With five generations in the workforce today, what additional challenge does this create for leaders?
I’m sure most could come up with an exhaustive list, but are these challenges based on broad stereotypes and preconceptions or are there real differences and issues arising?
What if we look beyond the stereotypical generational differences, challenge our bias, and focus on the opportunities to maximise the potential and power of all five generations in our teams?
The Centre for Creative Leadership recently studied the preferences of five generations within the workplace. They concluded that “effective leadership is less about style and more about substance.” Regardless of generational background, all employees want to be valued, respected, and have opportunities to develop.
For leaders, engaging with and unlocking the power of their multi-generational workforce involves fostering a collaborative, inclusive culture, enabling a safe place for teams to learn from each other, actively engaging across generations, and ensuring open communication and connection.
Leaders who invest time in understanding what matters most to individuals, irrespective of generation, and acknowledge their employees’ unique skills, strengths and talent, establish a good foundation of trust and respect.
Setting aside time for employees to share their experiences, discuss business challenges and generate ideas together helps to develop a deeper understanding of the part that everyone can play in team success. Leaders who embrace these open and creative conversations within their teams will be rewarded with a collaborative and inclusive culture.
We all desire a sense of belonging at work, a safe place, without fear of repercussions for asking questions or making mistakes. To advocate for psychological safety at work, leaders may share “failing forward” stories - positioning missteps as an opportunity to grow and develop together.
Leaders should encourage all colleagues to learn from one another, fostering ongoing coaching and mentoring.
Consider the least experienced and most experienced employees. Whilst the least experienced may have received formal qualifications more recently or are more tech-savvy, the most experienced may be subject matter experts or have learned experience crucial to delivering the service of the organisation.
Imagine the opportunities if both these groups shared their knowledge and skills - what would that mean for that organisation? This ‘reverse mentoring’ is invaluable for businesses today, an effective and meaningful way to create lasting connections across generations.
Communication can prove a challenge for leaders due to the diversity of the workforce. To address this, in his recent book ‘Supercommunicators – How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection’, Charles Duhigg states an essential truth: “To communicate with someone, we must connect with them” … “If we know how to sit down together, listen to each other and find ways to hear each other … we can thrive”.
The prize here is clear. A recent report indicates that age-inclusive organisations tend to have 10% greater employee engagement compared to those with less age diversity. In its 2020 report, ‘The Relationship Between Engagement at Work and Organisational Outcomes’, Gallup indicated companies with high employee engagement see a 23% increase in profitability.
Therefore, by understanding employees of all generations, and adopting a collaborative and inclusive leadership approach, leaders will reap the rewards of the unique perspectives, experiences, and expertise of their diverse, multi-generational team – enabling those leaders to drive their team forward and ensure sustainable growth.
- Roisin Loughran is associate director (people and change consulting) at Grant Thornton
