By Cheryl Liew-Chng, CEO of LifeWorkz Pte Ltd

Much has been said about the need to keep older people working longer. As Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long pointed out, these workers will be assets for years to come. They have the edge of experience and innate knowledge of their company and industry which younger workers lack.

The plan is to push the job rate of the 55-64 age group from 57 per cent last year to 65 per cent in 2012.

What then are the implications for organizational leaders, managers and HR professionals?

1. The generational issue is here to stay.
   
   Let's face it: We wish the generational issue would go away, but there is no escaping the need to manage generational dynamics in the workplace
   
   In reality, we are having three, if not four, generations in the workplace. Now, with baby boomers postponing their retirement, this will only prolong and perpetuate the generational issue in the workplace.
   
   This one is not going to go away anytime soon. The sooner you face up to it, the sooner you can do something about it.
   
   

2. The generational issue goes beyond Gen Y.
   
   While the arrival of Generation Y in the workplace is causing management headaches (and in some cases, full-blown nightmares), the issue goes beyond Gen Y.
   
   Conferences and seminars on understanding Gen Y are good - but not good enough. It is not enough to get a grip on the idiosyncrasies of Gen Y, and how they work and play differently from the rest of us.
   
   Leaders and managers must grasp the full scope of the generational issue. They need to view their workforce through the multi-generational lens and understand the generational dynamics that are at work in the workplace.
   
   That brings us to our third and most pertinent implication...

3. Anyone who needs to lead and manage people must gain new skills as a multi-generational manager.
   
   To be effective in today's and tomorrow's workplace, every manager worth his salt must understand each generation, and use this understanding to his advantage.
   
   A smart multi-generational manager will manage the generations differently - and yet fairly - so as to draw the best from them. His goal is to create an environment where people of all generations want to come to work and do their best work collaboratively.
   
   To do this, he or she must be able to understand the inter-play of cross-generational dynamics, anticipate cross-generational conflicts, and know how to harness the inter-generational dynamics into positive energy in the workplace.
   
   

Quick Takeaway

Truth be told, the generational issue has always existed in the workplace. The generational differences and undercurrents have always been there, but have not come to the fore - until now.

But now that it has come to the fore - and now that the multi-generational workforce is here to stay - leaders and managers need to face up to the new reality and get up to speed with multi-generational leadership skills. Fast.

Cheryl Liew-Chng, the CEO of LifeWorkz, will be speaking this week at the Asian Business Forum on 'Attracting and Retaining Generation Y'.

She will also be speaking at a breakfast briefing on Feb 11 on Talent Management in Turbulent Times, unveiling the latest research findings relating to talent management.

Cheryl is an established authority on work-life integration, women@work, and the multi-generational workforce. She speaks frequently on HR matters at both national events and prestigious international platforms, including The Conference Board and the Alliance for Work-Life Progress in the USA.

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