Experts in the Integrated Marketing Communications sector on Wednesday emphasised on the need for creation of culture of knowledge sharing and inter-generational collaboration to enhance work place productivity.
They pointed that this will build generational gap as well as creating an enabling environment especially in a work with multi generations.
The advise was made at the opening of the 5th National Advertising Conference (NAC) presently holding at the Abuja Continental hotel, Abuja.
They said this in a Fireside Chat on the theme: "A Different Generation, a Different Industry".
The panelist were, Dr. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, President, NIMN, Anthony Eigbe, Tecno West Africa, Maryam Amuda, Aster Integrated Marketing and Bello Yussuf, 3-IPOD.
According to Dr. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, collaboration and knowledge sharing between the older and younger generations are vital to bridging the industry’s talent gap. To make that happen, she calls for the need for an enabling environment to allow especially the young ones to speak in a non-threatening environment, and for leaders to be accessible by the young ones.
"In a team where you have a multi-generation, if you don’t create an enabling environment- you may have a team member that may feel unappreciated which will affect workplace productivity," she said.
"It is a responsibility for us as leaders to give access to people and also break the barriers that hinder collaboration to aid knowledge transfer", she affirmed.
She also advocated for knowledge documentation to help the young professionals in the work place.
"Sometimes people don’t have to go through the same experience we have gone through- but through sharing and documenting what we know will help people gain more knowledge and their learning curve can be shortened. At the end of the day people don’t have to reinvent the wheel- but can be replicated and that is one of our roles as leaders."
She however pointed that at some point the knowledge could be obsolete but at end the knowledge will come handy.
Corroborating Dr. Banjoko's position, Bello Yusuf noted that, irrespective of trend what should not change are the fundamentals.
"Change is constant- fundamentals too are constant- if an organisations does not have the fundamentals at some point it will show," he said.
Speaking on what has changed in the industry today, Maryam Amuda said is the audience, who are now dynamic, ever changing and intentional in how they relate to brands.
In his goodwill message, Lanre Adisa, HASG and AAAN President said NAC 2025 was not just talk for the sake of talk, but about sharing thoughts and sharing ideas and this conference has proven to be one of those very useful platforms to do that.
