Inter Generational Cohesion Workshop
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Workshop Slides from a custom program that I put together for a few clients of mine. With 4-5 generations at work, each with distinct psychographics, there is bound to be more conflict than in the past. This workshop equips managers and leaders to manage this conflict more effectively.
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Inter Generational Cohesion Workshop
- 1. Intergenerational Cohesion – Based on CCL Research by Jennifer J Deal Run for - A leading hotel chain - A diversified Indian MNC
- 2. Stephen.remedios@gmail.com I would love to hear from you… fb/ twitter / mail / slideshare
- 3. Welcome Year of Birth, Which Generation. City where you grew up, how many siblings you had. Biggest challenge / obstacle as you grew up.
- 4. Course Expectations How will you know these 2 days have been well spent?
- 5. Why this training? What’s the level of awareness?
- 6. How this training program works…
- 7. Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers. SOCRATES (470–399 B.C.)
- 8. The Soul of This Training 1. Fundamentally people want the same things, no matter what generation they are from. 2. You can work with (or manage) people from all generations effectively without becoming a contortionist, selling your soul on eBay, or pulling your hair out on a daily basis. 3. In mastering a few generationally friendly skills you can transform your effectiveness
- 9. In all matters of opinion and science . . . the difference between men is . . . oftener found to lie in generals than in particulars, and to be less in reality than in appearance. An explanation of the terms commonly ends the controversy, and the disputants are surprised to find that they had been quarreling, while at the bottom they agreed in their judgment. —DAVID HUME (1711–1766)
- 10. The Generations at Work
- 11. Approach One
- 12. You know you are a Baby Boomer IF… You thought you might one day join the IAS Your favorite toy was a top or marbles, but you were never as good as your friends. You used a typewriter to write your term papers. You didn’t see much TV and if you did you probably saw one channel You remember Woodstock.
- 13. You know you are a Gen Xer IF… You wore shirts growing up that had logos on the chest, especially with your collar turned up. You remember videogames in your childhood You know what a rotary phone is and you actually owned and played records
- 14. You know you are a Gen Yer IF… You typed your term paper on a computer, of course. A record player is an antique and a CD is a given. You’ve always had cable TV with a remote control. You’ve considered piercing something besides your ear. The Internet has existed as long as you remember.
- 15. Approach Two
- 17. Baby Boomers – b. 1943-1960
- 18. Gen Xers – b. 1960-1980
- 19. Gen Yers – b. 1980-2000
- 21. People from different generations have different values Agree or Disagree
- 22. Younger people want different characteristics in their leaders than older people Agree or Disagree
- 23. Younger people are more open to change than older people Agree or Disagree
- 24. Older people are more loyal to their organizations than young people Agree or Disagree
- 25. Younger people are keener to learn new things than older people Agree or Disagree
- 26. What’s your sense? Beliefs vs. Facts
- 27. WHAT I SAY I WANT AWARE 10% UNAWARE 90% LIMITING BELIEFS ARE MY BELIEFS SUPPORTING ME OR ARE THEY IN CONFLICT WITH WHAT I SAY I WANT?
- 29. All Generations Have Similar Values; They Just Express Them Differently Principle 1
- 30. How this applies to you Therefore, when you are party to a conflict that appears to be about generation-based values differences, you need to try to remember two things. First, it is more likely that the conflict is about a difference between individuals that has nothing whatsoever to do with their generation. Second, the conflict is about differences in behavior rather than about a fundamental values difference.
- 31. If you are a manager ask yourself first whether it really is a values issue. Is the conflict about fundamental differences in values, or is it about feeling valued and respected? Is it about what behaviors show respect? Is it about certain employees not being treated the way they think they should be treated? Is it about them thinking that they should have power (and seniority) over someone who they feel should not have it?
- 32. What you should have learned People of all generations have similar values. FAMILY is the value chosen most frequently. Values and behaviors aren’t the same thing—someone can behave very differently from you and still hold the same values.
- 33. Everyone Wants Respect; They Just Don’t Define It the Same Way Principle 2
- 34. Research Questions Do Not Equal Disrespect
- 35. How this applies to you Problems arise because we don’t all define respect the same way. Understanding what people mean when they say they want respect and figuring out either how to get them the respect they want or how to modify their expectations so that they don’t feel disrespected and resentful are challenges for anyone.
- 36. If you are a manager You probably have to deal with people who you think are insufficiently respectful. Your responsibility is to coach the people complaining (and the people they’re complaining about) to help them gain greater insight into the situation. People often get so tied up In the implied insult or disrespect that they can’t work their way through the problem.
- 37. What you should have learned People of all generations want respect; they just define it differently. People in positions of authority want their decisions to be respected. Older people want their experience and wisdom to be respected and deferred to. Younger people would like their fresh ideas and suggestions to be respected. Questions do not necessarily demonstrate disrespect.
- 38. Case Study Respect - Sue
- 40. Research The Benefits of Trust Increased efficiencies Voluntary deference to authority
- 41. How this applies to you What can you do to reestablish trust when it’s gone? There’s no surefire way, but we do offer a few things to think about if you find you don’t trust someone you work with or feel that someone you work with doesn’t trust you.
- 42. If you don’t trust an older person because he or she is older: What can you do?
- 43. If you sense that an older person doesn’t trust you because you are younger: What can you do?
- 44. If you are a manager Tell the truth—but don’t feel you have to say everything you know or soften bad news with promises of a bright future. And if you can’t tell the truth, say that you can’t say anything. Don’t use your level—or your age—as an excuse. Change the bodies in the seats if you need to.
- 45. What you should have learned People of all generations and at all levels are more likely to trust the people they work with directly (bosses, peers, and direct reports). People trust their organizations less than they do the people they work with directly. People trust upper management less than they trust their organization. What generation you are from or how old you are does not affect how much you trust other people or your organization. The less people trust, the more likely they are to leave.
- 46. Case Study Trust Matters - Gary
- 47. People Want Leaders Who Are Credible and Trustworthy Principle 4
- 48. Preferred Leadership Attributes CREDIBLE (69%) TRUSTED (59%) LISTENS WELL (55%) FARSIGHTED (52%) ENCOURAGING (50%) DEPENDABLE (48%) FOCUSED (44%) A GOOD COACH (40%) DEDICATED (38%) EXPERIENCED (38%)
- 49. How this applies to you You cannot change others’ behavior (no matter how much you might want to or how right you would be!); the only person’s behavior you can change is your own. And if you want one of those leadership positions that come with organizational authority, it would be a good idea to start practicing now how you want to be as a leader.
- 50. If you are a manager Itis a good idea to make sure younger employees feel listened to. They want to be heard and are likely to feel that they aren’t. When working with older employees, it is a good idea to emphasize your experience. They understand and appreciate the experience people bring to the table and expect you to appreciate theirs.
- 51. What you should have learned People of all generations and at all levels want their leaders to be credible, trustworthy, dependable, farsighted, encouraging, and good listeners. If you can’t tell the truth, say that you can’t talk about the subject; if possible, do not engage to begin with. Don’t mislead intentionally. Behave as someone you would want to follow. If you work at having the attributes people want in a leader, you may lose out to the dissembling backstabbers, or you may end up on top . . . but at least you’ll be less likely to end up in a defendant’s chair!
- 52. Organizational Politics Is a Problem—No Matter How Old (or Young) You Are Principle 5
- 53. If you are a manager Employees may not like it, but they generally understand that office politics is a reality. So if you’re a manager, there’s no need to pretend that office politics doesn’t exist and has no real impact. You can improve at office politics by understanding the forces—views, perceptions, needs, preferences, stakes—that are shaping the political climate. What you want to do is learn how to manage the competing forces more effectively so that you can achieve what you want
- 54. What you should know! Different generations (by and large) have similar attitudes toward office politics, though they may express those attitudes slightly differently. People higher in organizations think they got there because of their hard work and strong performance. People lower in organizations think political behavior is more important for advancement than do people higher in organizations.
- 55. No One Really Likes Change Principle 6
- 56. Bottom-line People of all generations: Do not see change as a positive thing Do not like change because it is likely to reduce their resources Do not like change because it is seen as unnecessary and isn’t communicated effectively Do not embrace change because they think it probably will not be implemented well
- 57. How this applies to you As an employee being affected by proposed changes, if you are unhappy or concerned about them, why not ask for further explanations? It signals: (1) you are interested in what is happening and have good intentions, and (2) you don’t have all the information you need to help them succeed.
- 58. If you are a manager Be in conversation Communicate Be the first source of information Don’t leave room for rumor-mongering
- 59. What you should have learned Both older and younger people believe (erroneously) that older people dislike change more than younger people do. People of all generations dislike change because they think it is likely to affect them negatively (for example, because they’re going to lose power or resources). People of all generations think changes are often instituted or communicated poorly.
- 60. Loyalty Depends on the Context, Not on the Generation Principle 7
- 61. Some facts
- 62. What you should know! Different generations have about the same levels of loyalty. Younger generations are not more likely to job-hop than older generations were at the same age. People who are closer to retirement are more likely to want to stay with the same organization for the rest of their working life. People higher in an organization work more hours than do people lower in the organization; working more isn’t a matter of what generation an employee is from.
- 63. It’s as Easy to Retain a Young Person as an Older One—If You Do the Right Things Principle 8
- 64. Data
- 65. What you should know! Employees of all generations are more likely to remain with an organization if they receive Good compensation Learning and development Opportunities for advancement Respect and recognition Good quality of life outside work
- 66. Everyone Wants to Learn— More Than Just About Anything Else Principle 9
- 67. To 10 Training Needs Overall, the following are the top ten areas in which people intend to get training: 1. Leadership 2. Skills training in their field of expertise 3. Team building 4. Problem solving and decision making 5. Strategic planning 6. Managing change 7. Computer training 8. Vision 9. Communication skills 10. Conflict management
- 68. If you are a manager Think about (1) what your people actually need to know before they start a job, (2) what they need to learn while they’re in a job, and (3) how you can help them get the needed learning and development.
- 69. What you should have learned Of employees surveyed, 97% said that it was important for them to learn on the job, and 90% said they were learning on the job. What people want to learn is related to what they need for their job, not to their generation. Younger people do not want to learn everything via a computer. Older people want to learn some things via a computer. Everyone wants to learn on the job. Everyone thinks coaching is a good idea. People are savvy about what they need to learn, what they want to learn, and how they want to learn. Listen to them.
- 70. Almost Everyone Wants a Coach Principle 10
- 71. What you should know! People from every generation and at every level want a coach. You don’t have to hire someone to coach your direct reports— you can be a coach. You can have your employees be coaches by providing them with more knowledge, greater experience, better communication skills, and specific training on how to be a coach. Coaching is one of the best methods for helping your employees learn and improve because the learning is more individualized and targeted than any class can be. If you are an employee who wants coaching, you should ask for it.
- 72. Two Tools There are two keys to creating a successful intergenerational workforce: aggressive communication and difference deployment.
- 75. Best Practice What generation savvy organizations do…
- 77. Accommodate employee differences Areyou playing draughts or are you playing chess?
- 78. Create workplace choices The age of one-size-fits-all is history. We live in times were one-size-fits-one. You need to have a framework that allows for individual choices while moving the organization forward at all times.
- 79. Operate from a sophisticated management style The 7 differentiators that managers in generation-friendly organizations possess
- 80. 1. Flexible supervisory style Their supervisory style is not fixed. How closely they monitor and manage, for instance, is a product of each individual’s track record and personal preferences. Control and autonomy are a continuum, not solitary options.
- 81. 2. Situational leadership Their leadership style is situationally varied. Some decisions are consensually made; others are made by the manager, but with input and consultation.
- 82. 3. Personal Power They depend less on positional than on personal power.
- 83. 4. Exception Management They know when and how to make personal policy exceptions, without causing a team riot.
- 84. 5. Thoughtful Assignment They are thoughtful when matching individuals to a team or a team or individual to an assignment.
- 85. 6. Strike a Balance They balance concern for tasks and concern for people. They are neither slave drivers nor country club managers.
- 86. 7. Trust They understand the elements of trust and work to gain it from their employees. They are perceived as fair, inclusive, good communicators, and competent in their own right.
- 87. Respect competence and initiative Everyoneis looking for respect in some way or the other – make sure you call out competence and initiative.
- 88. Nourish Retention Keeping people is every bit as important in today’s economy as finding and retaining customers. Therefore, offer lots of training, from one- on-one coaching opportunities to interactive computer-based training to an extensive and varied menu of classroom courses.
- 89. ACORN Accommodate employee differences Create workplace choices Operate from a sophisticated management style Respect competence and initiative Nourish retention
- 90. Veterans Boomers Xers Nexters Outlook Practical Optimistic Skeptical Hopeful Work ethic Dedicated Driven Balanced Determined View of Respectful Love / Hate Unimpressed Polite authority Pulling Leadership by Hierarchy Consensus Competence Together Personal Personal Reluctant to Relationships Inclusive sacrifice gratification commit Political Turnoffs Vulgarity Cliché, hype Promiscuity incorrectness
- 91. End of Day One
- 92. Welcome Back
- 93. What did we learn yesterday? Soul of this training Generational Definitions 10 Principles Two Tools The ACORN Imperatives Generationally Friendly Leadership Attributes
- 94. Principle 1 All Generations Have Similar Values; They Just Express Them Differently Principle 2 Everyone Wants Respect; They Just Don’t Define It the Same Way Principle 3 Trust Matters Principle 4 People Want Leaders Who Are Credible and Trustworthy Principle 5 Organizational Politics Is a Problem—No Matter How Old (or Young) You Are Principle 6 No One Really Likes Change Principle 7 Loyalty Depends on the Context, Not on the Generation Principle 8 It’s as Easy to Retain a Young Person as an Older One—If You Do the Right Things Principle 9 Everyone Wants to Learn—More Than Just About Anything Else Principle 10 Almost Everyone Wants a Coach
- 95. Aggressive Communication Difference Deployment
- 96. Accommodate employee differences Create workplace choices Operate from a sophisticated management style Respect competence and initiative Nourish retention
- 99. What Skills do you need? Lets hear from you…
- 100. Course expectations Did I meet your expectations?
- 101. Sources Retiring the Generation Gap – Jennifer. J . Deal Bridging the Generation Gap – Linda Gravett & Robin Thockmorton Generation Blend – Rob Salkowitz Generations at Work – Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, Bob Filipczak
- 102. Stephen.remedios@gmail.com I would love to hear from you… fb/ twitter / mail / slideshare
Notas del editor
- What defined you as you grew up.
- The Fish in the Water – No Water / Dylan’s eye – Neighbor noticed it, but both my wife and I did not. Watching the action from a porthole on a ship.
- What events shaped their views of life?
- What events shaped their views of life?
- What events shaped their views of life?
- What events shaped their views of life?
- Therefore, when you are party to a conflict that appears to be about generation-based values differences, you need to try to remember two things. First, it is more likely that the conflict is about a difference between individuals that has nothing whatsoever to do with their generation. Second, the conflict is about differences in behavior rather than about a fundamental values difference.
- If you are a manager faced with employees who are at odds over a seeming values conflict, ask yourself first whether it really is a values issue. Is the conflict about fundamental differences in values, or is it about feeling valued and respected? Is it about what behaviors show respect? Is it about certain employees not being treated the way they think they should be treated? Is it about them thinking that they should have power (and seniority) over someone who they feel should not have it? Often what at first glance appear to be values conflicts are really more about people feeling valued and respected by the people they work with. As a manager, you have to decide how much of the conflict is fixable and how much people are just going to have to tolerate. If you can intervene (quietly, often with each party individually) and coach the parties to help them understand what is going on with the other person, you have both helped yourself in potentially reducing workplace conflict and provided a learning opportunity for the people involved. Every opportunity to take the perspective of others is a learning opportunity, for there are few skills more useful to people than being able to accurately “read” and react to others around them. The earlier a person learns this, the more effective they will be. The better they are at this skill, the fewer of this type of conflict they are likely to have.It is important for us always to remember that even when people (older or younger) are doing things that drive us crazy or offend our sense of what is right, it is likely that they are doing whatthey are doing out of values very similar to ours . . . they’re just expressing them in an exceptionally annoying way! We can’t say they are without values and are therefore bad people—it is no moretrue of them than it is of us.
- What you need to figure out (and help others figure out) is whether there is anything useful in the question being asked— either in terms of producing something or your gaining understanding of the questioner’s perspective. Here are some questions to consider when you find yourself getting annoyed by someone questioning you:• Is the person asking a question because she doesn’t know the answer?If someone honestly doesn’t know the answer, it would be helpfulto give it to her. Doing so would also improve your relationshipwith the person asking the question. If you don’t know the answer,say so. In most cases you don’t lose clout by not knowing the answer;you do lose clout by pretending to know the answer when youdon’t and being caught later.• Is the person asking a question because he is afraid of doing somethingwrong? If he is, should he be? Is that how you want this personto feel? Sometimes such a feeling is appropriate, but othertimes people aren’t as productive if they’re always afraid you’regoing to get angry with them for doing something wrong.• Is the person asking a question because she doesn’t feel that she washeard (or listened to) during a discussion? Does this happen often withthis person? Is this because the person is a time-hog, or becauseshe really is being marginalized by the group? Is this person being ignored or pushed aside because she’s perceived as being less “experienced”?Is she being ignored because she’s perceived as beingan old “fuddy-duddy”? Should she be listened to? If yes, what areyou going to do to help support her to make sure she is heard?What is the point of having her on the team if her perspective isn’tincluded? If she isn’t a productive member of the team, why is shestill there?• Is the person asking a question because he thought of something thathe thinks might be helpful? If so, respond accordingly. The intentionis good, and the intention should be reinforced, regardless ofwhether or not the question was a good one. If the question couldhave been more helpful couched in a different way or asked at adifferent time, coach the person about how to do better next time,while reinforcing that you appreciated the intention this time. Alsobe sure to reinforce to others that asking questions is a good thingbecause it brings up issues that others may not have thought of. Itis better to deal with the question now, rather than later as thingsare exploding in your face!• Is the person asking a question because she just likes to make trouble?If she is, have you called her on it? Why do you think she’sdoing it? Does she feel marginalized by the group? Does she thinkthat you shouldn’t be in the position you are in? Is it actually apower play on her part to make you look bad? If you think it is, doyou really think that the person is both smart and maliciousenough to think of such a thing? If she just likes to make trouble,how is this helping get the work done? If the person’s behavior isn’thelping get the work done, why
- The research shows that all of us—regardless of generation—want respect and believe that we deserve it. We want to know that the people we work with respect us, and we want to be treated with respect. Problems arise because we don’t all define respect the same way. Understanding what people mean when they say they want respect and figuring out either how to get them the respect they want or how to modify their expectations so that they don’t feel disrespected and resentful are challenges for anyone.
- If you are a manager, you probably have to deal with people who you think are insufficiently respectful. Maybe it is a younger person whose cavalier attitude or constant questions just tick you offfor no reason you can put your finger on. Or maybe it is an older person who seems to talk incessantly because he thinks he has so much to “teach” you—when you can’t remember requesting the “lesson.” People do things like this all the time, and as a manager you are expected to behave more professionally (read: graciously) than the people below you. On top of having to deal with these annoyances yourself, other people come to you expecting you to fix the problem (for example, stop the person from behaving that way). Sometimes you see the problem (because you are annoyed as well), and sometimes you don’t. Either way, your responsibility is to coach the people complaining (and the people they’re complaining about) to help them gain greater insight into the situation. People often get so tied up In the implied insult or disrespect that they can’t work their way through the problem. You are in a unique position because you are not a peer of the people involved. Because you are their manager, you can force them to think through the whole situation. Make sure to have the respect issue (the conflict) described in detail, and then coach the person on how to diagnose the underlying issue. What is it about respect (or the perceived lack thereof) that is causing the conflict? Then, work them through the questions (listed earlier in this chapter), making sure to keep the ultimate goal, working effectively together, prominent in their minds.
- We’ll start with Sue. Sue is perfectly justified in being annoyed that Kathy isn’t doing her job. She is also perfectly justified in bringing to Kathy’s attention the fact that the work hasn’t been done. She does not deserve to be attacked by Kathy simply because Kathy feels cornered and doesn’t like Sue’s pointing out that Kathy hasn’t done her work. Sue is perfectly justified in feeling offended by Kathy’s behavior, and has done nothing wrong in trying to managethe project effectively.But none of this actually helps Sue fix the problem. It would be helpful if Sue could understand why Kathy is so upset, because sometimes understanding the emotions or intentions behind a person’s annoying behavior can help us not react as negatively to it.Sue can understand that Kathy is probably feeling cornered and annoyedat having been told she isn’t doing her job. Kathy obviouslybelieves (or says she believes) that age is more important than hierarchywithin the organization. Basically Kathy is saying she doesn’tcare what the command structure is: her greater age trumps Sue’spositional authority. If Sue can understand that perspective, she canbegin to decide how to manage Kathy more effectively.If Sue takes it as a given that Kathy resents Sue’s position, Suethen needs to think about what leverage points she has. She can- not use her authority to make sure that Kathy does her job, but canSue use social pressure to achieve her ends? Given that the othermembers of the team are getting their work done, perhaps a publicmeeting where all members explain what they have—and havenot—done will force Kathy’s hand. At such a meeting Kathy wouldhave to explain to her age-peers on the team (not just to Sue) whyKathy has chosen not to do the work. Although Kathy has no respectfor Sue’s position or authority on the team because Sue isyounger than Kathy, perhaps wanting respect from her age-peerswill do enough to shame Kathy into getting the work done.If Kathy continues not to get her work done, Sue can always goto Kathy and act as if she needs Kathy’s help and coaching on howto meet the team’s deadlines. Though some people would say itwas manipulative, Sue’s deliberately putting Kathy in a one-up position(vis-à-vis Sue) might be enough to smooth Kathy’s ruffledfeathers and get the work done. Sometimes for a younger manager,explicitly telling the older (unhappy) direct reports that the projectneeds their assistance, that they are a critical component, andthat the work can’t get done without their contribution because theyknow so much can go a long way toward solving the problem. Sometimespeople just want to be appreciated, and a specific appeal tothem that shows them how important they are to the process cantake care of the problem.Think back to the Sue-Kathy-Magda incident discussed earlier.With a better understanding of the generational and respect issuesinvolved, what could Sue do differently next time? Sue could haveapproached Magda for background information about all teammembers before the project started, and would thus have hadsome idea that Kathy was not completely trustworthy when it cameto getting the work done. Then, rather than presuming that everyoneon the team would do their part of the work, Sue could have anticipated Kathy’s being a problem. Armed with this information, Sue could have constructed the tasks and team process in such a way that Kathy (1) wouldn’t have as central a piece of work and (2) would be publicly responsible to the team as a whole, rather than to Sue. Making Kathy publicly responsible to the team (and thereforeher age-peers) rather than just to Sue could have helped avoidthe age conflict Sue encountered.With a better understanding of her own perspective about generationaland respect issues, Kathy too could have improved thesituation. If unwilling to report to someone younger than she was,she could have asked to be taken off the team. Initially she couldhave asked to be put in charge of the team, instead of Sue.It is entirely possible, however, that the age and respect issueswere just an excuse for Kathy to avoid work (apparently her habitalready). It is also possible that Kathy actually wanted Sue to fail toshow the organization that it was a bad idea to put someone so juniorin charge of such an important project.
- The Benefits of TrustIncreased efficienciesVoluntary deference to authority
- What is really going on? Is your lack of trust in him about his age? Is it about him as a person? Is it about how he manages? Is it about how well he does his job? Is it about how the organizationisdoing? Do you not trust her because you think she doesn’t trust you? Are you being paranoid? Do you just think she is “past it”? If so, why? Is that a fair and accurate assessment of her as a person, or is it relevant only to one small part of what she does? Generally that kind of sweeping opinion is more applicable to one minor aspect of the person rather than to the whole individual.
- What is really going on? Does he not trust you because you are younger than he is (and therefore is presuming that you are less competent)? Has something specific happened to erodethe trust? If so, what can you do to get others to feel that you are worthy of trust again? Can you ask them? Is it possible you’re just being paranoid?
- Remember that trust can’t be bought with higher salaries or coaxed with better benefits; trust comes from deeper sources. Employees are likely to trust leaders who:• Do what they say they are going to do• Are competent• Look out for the employees’ interests as well as their own• Appear to care about the employees• Explain why decisions are being made• Really listen to the concerns of the employeesAnd what if you do something or something happens that results in losing your employee’s trust? Some people appear to believe that they will increase employees’ trust by:• Telling employees and colleagues what they want to hear• Saying only positive things and denying that the negative realitiesof the situation are issues• Pretending that everyone trusts them• Acting as if they did nothing wrong in the past• Acting hurt when someone says they aren’t trustworthy• Saying they did nothing wrong even while being indicted• Generally behaving as if they are convinced by their own verbiage
- Sometimes there isn’t much you can do except tell the truth over and over again and hope that eventually people will finally start believing you again. In Gary’s case, it did work. In the yearsince we first heard his story, Gary has done an excellent job of reestablishing trust with people in his organization. The people he works with report that Gary behaves as if he is honestly interested in alternative opinions. He frequently asks for feedback about his behavior from people of all ages and levels. Gary’s behavior is now seen as being consistent with what he says; in other words, he is finally “walking his talk.” People really do think that the leopard’s spots have changed dramatically. With enough effort, change that results in renewed trust can be accomplished!
- The overall message is that there are more similarities among the generations in what attributes they want in a leader than there are differences. But what about people at different levels in the organization? Do people at different levels want different attributes in their leaders? Do people at different levels in organizations say they want different things from their leaders?Overall, people in the top and executive, upper management, management, and professional ranks want the same attributes in their leaders (CREDIBLE, FARSIGHTED, TRUSTED, A GOOD COACH). However, there were a few interesting differences between people at different levels on which attributes are most important.
- Just because you don’t supervise someone doesn’t mean you’re not a leader in your organization. Many different people in organizations are leaders—and not all of them are in positions of formal authority. If you think about it, you’ll be able to name people who are leaders in your organization because of some combination of their personal clout, experience, reputation, and insight. Their lack of formal authority doesn’t make them not leaders. So regardless of your formal position in the organization, you do need to think about the advice for leaders.Our best advice (in part based on the research, and in part from our collective experience): You won’t go far wrong if you behave as you would like your leaders to behave. Do you want yourleaders to be credible? You should be credible. Do you want them to be dependable? You should be dependable. Do you want them to be encouraging? You should be encouraging. And so on.You need to be as you want others to be. You cannot change others’ behavior (no matter how much you might want to or how right you would be!); the only person’s behavior you can changeis your own. And if you want one of those leadership positions that come with organizational authority, it would be a good idea to start practicing now how you want to be as a leader.
- Lack of confidence in leaders isn’t about a generational disagreementabout what a leader should be; it is about what leaders aredoing to show they are good leaders. Unfortunately it is difficult foranyone to be all things to all people—and especially to people ofall generations and all levels in the organization simultaneously.Even when credible is explicitly defined as “believable, ethical, trustworthy;has few hidden motives,” what does the person have to doto be seen as credible by any specific individual? We know that peoplewant the same attributes in their leaders; what we don’t knowis what leaders need to do to be identified that way by everyone.
- As an employee, you owe it to yourself to understand the changes you are being told to enact. The more you understand the purpose and potential benefits of the changes, the more likely you are to be able to help the change succeed.Another positive outcome of asking for more information about the change is that it signals to the people who designed the change that (1) you are interested in what is happening and have good intentions, and (2) you don’t have all the information you need to help them succeed. Your asking for more information for this reason may cause them to substantially increase communication about the change, and you can find out what you need to know.
- Employers can focus their efforts on this list (above), but must realize that each individual wants a slightly different combination of compensation, learning, advancement, quality of life, and respect. Just about everyone feels underpaid and overworked— including me!
- Overall, 21% of people of all generations volunteered commentsabout the importance of learning and development for their advancingwithin the organization and were concerned about whatthey need to learn and how they’re going to learn it. Because peopleof all generations think that learning is critically important, wefelt that organizations would benefit from learning more about thekinds of developmental opportunities and learning methods employeesprefer. So we focused our research on these questions:What do people want to learn? Does it differ by generation or levelin the organization?How do people want to learn?
- In aggressive communication, generational conflicts and potential conflicts are anticipated and surfaced. Generational differences are based primarily on unarticulated assumptions and unconscious criteria; therefore, surfacing them takes a giant step toward resolving them. The energy of behind-the-back complaining, passive-aggressive behavior, and open hostility is rechanneled to projects that can profit from different points of view, particularly the fresh perspectives of the young and the wisdom of experience. In the best and brightest intergenerational companies, overcommunication is the rule. These organizations are rife with ad hoc small group discussions, generationally integrated staff meetings, e-mail messages, and water coolerchats, conversationrich with talk about differing viewpoints and perspectives on vital issues of the day. And there’s as much listening going on as there is talking. Unfortunately, many organizations continue to stagger along amidst the wreckage of intergenerational warfare with constant passive-aggressive verbal attacks and veiled accusations, just hoping the problems will somehow take care of themselves. But the companies profiled here have chosen to address generational issues head-on and to validate the differing points of view. They take the time to talk openly about what the different cohorts and the individuals within them are looking for on the job; what makes work rewarding...which environments are most productive... what types of work load, schedules, and policies contribute toa workplace that attracts and retains people of differing needs, viewpoints, and expectations of job and work.
- Difference deployment is, simply, the tactical use of employees with different backgrounds, experiences, skills, and viewpoints to strengthen project teams, customer contact functions, and, at times, whole departments and units. In generationally “blind” organizations, managers and human resource departments labor mightily to homogenize employees; to fit them to a single template of the “good employee” (and to make employees as alike and easily predictable as possible). But as the head of employee selection research at a large mainframe computer manufacturer succinctly put the problem for us: “We spent years and millions learning to hire people just like the people who were already here. We never bothered to ask whether the people who could best fit in todaywould be able to help us survive tomorrow...until it was almost too late.” It is an approach, a system, whose time is well past. Generationally savvy organizations value the differences betweenpeople and look at differences as strengths. Generationally balanced workgroups—balanced not in the arithmetic but in a psychic sense— respect and learn from yesterday’s experiences, understand today’s pressures, dilemmas, and needs, and believe that tomorrow will be different still. They are comfortable with the relative rather than absolute nature of a situation, knowledge, skill, value, and, most of all, solutions to problems.
- As we’ve gotten to know the companies featured in this chapter and other successful cross-generational friendly companies, we’ve been struck by five specific similarities or common approaches to making their environments generationally comfortable and focusing their people’s energies on the business of the business. We’ve come to think of these as the ACORN imperatives, five potent precepts or operating ideas that these companies are using to grow oak-strong organizations. As you peruse the profiles, be aware of why these organizations accommodate differences, build nontraditional workplaces, exhibit flexibility, emphasize respectful relations, and focus on retaining talented and gifted associates. More specifically, be on the lookout for the variety of ways these companies:
- With employee retention at or near the top of the list of corporate “must meet” measures, the most generationally friendly of companies are treating their employees as they do their customers.They are learning all they can about them, working to meet their specific needs, and serving them according to their unique preferences. They have painstakingly figured out what their employees’ preferences are and have done everything they can to create a friendlier workplace in tangible and symbolic ways. There is real, not hypothetical, effort to accommodate personal scheduling needs, work-life balance issues, and nontraditional lifestyles. Each generation’s icons, language, and precepts are acknowledged, and language is used that reflects generations other than those “at the top”; see, for example, West Group’s Café.com as a smallish environmental accommodation and acknowledgment that nonetheless has meant much to the company’s employees.
- The companies profiled here are a far cry from the stereotypical corporate environments of the 1950s and 1960s where everything was predictable and regimented from the executive boardroom to the way secretaries greeted executives in the morning to the standard memo format. Generationally friendly companies allow the workplace to shape itself around the work being done, the customers being served, and the people who work there. Dress policies tend to be casual. The height and width of the chain of command tend to be foreshortened, and decreased bureaucracy is taken on as a clear goal. “Change” is not so much the name of a training seminar or a core value listed somewhere in the mission statement as it is an assumed way of living and working. All hands have a shared understanding of the temporary nature of “hot ideas” and the danger of emulating Fast Company’s business of the month. They understand that leadership in an industry or a product area doesn’t come with an insurance policy, nor does the accompanying organizational prosperity. In all these companies, the atmosphere could be described as relaxed and informal. There’s an element of humor and playfulness about most of their endeavors.
- Operate from a sophisticated management style. You will notice the managers interviewed in the following profiles are a bit more polished than the norm; they operate with a certain finesse. They tend to be more direct. Generationally friendly managers don’t have much time for circumlocution, “B.S.,” as one put it to us, although they are tactful. They give those who report to them the big picture, specific goals and measures, then they turn their people loose – giving them feedback, reward and recognition as appropriate.
- Respect competence and initiative. The old “manufacturing mode” of business was based on the precept that people are inherently “sliders” who are not all that interested in putting their best efforts forward without fairly close supervision and monitoring. The companies profiled here are very much a part of the knowledge and service economy. They assume the best of their people. They treat everyone, from the newest recruit to the most seasoned employee, as if they have great things to offer and are motivated to do their best. It is an attitude that has, in these companies, become a self-fulfilling prophecy. These companies hire carefully and do much to assure a good match between people and work. But they seem never to forget that they hired the best possible people for a reason—so that they will endeavor to do the best possible job.
- Many organizations are yet unaware there’s a labor shortage, or at least they act that way. They expect employees to bend to the company’s will and to adapt to meet the demands of the company culture. Then the executives complain about their high turnover, the difficulty of finding good people, and the skyrocketing costs of replacing those who’ve left. Generationally friendly companies are concerned and focused, on a daily basis, with retention, and on making their workplaces magnets for excellence—not employee-toxic. They know that keeping their people is every bit as important in today’s economy as finding and retaining customers. Therefore, they offer lots of training, from one-on-one coaching opportunities to interactive computer-based training to an extensive and varied menu of classroom courses. Not only do they encourage regular lateral movement within their organizations, but they have broadened assignments. No longer do insurance claims adjusters, for example, process only a small part of the claim. Today they take it from the initial call to the settlement check, which provides variety and challenge, and it allows employees to develop a rangeof skills.