Rosemarie Barnes

Communicating across the generations can be almost as difficult as speaking different languages. Each era owns different values, and each wishes to make their mark. This is natural and highly desirable as change is essential for growth. The difficulties arise when the collaboration necessities of mutual acceptance and respect are not given top priority. Understanding why each generation behaves the way they do is paramount to creating effective work place environments.

Not very long ago, it was common for individuals to stay in one job, career, and profession for many years; the idea of charting a completely new course was inconceivable for most people. Today, the idea of remaining in one job for life borders on laughable, and for many, impossible. Not only do we change jobs regularly, we actually change careers, enjoy taking on new challenges and understanding how to leverage past learning into new opportunities. Today's world runs at high speed, and to be successful we must be confident that we can reinvent ourselves not only effectively, but charismatically.

Today's world of continual reinvention takes confidence, and for a great many, the benefits of creating a new situation is outweighed by the fear of the unknown. Confidence can be elusive. Where is confidence born? What causes it to erode? Does confidence in one area breed confidence in others or must be recreated for different situations? Can confidence be created or destroyed?