Could Ageism Be Getting Worse Because Of FOMO?
There is nothing slow about the society that we live in today, and things are only going to keep speeding up. There is consistently a sense of urgency, of having to be one step ahead of the competition, and of having to find the most innovative ideas this very second.
A society that functions that way doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for “normalcy.” In fact, it’s no wonder that stereotypes like ageism seem to be getting worse as times progresses. With such a sense of immediacy and FOMO (fear of missing out), companies are constantly moving puzzle pieces around (and shoving some right off the table) to keep their company performing “progressively,” “top-notch” and “smart.”
These traits are in quotes here because even though they are the goals of the companies, they aren’t often the realities. Such fast-paced change, and constant re-organization of people and practices, can often make for a sloppy workforce, product and brand.
Constantly innovating, especially without much research, can loosen a company’s solid footing. Consistently bringing in younger employees and pushing out “old ideas” can create a workforce that doesn’t jive well with an company’s established brand, and in turn, can lead to pushing out products that don’t always fit with customers established expectations.
So, what exactly is changing for ageism because our society keeps speeding up instead of slowing down and taking time to think? Here are some things you might have started noticing recently:
Rushing To Kick Older Employees Out
We are hearing more and more that older employees aren’t retiring on their own terms, or at the age they planned to step away from the workforce. Instead, companies are constantly looking to hire recent college grads, and the more money they can use for that from older employee salaries the better in their eyes.
This forces any long-standing brand understanding, company ideals and years of knowledge based on experience out of the workplace, and creates an unbalance leaning towards innovative new thinking that may not align with branding, or established organization values.
There needs to be a mix to create a healthy organization. The more that ageism affects this area of organizations, the less stable some brands and their workforce will become.
Constant Innovation No Matter The Cost
Some companies are now innovating just to innovate. They are rushing to get new ideas to market, to use new technology, to market to customers in new ways. This is great in theory, but a lot of these innovative ideas are replacing the “old way of doing things” rather than complimenting current solutions, and being an “added bonus.”
A lot of these innovative ideas aren’t well thought out, but instead seem more like “throwing pasta at the wall and seeing what sticks.”
As with anything, switching directions completely and trying new things can impact a company’s bottom line if it takes a while to build up the initiatives, or to determine what works the best. And until then, companies will continue rushing to be more and more innovative to make more and more money and re-stabalize their footing.
Faltering Company Collaboration And Bonding
As companies split new ideas from old ideas it enhances stereotyping in-office. It pits generations against each other subconsciously, and it hurts the health of office collaboration.
In turn, this impacts the success of projects that require cross-company collaboration. This negatively impacts how groups and individuals within the organization interact, and that leads to less-than-stellar products being released to the marketplace.
