Ajay: Hey little champ! Hows things going?
Cousin: I cant wait to finish school.
Ajay: You dont like school?
Cousin: School is awesome. But I have great plans lined up for after that.
Ajay: Thats amazing! Mind letting me in on your plans?
Cousin: After working in a dayjob for the first 2-3 years, I will start my own company and be a successful entrepreneur.
Ajay: Wonderful!
Cousin: But Im going to do a few things differently.
Ajay: How so?
Cousin: To start with I will hire only young employees. I believe innovative ideas come from young minds. Older people are too set in their ways and afraid to take risks. Plus, youngsters bring fun and energy to the workplace.
Ajay: Im not sure if that would be a great idea.
Cousin: See, this is the problem. The older you are, the more the negativity. Even my parents say no to everything.
Ajay: Its not negativity my dear, its called experience. When you were a toddler, you wanted to touch fire, eat things you found on the floor, pull the cats tail; And your parents said no. Do you call that negativity?
Cousin: But this is different.
Ajay: Is it? Do you think it would be wise to entirely ignore the perspectives and experience that a generation different from yours would bring in? These are people who have been in the industry for years and possess great insights. Who can mentor a new company better than them?
Cousin: But older people can be at times so patronising or dismissive of youngsters.
Ajay: Unfortunately, there are such instances too. I disapprove of ageist behaviour. I think it is important to have age diversity as a criteria and instill a work culture which values your work and not your age. My point is, as a leader you can play a big role in eliminating this problem.
Cousin: Yeah, I think you are right.
Ajay: Every generation brings in something new and something valuable to an organisation. The right mix offers you a variety of skill sets – traditional as well as unconventional. It drives innovation, as well as hedges you against danger.
Cousin: True. I promise my company too would be age diverse like yours.