The Managers’ Guide to Leading Multi-Generational Teams
It’s a challenging time to be a leader. It’s hard enough to master the skills required to lead a multi-generational workforce, but when you combine the generations into teams, unique challenges can arise.
But actually, on the flipside, with multi-generational workforce can actually mean that this an exciting time to be a leader!
The convergence of multi-generational teams allows the group to tap into each other’s collective wisdom, energy, and motivations. These generations have many fine points in common and when matched together, they can produce powerful results.
The key to unleashing this power is to understand what motivates teams, combined with an insight into the specific drivers for each generation.
Teams still need leaders, both formal and informal. And yes, teams still go through the natural phases of team evolution. They still Form, Storm, Norm, and Perform. And inevitably, they will start the cycle again and Reform.
This cycle happens regardless of the generational make-up of the team. But to accelerate a team through the cycles, ensuring your team does not get bogged down in the wrong phase, requires unique leadership insights into the specific motivations of the individual and the team as a whole.
A great tactic is to seek out the similarities between the generations and leverage these strengths and shared beliefs to optimize team results.
For example, both Millennials and the Traditionalist (pre-baby boomer) generations share a desired work culture in that they believe in collective action, have optimism about the future, trust in centralized authority, and a willingness to get things done in the face of overwhelming odds.
As a leader, what are your best tactics?
First, let’s get back to basics and ask yourself if the team you are leading…
- Knows the central purpose of the team?
- Has set team goals?
- Is committed to actually achieving the team goals?
- Understands the consequences of not achieving goals?
- Have the necessary resources to accomplish the goals?
If these conditions are in place, then you can provide the type of leadership skills multi-generational teams are looking for. These include:
- Macro-management: Teams should be self-driven and outcome focused. Too much management will stifle creativity and erode problem solving within the team.
- Empathy: Authentic leaders who understand the personal motivations of the team and individuals create followership.
- Positive Accountability: Be personally accountable for your results and hold others accountable. Positive rewards will always outweigh negative behaviors.
- Listening: Your team will tell you what it needs as long as you have developed empathic relationships and can deliver resources.
- Holacracy-Based Leadership: Encourage self-organizing teams (e.g. Holacracy) where authority and decision-making are distributed versus the traditional management hierarchy.
- Role Model: The leader of the team sets the tone for the team. Are you setting the correct tone that accomplishes the above?
Leading today’s teams requires visionary skills while keeping one ear to the ground.
The ability to set direction, hire the right people, provide resources and remove obstacles will always be the fundamental elements of leadership. However, additional focus on the unique requirements of the team without micro managing requires leaders to be more tuned in to the ‘spaces between the lines’.
Need help managing teams and understanding how to manage a multi-generational workforce?
Our clients come to us looking for solutions and ways to enhance their workplace culture to make it inviting for all generations to perform at their best. We can help you in a variety of ways email info@pendolinogroup.com for more information.
Read Part I of Millennials at Work: Generation Y and Performance Management.
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