We have been confronted with a seismic shift in our ability to communicate that is rivaled only by the invention of the Gutenberg press in and around 1440. Not to go too deeply into this, the Gutenberg press changed the laborious process of handwriting books, which limited their availability due to the length of time it took to reproduce a single copy, to a rapid almost assembly line speed. This allowed knowledge to spread throughout civilization at a much quicker pace than previously experienced. This dissemination of knowledge was responsible for enlarging the circle of intellectuals and eventually, after decades of struggle with those heavily invested in the previous paradigm, became the platform of social upheaval and, as some believe, was instrumental in the development of the industrial revolution.
The internet, as most of us understand it, is approximately 6,500 days old and, like the Gutenberg press, has changed the speed at which knowledge travels, upset the status quo of the previous paradigm, the late industrial revolution, and has been responsible for social upheaval to an unprecedented degree. Unlike the introduction of the printing press though, the internet has become a staple of communication worldwide in less than a generation, compounding our ability to come to grips with this evolution and leaving everyone constantly in a state of catch-up. As Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps wrote in their book Virtual Teams, “we are born into the old-age past, yet must navigate in the new-age present.”
What seems to have taken place in the last ten years is a great divide in the workplace with younger generations moving in the direction of the new-age present while segments of the older generation choose to remain in the old-age past. Unfortunately, both these directions are limiting and a bridging of this gap is required for organizations to fully realize their full potential.
To read the remainder of the article, click here.
