How To Lead And Manage A Mixed Generation Workplace

Occasionally in history massive demographic change combines with relentless technological change and within a generation, society altogether changes. Today, we are living in such an era.

Gone are the days of long service leave, gold watches and subservience to the boss. Members of all generations are seeking more from an employer than is generally offered by most. Retaining valuable employees and increasing their tenure requires new understandings, attitude adjustment and new management skills.

Not only is the job tenure for Generation Y much shorter than has traditionally been expected, there is a noticeable trend that suggests Generation X and Baby Boomers are opting for shorter tenure too. People no longer leave their jobs because there is a compelling reason to leave but because there is no compelling reason to stay. Find a reason to have them stay and you will increase the retention of all your employees.

"Poor management" at 34% is sited as the most common reason for moving on from an employer and when this is coupled with the third highest reason "I didn't feel appreciated at work", at 32% then the importance of management becomes a stark reality.*

"The quality of overall management continues to be one of the most hated parts of a job in the Australian workplace."*

What is wrong with Management?

"Employees remain concerned that their immediate managers are all talk, no action." *

In a qualitative research study undertaken in a cross section of workplaces during 2007, I learned that younger employees are asking to be treated in the same way as their more experienced colleagues. They are begging for more responsibility and they are rebelling against managers who want to dole out work, provide detailed instructions on how to complete the tasks and then expect the employee to blindly follow the instructions to completion.

This management style is seen as controlling and suffocating of the employee's ability to use their creativity to complete and possibly find a better method of completing the task. 

Many mangers feel the need to limit the volume of work given to younger workers who see this as being frustrating and condescending. "Don't they trust us?" is a question often asked. This management style is seen to lack trust and also to lack any thought of a future career path for the employee. They are not being tested to see if they can achieve more or better results and in their minds they are being suffocated.

This is the opposite of what these employees need.

What can Managers do better?

1. Trust that the employee has the interests of the business in mind. 
   
   This may manifest itself in a more selfish desire to improve the career prospects of the individual but the result is still better quality work.
2. Let go of the view that "this is how it was in my day and it's how it's going to be today". 
   
   This outdated view is no longer relevant or constructive and takes no account of the generational influences that have shaped the current generations.
3. "Overload" their employees.
   
   By giving the employee more work than you believe they are capable of completing, you provide them with a challenge to organise themselves and find a way of completing the tasks.
4. When assigning tasks, provide an outline of what needs to be achieved (an objective).
   
   Confirm they understand the outcomes you are seeking and let them know you are available should they need any assistance. Then give them the space to complete the assigned tasks.
5. Younger generations value mentoring. 
   
   There is an older generation of workers who have a wealth of history to pass on to them. By providing the opportunity for Boomers to mentor Generation Y, you create not only an opportunity to have the history passed on, but also an opportunity to have Generation Y improve the computer skills of the Boomers. 
   
   This two way mentoring relationship is a triple win, as the organisation wins by improving the level of co-operation in cross generational relationships and therefore the morale of the team.

Gain an understanding of the influences of the younger generation and use this knowledge to develop a management style for the team.

Generation Y

• This generation finds many traditional activities much less interesting than the myriad devices they carry in their pockets and backpacks. These young people are used to having anyone who asks for their attention - their favourite musicians, their movie makers, their TV stars, their game designers - work really hard to earn it. When what is being offered isn't engaging, they truly resent their time being wasted.
• These influences have led to Generation Y's unwritten employment contract: "keep me challenged and interested or I will go somewhere else that will". Add to this, that they expect to be valued on their merit, not longevity, and a picture of what frustrates them and how we might manage them begins to emerge. Challenge them, be available to guide them and expect more than you would have been expected to deliver at the same time in your career.
• Lead and manage individuals and you will create a team that is dynamic and highly productive. We speak of generations but all are composites of many individuals each with their own values, attitudes, skills and abilities. By gaining an understanding of the individuals' preferences and passions, the workplace can be re-engineered to fit the individuals. This provides managers with a higher functioning team and reduced demand for hands-on management time.

* Seek Employee Motivation and Satisfaction Survey 2007