Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Current Cites, in its June 2008 issue, highlighted this article regarding generational differences in the workplace:
The problems of the "generations at work" (Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y) have been bemoaned in many contexts. In this piece, the author details many of the same issues related to the generations [in the workplace.] What is different is that in this article, the context of all of these problems is corporate information technology organizations. While providing some small comfort that the "generation problem" is not something specific [to a given field], the real value of this short piece is its links to companion pieces, "Management Techniques for Bringing Out the Best in Generation Y" (http://www.cio.com/article/149053) and "Generation X: Stepping Up to the Leadership Plate" (http://www.cio.com/article/28475). What is most fascinating about this article is that in the intervening months since it was first published, a number of readers have commented on the article. These comments add a fascinating and somewhat vividly disturbing demonstration of the issues discussed in the article. In the comments you will find Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y going at each other in exactly the ways the author described. Perhaps if they had read the companion pieces, they would be better able to get along.

Read the full article at the CIO.COM website.