Mind the Gap - Curtis Odom

What is this gap we’re minding?

It’s generational. There are many conversations on the Internet and at conferences about employee engagement, and what is needed to hold on to Millennial, and now Gen Z talent. Members of each generation bring distinct sets of values and behaviors in the workplace. They come to work with different expectations, assumptions, priorities, and approaches to work and communication, which will either help or hinder organizations. Not only is the workforce changing, so too is the customer base. Many organizations I’ve worked with, and senior leaders I’ve talked to, struggle with managing and utilizing a workforce made up of many generations—five covered in this book—that want different things.

Why do they come to work? What is it they’re seeking? What does work-life balance mean to them? What is it that employers need to ask of them? What do they need to do that isn’t asked? How do we mind the generational gap, so we get the business results we want?

Successful organizations take action to serve their diverse employee and customer base. When we manage generational challenges within the workforce, we create opportunities for collaboration and synergy to achieve optimal business results–giving an organization a competitive edge.

Inside this book, I have answered the pressing questions about what can be done to help organizations and leaders focus on minding the gap.

--Curtis L. Odom, Ed.D.