Articles
"Mentoring" in a Multi-Generational Workforce
By John Dieseth, President of Business Performance Group
Published on Monday, January 12th, 2009 under Communication Skills, Generational Issues, Sales Training
"What’s with kids today?” Every generation has uttered these words — some with more feeling than others. Yet, the issue of generational differences is more important today than ever. Why? Within the next fifteen years, a tremendous exchange of information between retiring Baby Boomers and the rest of the workforce must take place.
To facilitate this workplace conversation, the generations need to relate.Knowledge transfer is trickiest at the level of tacit knowledge; the impossible-to-document and hard-to-articulate information perhaps best summarized in the word “know-how.” Passing know-how from older to younger workers, given their different viewpoints and styles of communication, is a big challenge facing many corporations. Mentoring programs are especially helpful in transferring tacit knowledge, but most mentoring is done one-on-one where generational issues can be magnified.
Each generation’s work paradigms are shaped by their experiences, both inside and outside the workplace. When Business Performance Group constructs a mentoring program, we begin with a generational understanding. Because know-how is notoriously difficult to transfer, friction caused by lack of understanding can slow the process to a crawl. If your learning objective is generational, especially if it involves know-how, consider a program that builds communication and trust between
the generations. Ask your Account Manager for more information.
Interested in learning more about customized training programs? Call 866-440-5964.