Claire is new generation – a Gen Z. She is 24 yrs old and a global citizen. Claire has recently joined an organisation and is facing serious challenges regarding “fitting” with the current status quo. She finds Eric (her manager) restrictive, uninspiring and outdated and genuinely believes she has all the answers to “new ways of being”. Sadly Claire is delusional and needs to dispel her personal perceptions related to generational entitlement.
Eric is old generation – a Baby Boomer. He is 59 yrs old and a national citizen. Eric has been in the same organisation for 30 years and is deeply “settled” in his status quo. He finds Claire (his intern) obnoxious, entitled and lazy and genuinely believes he is the ultimate “font of all knowledge”. Sadly Eric is delusional and needs to dispel his personal perceptions related to generational entitlement.
What you just read is an all too common narrative found in most intergenerational organisations today. Key to success in a 21st Century organisation is understanding and embracing the unique gifts of five generations, to seamlessly blend said gifts to create the alchemy of organisational magic. Millennial’s and Gen Z catapult the need for blending more than ever before due to their innate genre of consciousness that is both mind blowing and mind numbing. Consider the stats – in 2019 Gen Z (ages 8 to 24 yrs) = 32% of the global population and Millennial’s (ages 25 to 43 yrs) = 31.5%. In Sub-Saharan Africa Gen Z’s outnumber Millennials. Currently 46% of the South African workforce is Millennial with the Gen Z’s arriving fast. Gen Blending™ is a unique initiative that integrates wisdom of the ages and new ways of being creating environments, behaviours and crafts rich in relevance, fluidity, innovation, agility, disruption and revolution that elegantly blend for maximum advantage, value and impact. The five key outcomes of the Gen Blending™ initiative are:
- Reversing negative judgement into positive acceptance
- Synchronising innovation with confidence
- Cultivating risk with experience and creativity with practicality
- Creating collaboration with individuality and communication with honesty and transparency
- Co-creating new ways of being steeped in relevance