Strategies for Managing the Generation Mix in an IT Workplace

Diversity characterized most workplace today but they are also generationally diverse. Employees from different generations are working side by side and closely with people who are as young as their children and as old as their parents. Different generations bring different values and needs to the workplace. This creates a challenge for the leadership of an organization. Particularly in higher education is this more visible as generational gaps exist in staff, faculty and students. From an IT service perspective, the challenge is not only to deal internally with the generational gap issues, but, also from our clientele, staff, faculty and students. By understanding each generations values and identifying misconceptions, leaders can be more successful in managing these diverse groups in the workplace. Are generational differences any different in an IT department? Will the Millennials bring in better skill sets in an IT department than the Baby Boomers or the Xers? IT leaders or the CIO must understand the generational differences to effectively build a high-performance team to provide the right service and infrastructure for the company. Gaining knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each generation would allow the CIO to effectively design an environment that will allow all generations to work well together.