How To Manage Multiple Generations In The Workplace

With clear caution against stereotyping people by age, Valerie M. Grubb has written an incredibly insightful book on how to manage the new workplace reality. A reality driven by the fact that by 2020, 25 percent of the labor force will be over the age of 55, and Generation Z is just now entering the workforce. All of which will drive a clash of cultures that demands a new management approach.

Key takeaways from Grubb's new book, Clash of the Generations, include:

Old habits - not old people - kill innovation, and pairing veteran workers with younger ones has proven to spur innovation at many companies.
Learning is a lifelong pursuit, and motivating senior team members to develop their skill sets is just as important as mentoring new and mid-career members of the team.
Employees and managers worry about job stability, and taking part in developing individualized career plans for your talent is a critical way to retain them.

In the book, you'll learn about:

The New Workplace Reality
Defining the Generations
Fostering a Culture of Inclusion
Setting the Stage for Great Performance
Being an Inclusive Manager
Promoting Growth Opportunities
Managing Differences in Work Ethic
Managing Different Work-Life Balance Expectations
Managing the Differences in Career Development Planning

And, you'll read some fascinating case studies about these organziations:

Chegg
Hy-Ko Products
TECT Corporation

Valerie M. Grubb

Recently, Grubb shared with me her answers to these questions about a workplace with Baby Boomers Generation Xers, Millennials and the soon-to-come Generations Zers:

Question: When do you believe most businesses will fully experience the impact of Generation Zers?

Grubb: The latest generation, commonly referred to as Generation Z, Post-Millennials or Nextsters, were born in 1998 so businesses can expect this new group of employees to show up any day now (either as interns or full-time employees).

Question: How best should a leader pro-actively prepare for that impact?

Grubb: If your company is still struggling with how to manage the Millennial generation, it’s time to get serious about your management practices and training! I have five recommendations that leaders can immediately implement:

Demand inclusivity – all voices matter, not just those new to the office or with more senior experience. By ensuring everyone is heard, your teaching respect for all which can positively affect employee motivation and engagement.
Understand that work ethic means very different things to each generation and this includes time in the office. Both Millennials and GenZ are incredibly entrepreneurial and will expect more independent work environments. So ensure your leaders are managing employees by the goals they accomplish, not by the hours in the office.
Train your managers on the value of appreciation. Millennials certainly brought the concept into the workforce but GenZ will take it to a whole new level. If your managers are stuck in the old ways of motivating and engaging employees (including not rewarding and appreciating employees), even previously successful managers will start to experience turnover.
Focus on development opportunities from the moment your GenZer (or Millennial) shows up in the office. If they are not learning, they’re looking for opportunities at your competitor. Take advantage of that strong desire to learn by offering professional development opportunities from formal training to informal mentoring options.
Step up your communication game. GenZ and Millennials are going to assume that no news = bad news, including that management doesn’t care about them. That can spell trouble for even the best of companies and it’s something leaders can immediately implement.

Question: When a leader helps to facilitate mentoring within his/her organization, what works best?

Grubb: Pairing Baby Boomers with Generatioon Xers, Millennials or Generation Zers? Any why?

Both! Learning occurs up, down and sideways, so focus on the goals of what your trying to get out of the mentoring relationship, then pair up the generations to accomplish the mission.

Boomers and Xers can gain a significant leg-up on technologies and the interests of younger workers by being paired up with Millennial and GenZers. On the flip side, more senior employees can help Millennials and GenZers with what it takes to lead in a corporate environment (and how to move up that timeline).

As long as both employees walk into the partnership with the right attitude (that we both have something to learn), your mentoring programs can result in a more engaged and motivated workforce (and one that’s smarter too!).

Grubb is the founder of the consulting firm Val Grubb & Associates Ltd. During her career, she served as vice president of NBC Universal and played a key role in creating both Oxygen Media and IAC.

Comments

10 Quotes From The 5 Levels Of Leadership -- John C. Maxwell

Soon I'll post my full review of John C. Maxwell's latest book, The 5 Levels of Leadership . In the meantime, here are some of my favorites quotes from the book that I believe should become a must-read book by any workplace/organizational leader: Good leadership isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Leadership is action, not position. When people feel liked, cared for, included, valued, and trusted, they begin to work together with their leader and each other. If you have integrity with people, you develop trust. The more trust you develop, the stronger the relationship becomes. In times of difficulty, relationships are a shelter. In times of opportunity, they are a launching pad. Good leaders must embrace both care and candor. People buy into the leader, then the vision. Bringing out the best in a person is often a catal...

Decision-Making Lessons From History

As seen on Public Television, the book, Decisions , by Robert L. Dilenschneider , features vignettes on 23 individuals who made decisions that shaped the world. Each chapter offers practical thinking on how these women and men made decisions. You can use their decision-making skills as guidance at work, in your leadership role, and in your daily life. You’ll learn decision making tips from Harry Truman , Margaret Thatcher , Mohammed Ali , Rachel Carson , Pablo Picasso and others who made decisions during war and peace, and in fields of science, commerce and invention. Author Dilenschneider suggests takeaways about decision-making from each featured historical figure. Some of my favorite decision-making lessons from history and from the book include these: Own your decisions . Be responsible for them and for their implications. Do not be reactionary—that is, making decisions to spite others or because of outside pressure—but do be r...

Book Review: The Elephant In The Room

Diana McLain Smith's new book, The Elephant in the Room , explains how relationships make or break the success of leaders and organizations. It's not a light right. For those who really want to understand relationships, however, this book, based on Smith's clinical research and a wealth of in-depth observational studies, is both insightful and worth the effort. Smith explains that when people click or clash, we typically chalk it up to chemistry and leave it at that. But, she knows there are many dynamics within that relationship that need understanding by a leader to create success. In fact, she says it's possible to identify and analyze the seemingly mysterious ingredients that go into the makings of a relationship. And, given the right tools, it's possible to understand what happens when a relationship forms, and then to actually anticipate what might happen next . That anticipation is critical, claims Smith. Smith also shows read...

Q&A With Best Selling Author And Expert Storyteller, Paul Smith

Paul Smith Paul Smith's book, Lead with a Story , is one of the top 10 books I recommend every leader should read. In his book, Paul demonstrates how storytelling is a powerful business tool that can mean the difference between mediocre results and phenomenal success. Since the book was published about three years ago, my admiration for Paul's passion for storytelling and helping to teach people how to effectively tell stories has only but grown. Today, Paul was kind enough to share his thoughts about: that best-selling book how storytelling is growing in the business world his latest book how to use stories during job interviews how Lead with a Story totally changed his carreer 1. How would you summarize the overall reaction to your Lead with a Story book? Any surprises? Paul : Everything is a surprise with your first book. Being a new author, you don’t really know what to expect in terms of book sales, marketing effort...

Book Review & Highlights: Leadership Conversations

When I read business books, I turn the corner of every page that has something I really like, want to remember and easily reference in the future. Halfway into the 300-page book, Leadership Conversations , I had turned the corners of nearly every fifth pages. So, you can see why I believe this is such a good book. There is so much to learn from Leadership Conversations . It's a must read for today's business leaders. Leaders who are leading multi-generational workforces. And, leaders who want the skills to get promoted and move up the corporate ladder. Authors Alan S. Berson and Richard G. Stieglitz wrote the book because they believe that a leader's most powerful skill is the ability to hold effective conversations . So, in their book, they detail the four types of conversations every leader must effectively master . Conversations that: Buil...

Book Review: Conflict 101

Handling conflict is one of the most difficult things a leader has to deal with. Unfortunately, conflict in the workplace is inevitable. In fact, research shows that 42 percent of a manager's time is spent addressing conflict . And, over 65 percent of performance problems are caused by employee conflicts . Managers new in their leadership role typically have had little to no training on how to deal with conflict. Fortunately, in Susan H. Shearouse's new book, Conflict 101 , you can learn: How conflict is created How we respond to conflict How to management conflict more effectively Shearouse explains that even though conflict is inevitable, it can lead to both growth and progress . "There is little progress that is not preceded by some kind of conflict," says Shearouse. I found particularly helpful in the book the definitions of the following five different types of conflict and then how best to deal with each: Problems to solve Disagreem...

How to Be a Leader – 9 Principles from Dale Carnegie

Today, I welcome thought-leader Nathan Magnuson as guest blogger... Nathan writes : This is it, your first day in a formal leadership role. You’ve worked hard as an individual contributor at one or possibly several organizations. Now management has finally seen fit to promote you into a position as one of their own: a supervisor. You don’t care if your new team is only one person or ten, you’re just excited that now – finally – you will be in charge! Unfortunately the euphoria is short-lived. Almost immediately, you are not only overwhelmed with the responsibilities of a team, but you quickly find that your team members are not as experienced or adroit as you. Some aren’t even as committed. You find yourself having to repeat yourself, send their work back for corrections, and staying late to fill the gap. If something doesn’t change soon, you might just run yourself into the ground. How did something that looked so easy ...

How To Achieve Success Through The Power Of One More

“You are one more intentional thought and action away from discovering your best life,” explains author of the new book, The Power Of One More , by Ed Mylett – released earlier this summer. “You can find your best life by doing ‘one more’ than the world expects from you,” he adds. In his book, he further explains that your individual thoughts and actions you take don’t need to be profound. However, when you compound these small thoughts and actions and stack them up on top of each other, the resulting changes over time are profound. Mylett reveals strategies chapter by chapter and covers goal setting, habits, emotions, relationships, are more. Strategies include those on how to: Slow down time and spot new opportunities Use time to your fullest advantage Find deeper purpose in life Be sure to check out Chapters 15 and 16, which focus on leadership . Within those, Mylett shares his thoughts about leadership: You are a leader if y...

70 Simple Rules For Sensational Service

Flavio Martins ' book, Win The Customer , teaches you 70 simple rules for sensational service . "These can be used as a top-down resource in organizations looking to develop or enhance a service culture," explains Martins. "They can also be used as a resource for individuals who want to transform the way service is handled from the ground up, even when lacking the full commitment and support from organization-wide training and change efforts." To deliver sensational customer service, you need to have the right culture . Martin says that the right culture: Inspires -- Culture isn't a mission statement; it's a statement of action. Fosters -- When united in a common goal, people contribute to an environment where everybody willingly comes to work each day and pours their best efforts into doing what they believe will make the greatest difference. Transforms -- When working toward a higher purpose, the right culture has a real, positive effect...

How To Manage Hybrid Meetings

Hybrid meetings are becoming the new norm. Making hybrid meetings work well requires planning, preparation and know-how – skillsets that are different from managing traditional face-to-face meetings. Fortunately, the new book, Suddenly Hybrid: Managing The Modern Meeting , supplies leaders a practical guidebook that clearly outlines what works and what does not work when planning and managing hybrid meetings. “We encourage you to not read the book passively but rather to actively engage with it by using its tools to assess yourself and your organization,” share the authors Karin M. Reed and Joseph A. Allen, PHD . Those tools include checklists and chapter takeaways . Hybrid meetings, the new norm for many companies, are much more complex in terms of how people are connected versus the traditional face-to-face meeting. Hybrid meetings are where some people are in the same room, and some are linked in remotely. Some are face-to-face while others are connected via ...

Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

Search This Blog