Now that Generation Z has both feet in the workplace, companies must learn to manage teams of up to 5 different generations. A situation that could create a few sparks in the coming year.
Researcher Heidi K. Gardner, author of the book Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work, addressed the issue in a Harvard Business Review article co-authored with Denise Roberson, chief purpose officer of Omnicom’s TBWA. And the two women suggest three powerful strategies for creating multigenerational teams that are both “functional” and productive. Here are the three strategies.
1- Bring “meaning” back to the heart of work
Workers from the 5 generations (Silent, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Z) may have different behaviors (often associated with different moments in their lives), but when you dig a little deeper, most of the time they share similar values: family, respect for others, a job well done, etc. In this sense, it makes sense to bring the question of meaning at work to the forefront of the discussion. Everyone wants their work to have meaning – it’s human nature, regardless of age.
Have small groups of six to eight people, made up of different generations, and ask them to answer questions together about the meaning of work, the authors of the article suggest. Focus the questions to connect a personal goal to a company goal – so employees can see how they and their work contribute to it.”
Nice results are in order: according to a study by BetterUp, workers who do meaningful work are 69% less likely to leave their company within the first six months of employment.
2 – Recognize differences
If the 5 generations share “the same values”, this does not mean that they necessarily have the same strengths and weaknesses. Acknowledging and naming the differences is a key element of a productive team. The authors suggest that managers begin a mandate by recalling these differences, which are ideally strengths:
Have each team create a “scoreboard” at the beginning of each project to highlight each person’s potential contribution based on their specific perspective. For example: Tina, a baby boomer, cites her decades of experience serving this or that customer, while Bernie, a Millennial, lists the productivity applications he’s mastered.”
The goal of the process: to highlight each other’s expertise, rather than simply leaving the spotlight to the loudmouths and loudspeakers.
3 – Learn from each other
The third and final tip is also in the spirit of “building on skills”. To break down the Young versus Old hierarchy, the authors of the article advise companies to implement a reverse mentoring program.
These programs help senior leaders or managers become more sophisticated on topics such as social media, collaboration, work-life balance and technology problem solving,” they argue.
Reverse mentoring allows the new generation to gain confidence and also improve their communication skills – a win-win exchange.
