What Shapes Traditionals
Traditionals, sometimes called the Silent Generation, Mature Generation, or the Greatest Generation were born 1945 or earlier. They came of age during the Great Depression. There is a frugality to them that other generations do not have. They experienced a change in the family when times were tough. Many young ones moved in with extended family. They may have fought in World War II and were influenced by wartime propaganda. Their motto is “Waste Not, Want Not.” Traditionals make up about eight percent of the workforce. Many are still working as non-paid volunteers.
Changes to the Workplace
The way people do business has changed drastically since Traditionals started in the workplace. Stores are open later and on the weekends more often.
Businesses are more female-friendly. Technology has reformed entire industries, think Uber and Airbnb for example.
The Value of Traditionals in the Workplace
According to Generations, Inc. by Meagan Johnson and Larry Johnson, “Senior citizens who want to work have much to offer an organization compared to their much younger counterparts: lower absenteeism, lower turnover, higher commitment to quality, good communication skills, and dependability,”
Traditionals are teaching younger generations etiquette, organizational politics, and interpersonal communications skills. They also know how to save money.
Managing Traditionals
Traditionals may cling to past ways of doing things because of an emotional attachment. Understanding their experience will go a long way in working with them.
Traditionals want to contribute to common good. They want a fulfilling work or volunteer experience. Explain how their task fits into the big picture. Though they may need help embracing new systems, Traditionals CAN use technology.
Generations, Inc. explains, “Conventional wisdom tells us the Traditional Generation can’t keep up with changes in technology. Untrue! They may be resistant, but once they buy in, they can learn quickly. In fact, they are the fastest-growing age group joining the Internet today.”
This generation responds to recognition for their work. Though we all feel appreciation in different ways, Traditionals generally appreciate a plaque or a notation in the company newsletter recognizing their years of service. Traditionals appreciate acknowledgment of their frugality, as they consider this a virtue.
Capture and Apply their Wisdom
Lack of knowledge transfer is detrimental to any company when Traditionals leave the job.
Traditionals should be partnered with younger generations in a reverse or Traditional mentorship. Capture the experience of Traditionals by recording explicit, implicit, and tacit knowledge.
Explicit knowledge is the easiest to articulate and capture. This is the “how to” used in Standard Operating Procedures. Gather the steps of each process your Traditional employees manage.
Implicit knowledge is gained through incidental activities or without awareness of learning. Implicit knowledge is more difficult to transfer. You can’t just write it down or verbalize it. It’s a combination of instinct and practice. Encourage direct collaboration between employees to capture this knowledge.
Tacit knowledge is gained from personal experience and is more difficult to express. Asking what to do in various circumstances and when problems arise will help codify this knowledge. For example, a Traditional may have found a workaround for a glitchy system, but never wrote down how they handle it. Tacit knowledge is why (even if you have the same recipe) grandma’s pie always turns out better than yours. It requires patience and open-ended questions to glean valuable insights.
Traditional Volunteers
88% of this generation give to charity: the highest average annual donation per person compared to other demographics. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, more than one in four older adults volunteer each year.
Show respect to Traditional volunteers by giving them appropriate titles. Explain the contribution and importance of what they do. Make a task list/job description. And don’t forget to express appreciation.
