Chapter 2

Discussion Post

1. Concept and Brief Description
2. Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem)
3. Key Points to Elicit in Discussion
4. Facilitative Questions

1. It is abundantly obvious that today's labor market is changing. There are three specific areas in which change is occuring: age, diversity, and skills. A topic that has always been of interest to me is the aging of the baby boomers. So many working aged Americans are soon going to be entering the older years of their lives. Undoubtedly, much of the workforce will soon be "old." Younger professionals will need to adapt and deal with these changes. Additionally, an increasing amount of minority populations are rising in the work force ranks. Lastly, skill gaps are making it hard for companies to match what they need with what is available. If a company can't bring in the necessary skill set to accomplish their goals, they will lose out to a competitor who can.

2. Have you worked in a situation where you found yourself the odd one out among "older" coworkers? How did you or how should one handle these types of situations?

3. It seems there will arise a natural disparity between the methods of work between the older and younger generations. In many situations it seems that neither way is right or wrong, just different. However, I would imagine that frustrating situations could arise if two coworkers attempted to work together to complete a project with completely different perspectives on how it should be accomplished. I think the best thing for the younger generation to understand is how important it is to respect and try to learn from the experiences of more seasoned professionals. I think the key for employees closer to retirement to understand is that those just entering the work force have completely new systems and technologies for accomplishing things.

4. What are some valuable insights or lessons you've learned from an older coworker?

Learning Reflections

For me the main value in this class lecture was the focus on the aspects of HR that apply to all leaders and managers. (the slide with the little cartoon of an orange person) I don't intend on pursuing a career in HR but I do plan on working in positions of leadership and management. It was interesting to see how many facets of human resources applied to any standard management position. Many aspects I already knew existed, but never categorized them in the HR umbrella. I realized today that even simple principles such as communication and motivation fall under this umbrella. Understanding this has piqued my interest in HR, (which prior was practically non-existent,) because now I recognize that a good chunk if not all of the principles I learn from it will actually apply to my field of work.