Frustration At Work: How To Recognize And Resolve Frustration In Your 4-generation Workplace

Maybe you've experienced something similar to these employee situations at work lately:

An employee asks to come in late the next day because skiing is important to him and new snow is expected tomorrow. Several employees call the office on Monday morning to say that they were in Denver overnight for a Bronco game and are on their way into work. A new hire left a required training session, saying it was not something he needed. All younger employees are wired to technology, and the supervisor can't tell what they are doing.

These would not have happened ten years ago because they are the actions of the Y Generation, the youngest generation at work today. Because of a lack of knowledge of differences in generations, many managers are not prepared for these employee issues. They often experience disappointment, defeated expectations and lack of certainty for what to do. This is management frustration.

What can managers do about their frustration?

Owners and managers have several choices for dealing with generational frustration; they can refuse to hire Gen Yers or let them go. They can hire them with the expectation they will assimilate current methods. If Gen Yers are not hired or are forced to adapt to outdated ways of doing business, many companies risk remaining out of touch with how work can be done better, faster and in ways expected by today's consumers. If businesses choose to maintain a status quo, they will encounter both heightened levels of frustration and costly entry-level turnover that will seriously affect company profits.

If that doesn't sound like an option for your business, you can begin to resolve frustration with these three steps:

Step #1. Learn about generational differences and how values, attitudes and beliefs are shaped similarly in groups of people during their young lives. There are many resources for doing this; talk to your Human Resources department for suggestions.

Step #2. Understand and accept the aspects of four generations in the workplace. This allows all employees to validate their differences. It also helps managers prepare themselves and their companies to integrate Gen Y employees.

Step #3. Adapt to changing times by applying some Gen Y values to your workplace. Gen Y differences can be understood within the framework of rapid advances in technology, globalization and other broad social shifts. Setting up social networking websites or trying off-site and flexible work hours show your workforce that you are open to new ways of accomplishing company goals.

And, when companies welcome Gen Yers, they stay ahead of the rest in the knowledge of technological advances for doing business faster and better, and in reinventing management in ways that develop and inspire all employees in a mixed-generation workplace.

In short, the little time it takes to learn about generational differences and share what you learn with your employees has the potential to melt away frustration at work and improve the quality and level of employee work.