5 tips for managing different generations

Why is this important?

Today's corporate landscape is characterized by a work environment that includes a wide range of generations. From Baby Boomers to Generation Z, each group of individuals has different expectations, communication preferences and priorities. For business leaders and managers, embracing and especially leveraging these generational differences requires both skill and effort. To fully leverage the strengths of your employees requires a management strategy that encompasses all the needs of your multigenerational workforce. Together, we can work to achieve your business goals.

Be Prepared

A common problem in organizations is the "readiness gap." Deloitte states that "70% of organizations believe that leading a multigenerational workforce is important or very important to their success over the next 12 to 18 months, but only 10% are fully prepared to move in this direction." In our course, we'll look at how companies have missed opportunities, but also how they can put programs in place to facilitate power transitions and preserve the knowledge of previous generations.

Listen

Most importantly, encourage input and feedback. It's much easier to understand what an employee's expectations are when you ask them, rather than assuming them. However, it is important to identify which communication channels and techniques are most effective for your employees, a wide variety of which are explored in our training on the subject. Being aware of your staff's needs allows for an adaptive rather than reactive management style.

Create opportunities for intergenerational mentoring

This allows for better communication between generations by bridging generational divides. Reverse mentoring is a useful concept, highlighted by the Harvard Business Review, in which traditional hierarchies are reversed: junior employees mentor senior employees, creating a dialogue and knowledge exchange. This can be done in both directions where the "older generation" has the skills, memory, experience and knowledge that must be considered for our organizations to thrive. Utilizing the wisdom and experience of your entire team is an effective way to find common ground that ultimately creates relationships that allow for the exchange of knowledge and skills. Implementing one-on-one mentoring programs bridges the generation gap, creating a work environment that fosters synergies and maximizes the potential of your employees, regardless of their age.

Show respect

Respect is the cornerstone of a cohesive work environment, but it can take different forms in different generations. For example, Baby Boomers feel respected if you give them time and attention, while for Y's respect is shown by involving them in the decision-making process. Other useful generational differences are explored in our course Boomers, X's, Y's and now C's: Approaches to Management, in which we demystify the values of each generation, where they come from, and how they affect each other's approach to work and contributions in business.

Don't rely on labels

Pay attention to individuals, not trends. While it can be helpful to be aware of generational differences, basing your leadership solely on generalizations can encourage bias. Recognizing your own biases is an important factor in managing a multigenerational group, knowing that what works for some employees will probably not work for others. Knowing your employees is a good way to avoid and overcome stereotyping (the use of which is not only detrimental to your team and organization, but also illegal in many countries). Often, where an employee is in their life is more important than which generation they belong to. As Deloitte Insights aptly points out, "careers have become more fluid and complex, making the historical correlation between age and career progression obsolete. As employees find themselves at different stages of their professional lives, they are focusing on different aspects of their compensation and benefits. Younger employees will pay more attention to salary and training opportunities for advancement. Employees with young families will be more concerned about health care coverage, flexibility in work schedules and work/life balance. Employees with more seniority will focus on health care and retirement benefits. These examples are all generalizations, but they highlight the fact that priorities change as we grow in our careers and age.

Why train on this topic

The vast majority of businesses are multi-generational and this impacts management style. While there are differences within each generation, being aware of the general frame of reference and experience of your employees can help you develop appropriate management strategies. These strategies should be implemented through a variety of communication channels to ensure that they address the preferences of all generations. Our training recognizes that there is no single approach to managing all generations in the office. It will guide you through the steps necessary to adapt to the changes and growth of your workplace. Overall, maintaining a multi-generational workforce is very beneficial to employers in that it provides a wide range of experience and creativity in problem solving. By adapting your management strategy to accommodate generational differences, you will ensure that all of your employees reach their greatest potential.

Références

Jordan, J. A., & Sorell, M. (2020, June 03). Why Junior Employees Should Mentor Senior Employees. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2019/10/why-reverse-mentoring-works-and-how-to-do-it-right

Jenkins, R. (2020, July 06). How to Improve Communication Between Generations in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/352621

Volini, E., Schwartz, J., & Denny, B. (2020, May 15). The postgenerational workforce. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends/2020/leading-a-multi-generational-workforce.html