Just how do leaders make a connection when dealing with multiple generations of colleagues? The chances are you have lots of age groups in your organisation. From some ‘close to retirement’ baby boomers – the post war generation, the generation Xers – the late 60’s and 70’s, and generation Y – those born in the 80’s and early 90’s. However generation Z (or Digital Natives), those straddling the millennium are now a real presence in the workplace. It’s the generation who will have grown up with a connected and mobile world. (Don’t forget Generation Alpha are coming, those born from early 2010’s).
Getting the best out of generations cannot be about ‘treating people as I would expect to be treated’. Let’s face it we’re wired differently.
Let’s highlight a couple of challenges faced with generation X and Y. The X’s want do a good job and then go home, let’s face it they invented work to live; the Y’s want to work until the job’s done or until they have lost interest. As Gen X came through they no longer suffered poor leaders or succumbed to the command and control hierarchy. With Gen Y the expectation is collaboration. Involve me, engage me and let me help shape the future of the team I’m in. X’s expect their leaders to be knowledgeable and add value today. Y’s expect the world to change and couldn’t care less about experience as it’s all about how fast you can adapt and move.
Gen X may have been the first generation to readily move careers and companies, but with the average Gen Y having had 10 jobs before they are 30 – they are already thinking about their next role whilst listening to you. Your challenge is motivating and retaining the best.
Feedback and performance planning is embedded in corporate cycles and is tailored to the Gen X mindset. Other generations want feedback now… don’t give me yesterday’s news.
When it comes to Gen Z – there’s a further and more pressing dynamic. Collaboration is dominated by digital engagement. Email and intranet is very much old world. Instant messaging, closed user groups, highly curated or hyper personalised content is simply the expectation. If you are not proactively engaging this generation then they are looking for that opinion, news and feedback elsewhere.
So what can we do? What works for you does not work for everyone. Think about the tools in your armoury. Your goals, objectives, action plans and strategies may apply to everyone – but use all your communication channels to get the message across. Set the vision and get the buy-in. Use your blogs and your walkabouts, the MI dashboards and coffee machine chats. Be visible, be accessible and be consistent. You may feel like you’re repeating things but not everyone heard it the first time.
What works for you?
