Advancing age a barrier to the modern day workplace?

The common perception that goes around is the amount of grey hair one has is directly proportional to the sensibility of his mind.The experiences gathered recently proved me wrong and after observing quite a few of the so called experienced campaigners, I have concluded that its more of an exception than a rule, especially in the modern era.The employees who are comparatively younger presents not only an added thrust in the workplace, but also shows more maturity especially while dealing with a host of stakeholders. The grey haired experienced hands are often at the receiving end mainly because of the head-weight they carry along with their personality. A normal individual who was a thorough professional during his prime now presents instances of childish/kiddish behaviour either through their peer management handling or through the estranged relationships they build with other staff members, including those at the helm and the ones below their level. The workplace having an equitable mix of old and young minds often comes across this crisis, and the positive channeling of the accumulated energy depends on the abilities of the organizational masthead. If the man at the helm happens to be an old mind he would generally favour the staff of his clan and age, however, the same cannot be said about a young boss as the 21st century folks are always on the look-out for new things and are fast learners and adapters. On the top of that if the workplace boasts of a diverse workforce comprising of different nationalities, the job is even more cumbersome for the leader.The ideal situation would have been to respect the grey haired individual owing to their age especially in a culture where age is considered head and shoulders above the exceptional talents possessed by the young minds. It is imperative for the decision makers to respect the young blood who are responsible for bringing in fresh perspectives, mindset and approach.The overall satisfaction lies in complimenting the old hands with the young ones in a way which is symbiotic for all concerned and is beneficial for the organization at large.

Building a Champion Team through Teamwork

Making a champion team rests more with the leader than the followers, although one school of thought proclaims that the leader is as good as his team. After seconding this view, yours truly adds the fact that if the leader is empathetic with his team members and understands their respective strengths and weaknesses, adopts a customized strategy to handle them individually rather than a common one size fits all,the man at the helm is sure to groom mediocre talent into exceptional team members, culminating in the formulation of a cracking unit.Yours truly witnessed the same first hand at the Business Department of ICT, when the team which were at the bottom of the table in the inaugural annual sports event on 2009 went for a podium finish in 2010, solely on the basis of teamwork.Every member were motivated to give that extra bit,and this was possible because of the pep-talk and adrenaline flowing non-verbal approaches,without making them feel that they are undergoing that grind.Moreover, the approach adopted by the departmental leader with his troops is quite friendly,which makes everyone realize their respective latent potential.The ever-smiling presentation of the team leader even during the moment of crisis speaks a lot during those trying times which creates a permanent mark in the follower's mind and heart.To add to the official itinerary, of commitments and engagements which is as professional as it can be an outfit willing to be the champions need to undertake the same professional, unifying, never-say-die approach even while going for extra-curricular or fun filled moments.In fact,one common theme which gets percolated to the team members permanently,ireespective of the events that includes even departmental get-together, picnics,sporting activities is the ability to enjoy each other's success and peer learning, resulting in the development of group dynamics.Being two of the major pillars of a successful unit,the leader always considers everyone at par and is not willing to consider anyone greater than the team or its cause.The involvement of the team leader for the nurturing of a unified team having the common goals and objectives commensurate with that of the organization hinges on his sincereity towards the cause, not to mention the treatment meted out to every member from time to time.All these aspects were observed in aplenty and probably are the reasons as to why the business department of ICT came from no where in the annual sporting event and finished at the top!This should also explain the department's leadership in other professional exercises periodically, at times drawing attention from other competing departments, often found lagging behind.