Intergenerational Differences - Opportunity? Or, Not?

Editor’s Note: James M. Baehr, is Group Leader and Founder of Sourcing Strategies Group LLC

Are intergenerational differences in the workplace a problem? Or, are they an opportunity? These two questions were asked of approximately one hundred attendees during a presentation on Intergenerational Challenges in the Workplace, at the ISM 2018 Conference in Nashville. I was the one asking the question. It was an impulse based on a read of the audience. Before going further, a word of caution. I typically don't prepare pieces in the first person. But, as what follows is somewhat anecdotal and somewhat factual, I feel obligated to approach the topic in this style.

While you might expect the answers to the questions wouldn't be surprising, they were. A problem? Based on a show of hands it appeared about twenty percent of the audience consider these differences to be a problem. The interesting aspect of the response is that it came slowly, cautiously and almost reluctantly. The responses came from both established and emerging professionals (enough with the Baby Boomer and Millennial tags which I'll address later).

An opportunity? This was a surprise. Why? Because, the remaining approximately eighty percent responded “yes” with what can only be described as enthusiasm and realness. They were seemingly confident that what many like to call a problem, really isn't one. Even though I'm an established professional, I agree with the 80%. We need to start seeing these differences as an opportunity, or at the very least a challenge that can be converted into an opportunity.

At this juncture, if you're thinking here comes the cheerleading for accepting that intergenerational differences are a good thing, stay with me on this. The reality is that they are a good thing.

A few years ago, you could have easily called me a labeler. I was guilty of using many of the stereotypical tags like - millennials (the pejorative version). But then it happened - my conversion. I teamed-up with a professor to develop a Workforce 2020 presentation for a conference. We had a spirited debate on the use of stereotyping. But, I was a passive subscriber to the practice. I didn't fully buy-in to its validity. My personal experiences working in intergenerational scenarios was all positive. My misbehaviors were influenced more by media hype than personal experience. I yielded in the debate.

The professor in this snippet is Michael J. Urick, PhD at St. Vincent College and a well-regarded researcher on intergenerational differences. He's a “millennial” and I'm a “boomer”. We're now collaborators - a much more meaningful identifier. Mike's examination of the research about these intergenerational phenomena has determined the following: there are no conclusive results; there's little available theory to guide current understanding; and, more academic research is required. Nonetheless, challenging intergenerational interactions are regularly reported. Most likely influenced by media stories, word of mouth or preconceived notions.

The reality of intergenerational differences isn't new. For this current incarnation let's go back to 2005, when Dorothy Leonard and Walter Swap wrote the book Deep Smarts. While Leonard and Swap don't explicitly describe intergenerational differences, they do home in on the “significance of experience, expertise, and tacit knowledge in creating the huge gap between those with true business wisdom and those with mere competence”. They observed that the world isn't divided between the extremes of novices and experts. Back then, there was a “ladder of experience” representing the hierarchy for developing expertise - novice to apprentice to journeyman to master.

But the ladder was toppled during the economic downturn in 2008. Senior level managers and professionals were retained as they were viewed to be necessary. Middle level managers and professionals were released - statically factual. New hires were brought in for their low price point and to keep businesses running. There was an expectation that their degrees and technological savvy could make up for the missing apprentice and journeyman levels of the ladder. The result was the acceleration of what we are calling intergenerational differences.

Before 2008 there was a buffer between the established and the emerging professional. When masters types had to deal with novices there were unrealistic levels of expectation going both ways. Anecdotally, we can point to this being one of the causes of the generational stereotype.

Let's accept that intergenerational differences are real. Yet, in the absence of conclusive research, what information is available to either corroborate or refute the stereotypes? This is where we turn to available surveys and reports on Millennials (not the scornful version). There's been plenty been plenty of review documents delivered over the past decade from Deloitte, Pew, and Manpower to name a few. There have also been reports issued by federal and state government agencies. Most of them offer validation that the emerging professionals see opportunity in the differences - supporting the positive responses in the introduction to this piece.

Moreover, there's been much emphasis on trying to understand the generational differences as they exist in Supply Management. APICS, APQC, CAPS and ISM have all produced reports or surveys. Millennials in Supply Chain (October 2017) calls out what I believe are two significant observations. The first is that emerging professionals want to be in Supply Management and want to stay in Supply Management - a.k.a. loyalty. This contradicts the stereotype of emerging professionals hopping from company to company and career to career. The other observation is that the supply chain field is archaic - “old and set in its ways”. This is an indictment essentially calling out established professionals for not wanting to change.

Changing beliefs and behaviors is the only way that Supply Management organizations can take advantage of the opportunity that seemingly is perceived only by emerging professionals. Focusing on and delivering results will go a long way in changing beliefs and behaviors - diminishing the stereotypes. So, some suggestions for the following primary participants in this ongoing intergenerational Supply Management narrative. The advice applies to both Private and Public-sector groups:

For Established Professionals

Per Economist Klaus Schwab - “Change can be frightening, and the temptation is often to resist it. But change almost always provides opportunities - to learn new things, to rethink tired processes, and to improve the way we work”. If this were the old way we would have that buffer between us and the optimistic/energetic emerging professional. It's gone. Accept it. Accept that emerging professionals have a lot to offer as a complement to our expertise and experience. It's our turn to give back to all those who gave us the opportunity to take Purchasing to the next level and make it the Supply Management discipline it is today.

For Senior Management

We need to see the challenge of intergenerational differences as the opportunity it truly is. Waiting for the established professionals to move on so that the emerging professionals can take over won't work. You need a sense of urgency. Otherwise, it will be a missed opportunity to transfer your “deep smarts.”

If you have a knowledge transfer plan - great! If you don't, you need one! It can't just be a set of tactics. it needs to be a strategy. Do an independent assessment to determine how you stand as an organization. Identify what you need to do to be better. Then do it. Look for cross-functional opportunities such as sourcing initiatives or functional projects. These are opportunities to bring together experience and abilities to deliver results which will change beliefs and behaviors.

For Emerging Professionals

Stay optimistic. Continue to see the differences as an opportunity. Your role is one of inheriting the Supply Management discipline that has been crafted of the past three decades. You've been able to learn in the classroom what so many of us emerging professionals had to learn on the job. It's your turn to apply your knowledge, skills and abilities - both process and technology to take Supply Management to a new next level.

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