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WORKING TOGETHER:<br />
THE<br />
Adavantage<br />
INTER-GENERATIONAL<br />
The benefits and challenges of<br />
working and thriving in an intergenerational<br />
workplace are becoming<br />
a lot more common and our business,<br />
like many others, has a culture that<br />
tries to embrace much of this.<br />
When I was younger (a lot younger!)<br />
working inter-generationally consisted<br />
of student nursing whilst trying to<br />
keep out of the way of some pretty<br />
determined senior charge nurses.<br />
I say ‘determined’ but at the time I<br />
probably thought ‘scary’, and you<br />
survived by working hard, keeping your<br />
head down and not really having an<br />
opinion if, in fact, you were ever asked<br />
for one.<br />
That was the ‘80s, centuries ago, and<br />
today an inter-generational workplace<br />
represents so much more.<br />
There are numerous variables at play.<br />
Work habits, expectations and<br />
communication styles: from actually<br />
talking face-to-face – which can be rare<br />
– to the complete reverse, including<br />
texting, WhatsApp, WeChat, Messenger,<br />
Instagram, Facebook, email and TikTok<br />
responses that you forget to even look<br />
for!<br />
Then there are the questions of how you<br />
like to be addressed in a gender diverse<br />
world. You can be addressed as she, her,<br />
hers, they, them, theirs, he, him or his.<br />
There are environmental requirements,<br />
dress code differences, not to forget<br />
prevalent piercings and tattoos, as well<br />
as phone and social media habits.<br />
It’s a different world and, to be fair, it can<br />
be a minefield. But at its most workable<br />
I’ve found it uplifting, educational and<br />
fun, and, more than that, it can make for<br />
a more engaged and successful team.<br />
All the differences between generations<br />
can become strengths when collaborating.<br />
Now let’s do a quick overview of the<br />
generations themselves.<br />
There’s the ‘Silent Generation’, folk born<br />
no later than 1945 and up until three<br />
years ago we had one such person.<br />
A fantastic man; a gentleman who<br />
represented our company and our<br />
country as a double Olympian and he<br />
still regularly visits our offices helping<br />
with general tasks. Age never got in the<br />
way of his ability to support or care for<br />
others and I’m beyond grateful to Mark<br />
Brownlee and his wife Trish for their<br />
time with us.<br />
Next, the ‘Baby Boomers’ born between<br />
1945 and 1960-‘65, depending on the<br />
literature you consult. In fact, in doing<br />
this research I discovered there are two<br />
groups of Boomers and I fall into the<br />
later of those.<br />
Determined and driven, we have a strong<br />
cohort of this group in our company, in<br />
our leadership and management teams.<br />
The third generation is ‘Generation X’<br />
and characteristics attributed to this<br />
group are independence, diversity,<br />
work life balance, technology and an<br />
entrepreneurial spirit.<br />
When I think of this group, born between<br />
1965 – 1980, I’m grateful to some of the<br />
most incredible people I’ve ever had the<br />
opportunity to work with, including my<br />
business partner and friend Cameron<br />
Bailey.<br />
I’ve also experienced the benefits of this<br />
group’s enquiring natures, big hearts<br />
and desire to make something special<br />
of their world whilst trying for balance in<br />
their own lives.<br />
Along with the Baby Boomers, they have<br />
become excellent mentors to younger<br />
members of our company.<br />
The fourth generation, known as<br />
‘Generation Y’ or ‘Millennials’ is also<br />
coming through strongly.<br />
They are well represented in our team<br />
of consultants, administrators and<br />
marketing, video and design creatives.<br />
All of them have the skills to travel<br />
further in anything they choose, utilizing<br />
their skill set of ambition, confidence<br />
and flexibility.<br />
They question everything and constantly<br />
look for new challenges.<br />
That’s our company.<br />
It’s a melting pot of ages, languages,<br />
capacities and belief systems.<br />
It’s dynamic and diverse, and I<br />
appreciate being a part of it.<br />
It’s true some would find it wearying, too<br />
much to have to think about, too many<br />
agendas, ages and belief systems, but<br />
when it all comes together it’s magic.<br />
Lynette McFadden<br />
Harcourts gold Business Owner<br />
027 432 0447<br />
lynette.mcfadden@harcourtsgold.co.nz<br />
PAPANUI 352 6166 | INTERNATIONAL DIVISION (+64) 3 662 9811 | REDWOOD 352 <strong>03</strong>52 | PARKLANDS 383 0406 |<br />
SPITFIRE SQUARE 662 9222 | STROWAN 351 0585 | GOLD PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 352 6454 |<br />
SPITFIRE SQUARE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 027 772 1188<br />
GOLD REAL ESTATE GROUP LTD LICENSED AGENT REAA 2008 A MEMBER OF THE HARCOURTS GROUP<br />
www.harcourtsgold.co.nz
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