VALERIE M. GRUBB
CLASH OF THE GENERATIONS
Leaders are still struggling to motivate Millennials in the workplace – and now Generation Z is on the doorstep. Grubb offers concrete suggestions on how to engage four generations that each have very different expectations of their managers and organizations. If you are only going to read, one management book this year – this is the one. It is a joy to read, with lively writing and practical advice.
Val Grubb has succinctly and accurately captured the new workplace reality in a voice that is easy to read. Her practical advice for thriving in and building a generationally diverse organization is spot on. I like books that present real‐world solutions, but I love books that ask the right questions! I wish I had coauthored it!
From the first page, Clash of the Generations hits you with staggering statistics and hard facts. Grubb has written a masterful book that captures the essence of generational conflict and provides savvy solutions. Clash of the Generations is not a life preserver but a speedboat to multigenerational success.
Grubb's many years of leading and managing generationally diverse teams and consulting to best‐in‐class companies make Clash of the Generations a compelling look into how the workforce is changing – and changing fast. Anyone passionate about developing his or her leadership skills and learning to navigate – and get the best of – rapidly diversifying workforces will find her strategies not only cutting edge, but immediately practical. A must‐read for leaders at all levels!
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright © 2017 by Valerie M. Grubb. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Grubb, Valerie M., author.
Title: Clash of the generations: managing the new workplace reality / Valerie M. Grubb.
Description: Hoboken: Wiley, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016030971 | ISBN 9781119212348 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119212461 (Adobe PDF) | ISBN 9781119212478 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Diversity in the workplace-Management. | Conflict of generations in the workplace-Management. | Intergenerational relations. | Older people – Employment. | Youth – Employment. | BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Human Resources & Personnel Management.
Classification: LCC HF5549.5.C75 G78 2016 | DDC 331.3-dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016030971
Cover design: Wiley
PREFACE
By 2020, 25 percent of the labor force will be over the age of 55 – and they're not retiring any time soon. The result? A clash of cultures that requires a new management approach.
In recent years there's been a lot of talk about generation‐related issues in the workplace – especially the impending en masse retirement of the Baby Boomers. Senior leaders and HR executives were warned to prepare for the knowledge exodus that would take place when the Baby Boomers retired in droves and to prepare to manage the generations (in particular, the Millennials) that would replace them.
The reality, however, is that Boomers haven't been retiring in the numbers originally expected. In fact, the average retirement age has steadily been creeping up (it's now at 61), and recent statistics indicate that this number will continue to increase. A recent Gallup Poll found that 24 percent of Baby Boomers are waiting until age 65 to retire, and 49 percent are planning to hold off until 66 or older. In addition, researchers at the Stanford Center on Longevity estimate that by 2020, 25 percent of the labor force will be 55 and over – a sharp jump from 13 percent in 2000. In the near future, we may even see people working to 100 (and beyond!).
Because Baby Boomers are prolonging their time in the workplace, the old business model of “the mature retire to make way for the new” no longer applies. Instead of the previous cycle of succeeding generations, companies now find themselves with workforces that cover a wider range of ages than ever before. Senior leaders, managers, and HR professionals must manage a blended workforce spanning four generations that vary wildly in their work ethics, ideas about work‐life balance, and long‐term career goals, among other concerns.
Managing employees is a challenging endeavor under any circumstances – and it's even more difficult in the midst of generational culture clash. Drawing on my experiences over more than two decades of managing thousands of employees and on interviews with representatives of several companies with age‐diverse workforces, this book details proven strategies that managers and senior leaders can employ to motivate and engage even their most challenging direct reports.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is the result of many lessons learned over