Many people are starting to talk about it, but no one appears to know exactly what to do about it. What is “it?” Multiple generations working together in the business world.

In our personal lives we have always had individuals within the family unit that represent many generations (at least 2 if not 4 or 5). Therefore, most people know how to relate and communicate with people from other generations to accomplish goals and make decisions on a personal level. Then why (you may ask) don’t we just carry these skills over to the workplace?

There are many reasons why leadership is, or is perceived as poorer within the functions rather than in the line. Sometimes it is about the culture of the organisation. If the business / segment are encouraged to be independent and autonomous, then Functions can sometimes play second fiddle. This has the result of undermining the confidence & leadership of the Functions. Similarly, if the pendulum has swung too much towards the Functions – which is a phenomenon frequently experienced after a lot of merger & acquisition activity - the rush to consolidate to one business identity and creating a ‘one size fits all’ solution can lead to poorly thought out services or policies that are not fit for purpose in the various business environments.