Power Platform | Challenge of four generations in workforce

In my role as Global Black Belt, Power Platform at Microsoft one of my responsibilities is to discuss and design an adoption plan for low-code enablement across every company´s business unit including every employee to ensure digital transformation being a continuous investment. Lucky me, I do have a team helping with this.

Visual indicating current representation of generations being in workforce

One of our observations is, this task not being an easy one due to having four generations in workforce today and this causing internal challenges in communication but also implementing change management. What do I mean by this?

Let me provide you an example I´ve stepped into during vacation time, though not being exclusive to it. While visiting a couple of whisky distilleries in Ireland, almost every time the tour ended up by having the tour guide asking for an assessment via social media – well in current times, an obvious ask. Though the way of asking for it surprised me.

Everyone, though not being trained by the same trainer, used a phrase that was almost identical like this:

If you´ve enjoyed the tour, my name is X and I would love to see your review and rating on my skills via our social media channels tagging our company. If you haven´t enjoyed the tour, my name is (name of a colleague or non-existing „john doe“) and…

Tour guides during Distillery visits

Is it a generation issue, I thought reflecting on this? I would assess many of the tour guides being either Generation Y or Z. But of course, as outlined, this isn´t exclusive for being part of a Distillery Tour.

Identifying and assessing Power Platform use cases

When for instance working with companies on their adoption plans, part of it is to write-down their way of how to identify and assess use-cases. And while talking to various members of a Center of Excellence team who should be responsible for this task, I did find differences in between the generations talking to each other.

But before providing an example, let me first outline the goals and objectives of the above visual. It shows a methodology that can be used to identify and assess Power Platform use-cases (known as prism-model) and outlines identifying them is not being a two dimensional job between assessing them for being of low-, medium- or high business value. Nor is it a fact for identifying them by feasibility. It highlights this job being multi-dimensional as for assessment reasons, key dimensions like scope, data and degree should be added as well.

Back to providing an example from real live, I could share that Generation Y and Z pretty rapidly upcoming with use-cases identified that raised them asking:

• Why is it like this?
• Why don´t we use digital processes for this?
• Why don´t we use a software / an app for this?
• Why is this exclusive to a Desktop PC?
• …

Furthermore, Generation Z adding if this isn´t solved for me – them not being interested and simply switching to something else to accommodate their needs.

Funny enough, Generation X is capable of providing the insights why it has been like this for years, why it cannot be switched or why it shouldn´t be touched. But they are also capable of providing more insights when it comes up to certain processes in terms of the data being involved or a degree of automation being needed. Not saying that Generation Y didn´t offered that as well, though many times due to being employed longer in a company, there´s more insights and stories to tell around a use-case.

All those Generations by the way agreed, without a strong sponsor which in many cases is a Baby Boomer, change management fails or is almost incomplete.

Visual showing examples of Microsoft´s App development spectrum presented by Microsoft during MS Build’22

This reminded me of how important communication between generations is and assumptions should be avoided, instead observations could lead to better results. Same is for instance, when it comes to Fusion Development being part of the adoption journey. A study called out 81% of those companies implementing low code caused a stronger collaboration.

As we see the four generations being in workforce adapting to the new normal of hybrid work & co., I would be interested in your thoughts and observations. Please let me know in the comments or share via PM.

Until then,…