Digital Output - April 2008 - (Page 35)

Outlook people have different personalities. If companies truly want to conquer the generation gap, they must understand that their employees are a far greater function of who they are than how old they are. In reality, as you expand the definition of good employees to include those with different types of views or personalities—stemming from age differences—you not only expand the pool of available talent, but also allow for more creative operations within the organization. Our personal experience with age diversity includes a fascinating and successful combination of these three generations that all contribute to their company’s success. The older employees are accepted for their printing industry knowledge and the contacts that they have developed. Partners respect them. Without these contacts, the company would have a hard time maintaining its presence. But, the baby boomers are not viewed by the organization as the only ones to provide leadership. The middle generation is the backbone of the company. Experienced enough to make a valuable contribution, they are the ones that provide most of the organization’s continuity and product knowledge. They can make the organization work towards its goals, because they possess the experience to work at a team level to succeed. Not to be outdone, the younger generation adds significant skills in the way of technology that helps the organization run faster and more creatively than they were able to do in the past. And, given their technological background, they can easily learn the products. Each generation’s strengths, if properly channeled, make for a stronger company. Company meetings with everyone present are a physical example of the success of three generations working together. Managing progress on the situation at hand is the hardest task of all because everybody wants their ideas heard. In the end, the breadth of the choices discussed, the opportunity to understand the significance, and the knowledge that you are able to proceed intelligently, makes a multigenerational organization shine. Conclusion two-man team contributes to stronger writing that neither of us could do on our own. Both of us come from different sides of the print marketplace. One is a hands-on manager for product oriented companies serving pre- and post press. The other is a facilitator of relationships between the various players in the marketplace. We each respect the others’ different viewpoints and the quality of our interaction. If companies can achieve the same kind of cooperation between generations, with the added dimensions of ethnic diversity, they will be better poised to succeed as the print market continues its dramatic changes. D Circle 12 on FREE Product Info Card We appreciate how the diversity of our Circle 13 on FREE Product Info Card www.digitaloutput.net April 2008 Digital Output 35 http://www.mutoh.com http://www.mutoh.com http://www.neschenamericas.com http://www.neschenamericas.com http://www.digitaloutput.net http://www.digitaloutput.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Output - April 2008

Digital Output - April 2008

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