Hey, dude!

When old and young bring their different abilities into a company, productivity increases. However, in order to implement this correctly, the leaders are also required. In most sports, younger people have it easier. Without much training, a 20-year-old runner overtakes a 60-year-old. As a sailor, Hendrik Brandis avoids this frustration. "In sailing, you need an experienced helmsman for the right tactics. But up front, where physical effort is required, the young have the advantage," explains the 54-year-old venture capitalist. He has also transferred the experience that young and old together can deliver the best results to his company Earlybird, which finances start-ups in the early stages. "Young people dare to take more risks, we need them because they drive us. But on the other hand, we older ones can better recognize early signs when something goes wrong - because we have seen crises, they have not," Brandis describes the dynamic in his team. But what if the young person in front no longer understands the older person in the back because they speak a completely different language? Of course, there have always been differences between generations - but the young people entering the job market now surprise all generations before them. HR managers are perplexed because the usual salary packages with impressive company cars suddenly no longer appeal. Experienced employees feel disrespected by the behavior of new colleagues, criticizing their constant smartphone use and bold demeanor. And at the same time, amidst all the talk about digitalization, there is fear among the older generation of being left behind by the younger. It is about much more than just the well-being of individuals. If employees do not collaborate, productivity suffers. "Companies are only truly successful when they succeed in harnessing the different abilities of the various generations," says Sven Voelpel. The economics professor, author, and consultant has extensively studied the topic of age in the economic context. Large corporations like the automakers Daimler and BMW or the software provider SAP are now coming up with various initiatives to build bridges between young and old: At BMW, young employees put on so-called aging suits that simulate how old bones feel. Three years ago, Mercedes launched a large-scale demographic initiative, training executives, and the exhibition "Ey, Alter" aims to create understanding between generations. It has been so successful that it has been touring Germany since then - currently on display at the Berlin Gasometer. "We have five generations working with us - and all are equally important to us," says Tanja Kaufmann. She oversees diversity in the SAP HR department. "In the past five years, the focus has been strongly on promoting young talent," says Kaufmann. This has caused uncertainty among the older employees. Kaufmann noticed how much the generation issue concerns employees when the HR department offered an event on the topic "Generations Rock": They expected a handful to attend, but more than a hundred employees signed up, and a larger room had to be found quickly. After that, a mentoring program was launched, pairing young and old employees. Andreas Hoffmann, 51, and Annika Bold, 26, are one of these pairs. As a discussion starter, SAP provided them with a list of typical stereotypes associated with different generations. "Many of these turned out to be myths," they both say in unison. "I have realized that the young are not always one step ahead," says the 51-year-old, sounding somewhat relieved. However, they still noticed differences. For example, while Andreas Hoffmann organizes his documents in folders, Annika Bold tags her documents with keywords and retrieves them later using the search function. "The methods are different, but there is no better or worse," they say. The younger one learns some things from the older one, such as strict time management. For other things, each sticks to their style: Hoffmann still covers every camera on his laptop or computer, while Bold continues to engage in social media. Even though the younger one still prefers to quickly write emails and the older one still prefers to pick up the phone ("I talk much faster than I can type"), it is not about becoming similar but about understanding each other. Bold and Hoffmann meet for lunch over months, even after the official program ends. They expand their topics, sometimes discussing why the older generation, which experienced the Cold War, handles information more cautiously than the younger one. "I have realized that there are more similarities than differences," says Bold. Programs like the one at SAP now exist in many large companies, notes Elke Eller. She is not only the Chief HR Officer of the travel company Tui but also the President of the Federal Association of HR Managers in her voluntary capacity. "It is important to combine the experience knowledge of the older employees with the digital skills of the young," she says. Reverse mentoring, as it is called in the professional world, is a proven method for this. "However, this turns the usual hierarchies upside down," Eller adds. "Because suddenly, even the master learns from the apprentice." This creates uncertainty to which leaders should respond sensitively. Therefore, leaders must engage more with their employees in discussions, convince with arguments, and be open to debates. Employees, on the other hand, must understand that lifelong learning is no longer just an option but a necessity. Companies should strategically leverage the experience of older employees.

Companies should strategically leverage the experience of older employees

According to age researcher Voelpel, engaging with age is beneficial for companies. "It all starts with a change in attitude: Age is not a disadvantage." If companies show their older employees as much appreciation as the younger ones, they will deliver significantly better performance. It is not about building a slower assembly line for older employees, but about designing tasks in a way that allows the older employees to contribute their experience knowledge. However, an increase in productivity is not everything. Voelpel even considers the interaction between young and old in the digital age to be essential. "Young people are more creative, you need them as a driving force for new ideas. But you also need the experience knowledge of the older ones, who can assess which of these ideas can be realized and have the network to actually implement them," says the economics professor at Jacobs University Bremen. Whether this works can soon be proven by himself: Together with a 31-year-old, he has founded a start-up: Sharemac aims to completely redefine the use of construction machinery. The founders have already raised more than ten million euros, and the platform is set to launch in a few days. [Süddeutsche Zeitung, July 2018]