Today's workforce is made up of baby boomers, Gen I'm bringing it in. This can create a toxic environment of misunderstandings and misunderstandings, which can negatively impact a company's ability to retain employees and properly serve customers.
When these challenges arise, it's important for leaders to develop a plan of action to connect with their employees and build strong relationships, regardless of age, generation, or experience level. To help with this, the 13 members of the Newsweek Expert Forum offer tips to help business leaders unite different generations of employees for the benefit of the entire organization.
1. Foster a culture of curiosity
In a dynamic workplace, leaders must foster a culture of curiosity. Encourage team members to approach work with an open mindset. It's important to encourage questions, seek understanding, and include diverse perspectives. This proactive approach not only enriches collective understanding, but also prevents unnecessary judgment and fosters a healthier, more inclusive company culture. – Leah Marone, Corporate Wellness Consultant
2. Lay out the process and expectations
Create a process and set expectations. People always have different expectations, but a common understanding is necessary for an organization to function properly. Communicate how the organization functions. For example, will urgent issues be handled via email, chat, text message, or phone call? Reduce misunderstandings by having clear expectations, communication, and coordination upfront. – Krista Neher, Boot Camp Digital
3. Encourage open dialogue and active listening
It is important to take advantage of the perspectives of the diverse generations of your employees. Encourage employees to engage in open dialogue and active listening to understand the preferences and strengths of each generation. Foster a collaborative environment where each generation's insights are valued. This promotes teamwork and a sense of belonging among all members. – Adi Segal, Hapi
4. Prioritize empathy
There will always be generational disagreements about how things should be done. It always has been, and always will be. We should just recognize this as a fact. Just as Gen Z had to explain the purpose of the Metaverse, baby boomers had to explain to their parents what rock 'n' roll was. The same goes for management style. Empathy is the glue that makes everything work. – Zayn Jaffer, Zayn Ventures
5. Leverage common employee interests
Explore common interests among your employees and build a culture of collaboration. Encourage this culture by identifying cross-functional project teams with a mix of ages, experiences, and roles. This provides unique opportunities for employees to get to know each other, share perspectives, and connect and interact in new ways. – Steve Smith, Zayo
6. Focus on personal strengths and experiences
To unite different generations in the workplace, leaders need to focus on individual strengths and experiences rather than generational stereotypes. I suggest that leaders consider adopting Wharton Professor Mauro Guillén's Enduring Mindset concept, which emphasizes collaboration between generations based on shared skills and knowledge rather than age. To do. – Joseph Soares, IBPROM Corp.
7. Communicate the value of different perspectives
By combining different generations within your team, you gain access to a variety of valuable perspectives. Embrace it and encourage people to respect each other's different perspectives. This promotes inclusion while also achieving unique results. Through our mentorship program, we can strengthen that accomplishment and ensure that our experience is passed on and enhanced. – Jergo Valli, Lensa
8. Establish an intergenerational leadership system
Promote intergenerational mentorship programs. This approach helps bridge generation gaps, leverage diverse strengths, and create a collaborative team culture where all members feel valued and heard. – Britton Block, Navy Federal Forces
9. Build a culture of open communication
Intergenerational teams can create a treasure trove of resources and ideas. By creating a company culture that focuses on open communication rather than promoting one correct answer, leaders can provide an outlet for new and different perspectives. This outlet provides an opportunity for team members to share and compare innovative ideas. -Donna Marie Cozine, Consulting with DMC
10. Align around the problem and solution.
Align your team around the problem to be solved. A shared sense of purpose continues to focus on generating solutions, deploying pilots, and making progress in areas of need across ages, stages, teams, and tenures. – Karen Mangia, Engineered Innovation Group
11. Encourage collaboration and strong relationships
Engage your employees to lead by example by building strong relationships with others, especially in areas where they may have weaknesses. As an older business owner, I believe it is important to collaborate with younger generations who have more up-to-date knowledge and skills. By doing so, you can combine the expertise of both generations and create a strong team that bridges the knowledge and experience gaps. – Tammy Sands, Tennessee Nursery School
12. Implementation of reverse mentoring program
Leaders can consider implementing a generational reverse mentoring program. Pair younger and older employees to teach each other about intergenerational perspectives and aspects of their work-related strengths. This is an approach that fosters mutual respect and intergenerational learning, and can effectively bridge gaps in the understanding of different operational methods. – Dr. Kira Graves, Kira Graves Consulting
13. Keep an open mind
The best way to grow is to keep an open mind. Encourage employees to ask others what they don't know, rather than what they already know. Leaders should do the same. You may be surprised to find that what you thought was a given reality has a different and very plausible perspective when viewed through the eyes of another person with a different generational experience. Always be open and receptive to different ideas. – Margie Kiesel, Isidore Partners
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.
