.png)
In my first article in this series, I talked about how there is a significant need for more qualified, competent PMs to manage the abundance of projects that are expected to occur over the coming years. Our emerging project managers can help to close the gap so that the supply is not completely outstripped by the demand.
The imminent departure of the Baby Boomer generation
However, there is another issue that has been looming on the horizon and is now coming clearly into view, and that is the imminent departure of the Baby Boomer generation from the workforce.
Acknowledging that there are plenty of differences across the current workforce generations (Boomers, X, Y and Z), we are not expecting a like-for-like replacement, and this is where the central questions originate – what are we going to miss most when the Boomers are all retired, and how do we fill that void?
In addition, the needs of the future workforce may have moved on from what the Boomers supplied. It will be a workforce of X, Y, Z, and Alphas, working with other X, Y, Z, and Alphas in a context that will be very different from the one the Boomers thrived in.
Again, this is a forecasting of opinion exercise – we won’t truly know until we are experiencing it, but we can at least take an educated guess as to the impact of the generational shift.
The value of experience
Firstly, and this may sound somewhat contradictory to my previous article, we are going to miss the experience of the Boomers. Please allow me to clarify here, because experience does hold value when you can relate to it. I’d be perfectly happy to replace a Boomer with a Gen Z if they had similar capabilities and could both perform the role equally.
What would be lost is the library of stories that the Boomer holds, the ability to compare situations with others they have seen and share how things might play out based on what they’ve witnessed before. This doesn’t mean it would be the same again, but a fundamental learning technique is repetition, so there would be value in obtaining more historical context, even if you ultimately choose to ignore it.
The loyalty of the Boomers
We may also miss the loyalty of the Boomers, generally speaking, and this references loyalty to organisations, rather than individuals. Boomers are probably the last of the ‘lifers’, people who commit to a job and potentially stay in it (or at least within the same company) for extended periods, and occasionally for their whole career.
When you want someone to know, understand and demonstrate your company values, who better than someone who has been living them for multiple decades? When you want to create a connection to the history of the company, why not ask a person who knew the original CEO?
Embracing change across generations
In fairness to the other generations, movement through workplaces enables ideas to be shared across industries and for more creativity in approaching potentially difficult situations. We are no longer ‘typecast’ as fit for any one specific role, we have transferable skills that extend beyond one job, and we have a curiosity to learn and grow as individuals that is best served by changing jobs every so often.
Perhaps in contrast to the Boomers, our loyalty will not be shown through length of service, but more in alignment of principles – people no longer apply for a job with a company because it offers stability, but because their purpose and vision statement are aligned with our moral compass and ethical viewpoints, or because it excites them and resonates with their sense of self. So, loyalty will still exist, just in a different, less timebound form.
The importance of knowledge transfer
Perhaps the greatest thing that will disappear with the Boomers is our ability to engage with them. They have been mentors to all the subsequent generations, they have nurtured us as parents, grandparents and colleagues, and we now have limited time in which to absorb their pearls of wisdom. There won’t be many Boomers who upload business advice onto social media once they are retired, I reckon. They have earned a break, they have lived and worked through all the challenges and turmoil that has come this side of the Second World War. Not to mention all the change, which was constantly at a ridiculous pace and shifting the physical, mental, technological and emotional landscapes beneath their feet.
So, it’s up to us to engage with them as much as possible now, because, within the next decade, only the hardiest of Boomers will remain in the workforce. Whatever your thoughts about how this impacts project management in the long and short term, it’s worth trying to extract as much value as possible from them before it’s too late. Our emerging project managers need to close the gap that the Boomers will leave as seamlessly as possible.
Supporting emerging project managers
To supplement passing on their knowledge to your emerging PMs, or to fill the void that they may leave in your organisation post-retirement, the folks at Elemental Projects have a multitude of stories that we can share with you through our training programs. Please reach out if you want to give your people a head start with their project management competence.