The Conundrum of Leading Generations

A quintessential feature of today’s workforce is its generational diversity. Employees from the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z cohabit in the modern workplace, each group bringing its unique attributes and challenges to the table.

Silent Generation (1925 – 1945): They are often perceived as loyal yet traditional. 

Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964): Known for their collaborative nature, they can be resistant to change.

Generation X (1965 – 1980): They’re considered independent, although sometimes bleak. 

Millennials (1981 – 2000): They’re seen as driven, but often labelled as entitled. 

Generation Z (2001 – 2020): They’re progressive but are sometimes seen as disloyal.

However, these generalisations can be problematic. To truly leverage the benefits of a multi-generational workforce, it’s crucial to challenge such stereotypes and appreciate the individuality of team members.

1. Debunking Stereotypes: The First Step towards High-Performance Teams

The media often fuels generational stereotypes, feeding into age bias and hindering mutual respect within teams. However, every generation’s values, beliefs, and goals are shaped by its unique socio-cultural context and personal experiences.

Understanding these nuances is the first step towards accepting one another, a crucial factor in building high-performance teams. Managers should educate themselves about the realities that different generations have faced throughout their careers while avoiding blanket assumptions based on age.

2. Open Communication: The Foundation of Team Performance

Just as travelling to a new country requires an understanding of its culture and customs, leading generations calls for open dialogue about individual work preferences.

For instance, while a Baby Boomer might prefer face-to-face meetings, a millennial might find digital communication more efficient. Recognising that there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to communication is key. Managers should encourage team members to express their preferences and find a compromise that suits everyone.

3. Respecting Boundaries: A Hallmark of Inclusive Leadership

With the inclusion of diverse age groups, workplace discussions are now more open to topics such as diversity, inclusion, and mental health. However, comfort levels with these topics can vary based on generational upbringings.

As a manager, it’s crucial to respect the varied comfort levels of your team members. Encourage open discussions, but avoid forcing a particular viewpoint. Ground the conversations in the context of the organisation’s values and mission.

4. Avoiding Favouritism: Towards Equal Opportunities

For a high-performance team, every member’s voice should be heard and valued. Managers should ensure an inclusive decision-making process that encourages open dialogue, regardless of generational differences.

In meetings, managers should strive to make every voice heard. If a younger employee appears outspoken, give them space to express their opinions respectfully. Similarly, if an elder member seems dismissive, encourage the younger team member to voice their ideas.

Conclusion: Progress through Respect and Understanding

In conclusion, leading generations and creating high-performance teams begins with communication, humility, and understanding. It involves appreciating the strengths and limitations of each team member and recognising their unique insights. The result is respect, understanding, and ultimately, progress.

By adopting these strategies, managers can unlock the potential of their multi-generational teams, fostering a workplace culture that values diversity, encourages open communication, and promotes mutual respect.

As a manager, it’s your responsibility to lead by example. Embrace the generational diversity within your team and use it as a springboard for innovation, collaboration, and success.

Contact Us:

For further insights on fostering inclusive leadership and creating opportunities for cross-generational dialogue in your organization, feel free to reach out to us at https://dhbstrategy.com/book-a-consultation-call/. We’re here to support you on your journey towards building a more inclusive and high-performing workplace.

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Increase Buy-in 

It doesn’t matter how brilliant your vision is, if you don’t get the buy-in of the people, it’s going to be an uphill battle.  Buy-in is the heavy lifting that gets the vision accomplished.  The problem is that most executives try to get buy-in too late into the process.  The assumption is that if persons are working with the company they either: (1) remember the vision of the company and what it is all about or (2) believe in it.

To be an effective executive in the upcoming year, commit to the consistent creation of buy-in.  You can do this by creating an open dialogue forum at least once per month. You will discuss projects/products/systems that are in the works and get your team’s insights on them.  When you create open dialogue, your team helps your team to feel a part of the decision-making process.  By the time you are ready to execute, the heavy lifting of getting buy-in is well on the way.

Optimize Talent Management

A company is only as good as its ability to have the right people in the right roles.  This is about long-term positioning that creates satisfaction for both your firm and your talent.  Every powerful and effective executive either has an innate ability to attract and retain dynamic talent or hires the right team to do this.  Now is a great time to strategically review if you have the right talent in the right spaces to accomplish the vision of your company.  Talent is the core of your lasting competitive advantage, and it is difficult to replicate. Strategically review the most crucial areas of your operations and the talent that is tasked with getting the job done.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• What are the strengths? Where are the talent gaps?
• What are the strategic shifts we need in talent to take us to the next level in this area?
• What will it take to make these shifts- upskilling, recruiting, etc.?

When you complete this talent assessment, it will give you the information that you need to make better long-term decisions for your firm.

Improve Your Personal Management and Self Care

It is a known fact that the most inspirational, motivating global business leaders have outlets to decompress and relieve stress.  The unfortunate truth is that most executives catch on to this idea much too late.  By then, the pressure and demands of the job have taken a serious toll on their minds and their bodies.  You are the engine and like any engine, you need maintenance.  Your personal management and care are critically essential to your performance as an Executive.  Prioritize doing an activity (sport, spa day, hobby, something creative) that is non-business related at least once per month. This is solely for your personal management and self-care. However, there is the added benefit for your professional role that when you feel better. You are better able to find more creative solutions to problems and have a higher level of performance.

This in no way encompasses every goal that you will can set as an executive. However, you will increase your effectiveness and performance by focusing on these goals.

If you need help to take your leadership to the next level and become a powerful and effective executive, click on this link to schedule a free call with our leadership coaching team.

The post 3 Goals Every Powerful and Effective Executive Should Set appeared first on DHB Vision Strategists.

1. Connection on a personal level. 

This does not mean becoming besties and blurring the lines of the organizational chain of command. Instead, it means humanizing the relationship and the chain of command that presently exists. How do you do this? By integrating into your weekly work meetings, a Q&A time where you find out how your team is actually doing. This is a leadership tool that every manager/supervisor must make a part of their process in a post-pandemic work. People will forget what you do for them but they won’t forget how you make them feel. So make your team feel seen and heard at every encounter.

2. Collaboration with your team. 

As a Manager or Supervisor, it is true that you have the ultimate decision-making power. You set targets, goals, and agendas for the department. However, to smoothen the transition back to the office, you need an inclusive approach. Give your staff the opportunity to actively weigh in on the goals and objectives for the department. Let them participate in setting goals for the first 2-3 months of your return to the office. The truth is, you are likely to end up with the goals and targets that you would have set anyway. The difference is that because they were included in the process, there is now greater buy-in. Buy-in means greater motivation to get the job done. Your staff will be happy to come to a space where their plans come to fruition.

3. Normalize the transition process. 

The worse thing you can do is pretend as nothing happened. A lot happened in the past year, not just for your business and workplace but individual lives. When everyone is back in the office remember that there will be a transitional process. Take the time to listen to the things that your staff says when they return to work. Observe the way that they’re functioning. Observe the way that they are interacting. You should allow that information to guide the way you set your agenda on a weekly basis. It’s not that your staff doesn’t want to be in the office. It’s that they’ve grown accustomed to doing the work their way and on their own set schedule. Now, they have reacquainted themselves with the new normal of work in the office.

Remember, as you show flexibility as a leader, you can more easily integrate the actions of everyone. That way, you can collectively cultivate a positive office dynamic. One that works not only for the individual but also your department and the achievements of your KPIs.

If, in reading these tips, you feel like you need additional support for your Managers so that:

1. they can become leaders who get results, 
2. leaders who motivate their team, and 
3. leaders who make this transition back to the office an easier one,

feel free to schedule a call so that we can discuss the available training option to help in this area of productivity and transition back to the world of the office.

Written by Dana Hayes-Burke

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