Tamara Erikson: the Generation Gap

Tamara Erikson: The Generation Gap

Named as one of the World’s Top 50 Business Leaders according to Thinkers 50 (2013), Tamara Erikson is widely known for her expertise “on organizations and the changing workforce”. She currently serves as Managing Director at Moxie Insight, a US based think-tank (Thinkers 50, 2013). Furthermore, Erikson is a McKinley award winning author and highly respected authority in her field. Her most recent work is “focused on the changing workforce, demographic trends and how corporations can most effectively engage employees” (Erikson, 2013); most notably, she partnered with the London Business school to explore the work practices of over 50 multinational teams as part of the Cooperative Advantage research initiative. According to Erikson (2013), this was one of the “largest and most rigorous studies of collaborative team behavior within organizations and how it supports innovation”. Erikson’s analysis of generations has served as a stage for understanding in an age diverse work environment. It has allowed managers and coworkers to identify and appreciate the differences that come with a generational age gap. Erikson remains optimistic about current and future generations and their impact in a collaborative environment (Thinkers, 2013).

I found Tamara Erikson’s perspective to be refreshing. Her optimism and understanding of the younger generation seems to be rare. Her research shows the importance of understanding and appreciating what different perspectives and backgrounds can provide in a collaborative environment. Erikson’s insight will help me as I move forward professionally in leadership. If one can understand the needs and strengths of their team, they can play to those strengths and in turn increase productivity. For example, Erikson stated in reference to generation y that “they love to figure things out themselves” (Thinkers, 50). In turn, a manager should not waste time laying out a task in specific detail when giving an...