Managing Employees Old Enough to Be Your Parents: Advice for Gen X-Gen Y-ers about Baby Boomers for the "new organizational order"

Two snips from a book blurb:

Your organization needs older workers more than ever: They transfer knowledge between generations, transmit your company's values to new hires, make excellent mentors for younger employees, and provide a "just in time" workforce for special projects.

I'm liking where this is heading.

Yet more of these workers are reporting to people younger than they are. This presents unfamiliar challenges that--if ignored--can prevent you from attracting, retaining, and engaging older employees.

Hey, wait a minute! Did Greg Lambert write this blurb? See his This Isn't Your Daddy's Law Library! - Time For a Law Library Revolution! and my response, Carpe Diem Gen X and Y Law Librarians: You, Too, Shall Practice the Art of the Possible One Day. (And no, Lambert is not my bastard child.)

The snips are from the blurb for Managing the Older Worker: How to Prepare for the New Organizational Order by Peter Cappelli and Bill Novelli (Harvard Business Press, August 10, 2010). The "new organizational order," hum. If you are feeling a little more aged and a lot more decrepit fellow Boomer law librarians, the following won't help matters:

In Managing the Older Worker, Peter Cappelli and William Novelli explain how companies and younger managers can maximize the value provided by older workers. The key? Recognize that boomers' needs differ from younger generations - and adapt your management practices accordingly. For instance:

• Lead with mission: As employees age, they become more altruistic. Emphasize the positive impact of older workers' efforts on the world around them.
• Forge social connections: Many older employees keep working to maintain social relationships. Offer tasks that require interaction with others.

Yes, we Boomer law librarians have needs that differ from Gen X-Gen-Y law librarians. I, for one, need more coffee or a nap or both. By the way, one of the authors, Bill Novelli, is the former CEO of AARP. Is it time for AARP to sign up for a booth in the exhibit hall at Philly (Cream Cheese or Cheesesteak) 2011? [JH]