86d-100b), Socrates attempts to answer the question. This question is prior to the division between opinion and knowledge and provides to unsettle both. Anytus participated in Socrates and Meno conversation about virtue. Socrates claims that if virtue is a kind of knowledge, then it can be learned. If it is something besides a kind of knowledge, it perceptibly cannotRead MoreThe Complicated Life of Socrates1183 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates was a classical Greek philosopher that was born in Athens, Greece around 470/469 BC. He served in the Athenian army and fought in many battles. When Socrates retired from fighting in the army, he began focusing on expressing his beliefs. He wasn’t the typical â€Å"teacher† or â€Å"preacher†; he was a very critical and analytical thinker that helped guide his students and the Athenians during his time. Through his teachings and beliefs, Socrates had positive and negative influence on the people duringRead MorePlato s Perspective On Knowledge1110 Words   |  5 PagesPlato’s Perspective on Knowledge Epistemology is the field of philosophy that deals with the nature, scope and origin of knowledge. It looks at how all forms of knowledge including what human beings claim to know and what they think they know, are derived. Many philosophers have contributed to the discussion of the origin of knowledge with various perspectives being applied. Some of the major views on epistemology are innate versus acquired knowledge as well as the rationalist and empiricist perspectivesRead More Platos Meno Essay799 Words   |  4 Pagesand whether it could be taught. 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Meno initially offers a list of virtues, but Soc rates rejects this as a sufficientRead MoreSocrates as Philosopher King Essay1709 Words   |  7 Pageslegendary Athenian, Socrates, was one such figure.   Socrates ushered in an era of philosophical inquiry that still lingers to this day.   In Book Seven of Platos The Republic, Socrates outlines his perfect regime.   According to Socrates, an enlightened Philosopher-King must rule such a regime.   Now suppose this Republic actually came into being, and Socrates was asked to rule it as a Philosopher King.   Would he?   Answering this begs three important questions:   Is Socrates a true philosopher?   DoesRead MoreMeno Vs Socrates812 Words   |  4 PagesPlato’s Meno, there are many arguments Socrates and Meno encounter. They never seem to find a common ground and that leads to disagreements. The disagreements seem to never become an agreement because not only does Socrates makes it so difficult to give a definition of a word that he thinks is suitable but Me no is just letting him change his mind about his definition. The argument does not just consist on if knowledge an opinion can be taught, they argue that knowledge can be the only way to find correctRead MoreSocrates : The Power Of Knowledge932 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout 470-400 B.C, Greek philosopher Socrates touched many lives of the Athenians and lived to question the knowledge and intelligence of those he met. Socrates took joy in examining the world and self proclaims his own ignorance rather than living under the guise of being an expert. Student of Socrates, philosopher Plato grew in popularity around 400 B.C and strived to uncover the meanings behind ideas such as goodness, reality and beauty. While Socrates became infamous around Athens, and was