WK 3 Com
When No One Retires!
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Internationally and domestically populations are maturing in age, and this will affect organizations with challenges and opportunities. There will be an impact on business and the workforce, the work environment, the workweek, organizational communication, but exactly to what degree the impact will make, remains to be seen.
Internationally: People are getting older across the globe, and it is projected that by 2050, 60 plus years old people will gross to 2 billion.
Domestically: An aging population is also a concern in the US, and by 2030, there will be one American at the age of 65 plus to every five Americans.
People are living healthier and longer and choosing to work versus retiring. There are multiple reasons for this work longevity, such as unable to retire due to monetary or choice.
Aging: International and Domestic
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Deprived: It is believed that organizations are guilty of excluding the mature workforce from expanding their knowledge. This has to do with the Ageism Effect, where organizations failed to invest in the mature population with new training material. This is an issue, when mature employees are working longer.
Hindrance: Mature populations are seen as slower to growth, their productivity is doubted, they are labeled as a burden on society, subsequentially becoming a negative on the over all global economy. Older employees are also tagged as an adverse expensive that drains benefits through the lack of participation and resource consumption.
Misconception: Ageism comes with flawed perceptions about the positive qualities a mature employee brings through negative stereotyping and devaluing them in a youthful culture. Sterotyping racially categorizes people, and not as individuals, generates consequences that affects organizational communciation.
The Ageism Effect
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The Ageism Effect
Comprehensive: Mature employees are educated, talented and they can assist with helping to develop younger team members, if given new tools and resources, they can help teach organizational communication and values. When mature employees are engaged, their talents tend to supplement younger employees.
Versatile: Mature employees are not only employees, but consumers. They are healthier and more active than generations before them and they are well structured in areas of emotional state, problem-solving, and with these and other abilities, they enhance society’s welfare.
Educationist: Mature employees can also mentor younger employees in social areas such as handling adverse events, soft skills, social cohesion, critical thinking, and information sharing. Mature employees have been taught in identity regulation to promote specific morals and values, innovation, customer service and efficiencies.
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Diversity Differences: Organizations may manage a multigenerational labor force, and possibly with five generations of employees, who’s ages will range between young juveniles to pensioners in their 80’s. Yet, some are gendered organizations , that have benefit and drawbacks, meaning and identity, and are marbled through distinction between masculine and feminine.
Feeble: Mature employees are portrayed as having many complications, physically, emotionally and mentally. They are seen as ill, detached, lonely, needy and cognitively impaired where younger employees may dread working alongside of them, with the fear of having to “carry the load” for them.
Disposition: Mature employees are also seen as physically unable to contribute to society or keep up with the faster pace of business. Basically, they are branded as burdensome and obsolete to the organization.
Managing a Multigenerational Workforce
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Managing a Multigenerational Workforce
Cohesiveness: Organizations will have to become more innovative in how to manage the multigenerational workforce by connecting with each generation and understanding each person and each cohort, on a personal level, as well as on a regiment level.
Flexibility / Environment: Organizations will have to revamp many of the traditional working methodologies of how business has been conducted for years and redesign it. Key focal points such as hours of operation, days on and days off, refurbishing the workplace and work environment can benefit the mature and younger employees.
Development: According to Eisenberg et al. (2017), there are seven images of identity, self-doubter, struggler, surfer, storyteller, strategist, stencil, and solder. Recognizing and accepting that teams will consist of one or more of these images is important, because each brings something to the team but its up to leadership to lure those values from them.
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According to Eisenberg et al. (2017),
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Turning Crisis into an Opportunity
Crisis: Organizational leaders have become complacent and are not prepared for the paradigm shift in the workplace that will encompass both mature and young employees. Before younger employees can take the lead, they must institute their personal brand, which is turning oneself into a value-added commodity.
Warning Signs: The aging phenomena is not only seen as an undetermined challenge, yet the warning signs are not being taken serious enough for organizations to develop an action plan.
Avoidance: Organizational communication is at risk of failing miserably, if leadership ignores the crisis at hand, and scorns the warning signs that are resonating to the light the results will be catastrophic. Leadership will have to engage with all levels of each generation to seek understanding of the upcoming benefits or consequences.
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Turning Crisis into an Opportunity
Acceptance: Acceptance that there is a crises looming within the realm of the organization is the first step. Accepting the crises and then planning will be advantageous to the success of the organizational communication platform.
Vigilance: Organizational communication is of the ultimate importance and who has positioned and developed their individual’s identity will give them the edge over those who didn’t develop their identity. Also, younger employees who partner with mature employees increase their knowledge base because they will have gain access to data and resources that can lead to success.
Articulate: Organizational communication from all generations, mature and young, must have the ability to communicate in a competent and effective manner. Communication is key, and when there is strong organizational communication platform success cannot be denied.
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Organizational communication: Leading a group of multiple generations to an objective can be challenging and rewarding. I have seen the potential and possibilities that each group brings to the team and each generation brings value, but that value differs from one generation to the next.
Understanding the Team: I currently oversee four different generations. I have learned to understand each through education and interpersonal skills, through college courses, personality tests and taking time to know each one as a person. I make it a point to take into consideration their culture, race, religion, educational level, hobbies, etc…and look for commonalties that we share.
Investing: I’m a firm believer in investing into a person’s goals, because doing so is beneficial to them and the organization. Mature employees seek continuous learning and unity at work, and younger employees are seeking growth and guidance to achieve this. Just caring and helping speaks volumes, even if the outcome is different.
Student's Life Experience
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When No One Retires!
Eisenberg, E. M., Goodall, H. L., Trethewey, A., & LeGreco, M. (2017). Organizational communication: Balancing creativity and constraint (8th ed.). Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Irving, P. (2018), When No One Retires. You can see the graying of your workforce as a crisis – or an opportunity. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/11/when-no-one-retires
REFERENCES
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