Managing the multi-generational workplace is a hot topic - has been for at least 10 years. There is a lot of good information and advice available from books, consultants, seminars, workshops and webcasts. So how is Generation Blend different?
It's focused on the generational implications of new technology
Generation Blend is not a general-purpose management cookbook. It looks closely and exclusively at how a very specific class of new workplace technology - collaborative information work applications such as social networks, shared workspaces, instant communication, blogs, subscription-based content, and other "Web 2.0" services - changes the relationships between the generations at work, and what those changes mean for workers and employers. As far as I know, there has been very little written about this particular intersection of sociology and technology, and even less with prescriptive guidance on training, management, recruitment and retention.
It casts a wide net
Every writer brings their own perspective to a work. In my case, I am not a traditional management consultant, experienced executive, or academic, but I was able to combine two aspects of my personal experience with the more generic research that went into Generation Blend. My first point of reference is my ongoing engagement with Microsoft exploring the future of work. Microsoft uses the scenario planning methodology popularized by the Global Business Network, and put a unique spin on that by recruiting several small international groups of students to give voice to future perspectives not present within its organization or its customer base. That unique experience provided one case study on the engagement of Millennials in the strategic planning process. The second aspect comes from my work as a founding board member of Older Adults Technology Services, a non-profit group providing technology training and workforce development for older people in New York City. Each of these examples allows for the inclusion of voices not generally heard in business books, which generally base their analyses on a fairly standard assortment of anecdotes and success stories drawn from corporate environments. Perhaps some readers will find these case studies irrelevant or distracting. Personally, I think the stories of the older workers in Chapter 7 are among the strongest parts of the book.
It's about the future of the workforce, not just the present
The generational mix in the workforce of 2008 is fascinating but monochromatic. We're at an unusual moment where generations line up in almost perfect alignment with career stages, as Boomers (b. 1946-1962) completely dominate the career-peak ages of 46-62; GenXers (b. 1963-1979) fill, as best they can with their limited numbers, the ranks of mid-career workers age 29-45, and Millennials are unanimously in the early stages of their careers. In just a few short years, those boundaries will start to blur again, as younger workers move into leadership positions and break the virtual monopoly that Boomers currently enjoy in setting the tone for large, established organizational cultures. Generation Blend is less focused on handing out advice in the here-and-now, and more geared toward helping organizations manage the challenges of the next decade, when pragmatic and heretofore disengaged GenXers will be making key strategic decisions, team-oriented and feedback-hungry Millennials will have greater operational responsibilities in carrying them out, and many seasoned Boomers will be returining to the workforce in unfamiliar supporting roles, with less authority and greater obligation to match the pace set by their juniors.