TITLE
Cross-Generational Collaboration in Facility Management
Abstract / Executive Summary
1.
Introduction
Today our workforce
consists of four, or in some cases, five generations that are working together
in one of the most technological eras in history. While we may, as a society,
be facing digital divide issues head-on, the facility management industry hasn't
effectively addressed the realities. To create an effective built environment,
facilities managers must acknowledge and embrace technological convergence, by
effectively balancing new technology with "old ways". Inclusion (Cross-generational
leadership) in the workplace is one of the largest hurdles that the
facility management industry faces.
According to Bridging
the Generation Gap five generations consists of Radio Babies (1930-1945),
Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1976), Generation Y (1977-1990),
and Millennials (1991 to present). There are other definitions that Radio
babies, also called the Silent Generation. This generation is most notable of
being born during the great depression and fighting in the Korean War. "Youth today is waiting for the hand of fate to
fall on its shoulders, meanwhile working fairly hard and saying almost nothing.
The most startling fact about the younger generation is its silence."
(Time November 5, 1951 | Vol. LVIII No.
19)
In the facility management
industry there are easily five generations that are working together in one
environment. It is entirely possible to have a Radio Baby that works in a
mechanic room who has been in the job for 40 or 50 years, depending on when
they started the job, this same position could be occupied by an apprentice
that is 16 years old, this is one of the unique traits of Facility Management.
To bring to
light the issue of cross-generational collaboration or lack thereof that exists
in the facility management industry
2.
Workforce Consistency
a.
Generations
i.
Who are the
generations, by whom are they defined, why are they defined. Generation – Birth
Years – Major Events that define the generation. – Quotes from sources
indicating their importance on history as well as on facility management.
1.
Radio Babies
a.
Youth today is waiting for the hand of fate to fall on its
shoulders, meanwhile working fairly hard and saying almost nothing. The most
startling fact about the younger generation is its silence." (Time November 5, 1951 | Vol. LVIII No. 19)
2.
Baby Boomers
a. What is the percentage of these in the facility management workforce? How have they come up through the ranks? What is their educational background? What type of work ethics do they have? Why are they important?
3.
Generation X
a. Who are these "kids"? What are their priorities? What is the difference between them and Boomers? How does their technological skills offer that Boomers don't have? How are they different from Y? What are their "HR" needs?
4.
Generation Y
a. Why Y? How much has technology effected / affected this generation? How does this generation's learning style weigh in on the process of facility management (or facilities in general). What does this generation have to offer the older generations?
5.
Millennials (Generation
Z)
a.
6. Up and Coming Generation - No Name
3.
Digital Divide
a.
What is the
digital divide? Where does it come from? How has it been honed over time? What
is the importance of it in facility management?
b.
Technological
Convergence in Facility Management
i.
What is
technological convergence and why is it important to the industry? What are
types of “technological convergences?
1. Technology
a. Computers
b. Cellphones / PDA
c. Tablets
d. Google Glasses / Wrist Comm devices.
2. Computer
Automated Systems
a. CAFM
i. What is history of CAFM? Why was it created? Who were the initial users of the system? What has it become?
b. IWMS
i. History of IWMS. How it is used? Who uses it? Why it is valuable.
c. AutoCad/BIM
i. History
d.
ii.
Communication
1.
Email vs
Memo
a. What IS a memo? Why were they important? What was the process behind them?
b. awesome quotes from http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2005/01/a_brief_history.html
c. Evolution of the Memo: http://siarchives.si.edu/blog/evolution-memo
2.
Phone vs
Text
a.
3.
Social
networking vs Networking
4.
Generational ideology
a.
Passing on
of information
i.
Training
ii.
Education
iii.
Mentorships
b.
Anecdotes
i.
One
prime example of this is Pratt Institute located in Brooklyn, New York. The
Steam Plant Chief Engineer, Conrad Milster has worked in the facility since
1959, he began working at the age of 23. Today at 78 he works side by side with
college freshman, even some high school seniors from Brooklyn Tech High school
who are learning about engineering; he is a great source of information if he
is asked.
5.
Facility Management Implications
a.
How
has it affected other industries and what have their solutions been?
b. Why is this a facility manager's problem and not a human resources problem?
c. What are some of the outcomes of the generational gap?
d. How can FMers mitigate these issues? (Turn negatives into positives.)
6.
Conclusion / Call To Action
Works Cited (to be inserted later)
Conrad
Interview --- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5076759
