Managing Multiple Generations
What Success Looks Like
By Patti Dismukes

The Generation Gap has been around for a long time, last receiving extensive media attention in the 60’s and 70’s.  More recently, the media has latched onto the latest generation gap as the Gamers or Gen Y move into the mainstream.  What the media has only recently noticed has been a hot topic among managers since, for the first time, there are four distinct generations of people in the American workforce.

Needless to say, the challenges posed are widespread among all US companies as it couples with a forecasted labor shortage to form a perfect storm.  What are managers to do when faced with multi-generational teams and the conflicts that often arise?  How do leaders engage and motivate diverse groups that barely speak the same language (figuratively if not literally)?  And how are they to get their diverse workforce to effectively communicate and cooperate so the organization can reach its goals?

Our research, both in the field with clients and in literature, has uncovered ways some of the most successful companies have not only managed through this, but have found ways to capitalize on it to further their corporate objectives.  By sharing their experience, we hope you’ll find practical ideas you can use to help improve the productivity of your team.

Understand the Challenge
Without an acute understanding of each generation, it is hard to begin to develop strategies for engaging them.  Consider the following comments:

• I don’t feel appreciated.
• I know what I’m doing.
• Why can’t I work when and where I want?
• Don’t micromanage me.
• Why do I have to do it that way?
• I’m not understood.
• Why do I always have to clean up their mistakes?

If these sound familiar, chances are good that you’re already dealing with some of the conflict that arises among different generational groups.  Feelings and attitudes like these can result in friction, passivity, complacency, frustration, anger, gossip and poor morale in the workplace.  These conflicts surface as differing work ethics, views of authority, perspectives, relationships and values clash. 

To understand the forces at work, we begin with an overview of each generation.  As Table 1 shows there are very real and easily recognized differences in the behaviors, attitudes and styles of members of each generation.  Of course, these are generalizations, and members of each generation will exhibit these traits to varying degrees.  Yet, just quickly perusing the chart you can see how differences as vast as these, can result in misunderstandings and conflict in the workplace.

The first step leaders can take toward managing multiple generations is recognizing the different perspectives each group brings to the job.  But it can’t stop there.  Next managers must recognize the unique characteristics of each group, determining how to capitalize on the assets each brings to bear.  And in the process, they must help employees from every generation recognize their similarities and learn to cope with their differences.

                                          Table 1—Comparing Four Generations

	Communication	Expectations	Behavior	Style	Attitudes
Silent   (born 1922-45, ages 61-85)	§   Formal, fact based   §   Face-to-face, memos or phone	§   Flexibility   §   Recognition   §   Promotion, titles	§   Hardworking   §   Risk averse	§   Change adverse   §   Very loyal   §   No tech	§   Work centric   §   Seek material gain
Boomers (born 1946-64, ages 43-60)	§   Outspoken   §   Phone or email (replaced memos)	§   Stability   §   Prestige, social status, public recognition	§   Driven, willing to sacrifice   §   Team/process oriented   §   Relationship focused	§   Resistant to change   §   Loyal to job   §   Low tech	§   Optimistic   §   Self-absorbed   §   Value seniority   §   Conformist
Gen X   (born 1965-76, ages 31-42)	§   Honest & direct   §   Info consumers   §   Email & cell   §   Professional social networks	§   Involvement   §   Learning   §   Flexibility & fun	§   Self-reliant   §   Entrepreneurial   §   Multi-tasking   §   Risk takers   §   Resourceful	§   Open to change   §   Accept diversity   §   Loyal to people   §   Free agents   §   Tech savvy	§   Realists   §   Skeptics   §   Dislike hierarchy   §   Unimpressed by authority
Gen Y / Gamers   (born 1977-95, 12-30)	§   Direct, open but sometimes challenging   §   Big picture   §   Interaction   §   IM, MySpace, Facebook, Blogs, Cell	§   Learning, Development & Fun   §   Flexible work/life   §   Quick advancement	§   Team players but independent   §   Multitasking   §   ADHD, easily bored   §   Self-policing & efficient	§   Creative   §   Expect diversity   §   Loyal to skills   §   Look for new oppty   §   Tech dependent	§   Confident   §   Moral   §   Impatient   §   Civic minded   §   Resent condescension

Let’s focus for a moment on the differences in communication preferences among the four generations.  Older workers prefer face-to-face or phone contact as it relates message cues from body language that simply do not come across in electronic formats.  Younger workers use IM, and text messaging, having devised proxies for the body language that are integral to these communications.  It’s a gap that can cause misunderstanding, or as we’ll cover later in this paper, leaders can view these differences as opportunities for cross pollination. The same is true of each category shown in the table.

Get Creative
Once you understand the inherent differences you are dealing with, you have to determine how best to manage them.  How can you take a team representing each of the four generations and herd them toward a collective goal? 

First, you must find commonalities in what inspires the different generations.  Then find ways to use these common drivers as motivators.

So what do they have in common?
A recently published study of more than 3000 Canadian workers from a variety of industries found that there were more similarities than differences among the reported engagement drivers .  Not surprisingly, Strategic Direction / Leadership, Rewards, and Communication were the top three drivers for all age groups, even though the order listed varied somewhat.

Managers can use the results of this and similar studies to develop programs addressing these common motivators:

• Strategic Direction/Leadership—Employees, no matter the age respond to the belief that the work they’re doing is important, is worthwhile and contributes to the greater good.  Unfortunately, the worth or purpose inherent in every job may not be readily apparent to employees.  It is the manager’s job to convey the context for each role and its part in the organization’s overall strategy and success.  Also, people need to feel that the organization is making a tangible contribution to society.  Here again, managers must relate the corporation’s overall strategy and how it benefits our society.  Yet, too often managers assume that everyone in their organization understands where the company is heading and why.  Don’t fall into that trap.  Employees that already ‘get it’ will indulge managers as they elucidate objectives and purpose to the whole group.  In short, a job that provides personal satisfaction is a common objective for all employees, regardless of their age or culture.  It is up to leaders throughout the organization to help employees realize the value of their efforts, which translates into greater job satisfaction.
• Rewards—Money is the universal motivator, but creative benefits can supplement wages to increase employee commitment.  Realizing that workers have different needs at different ages and stages in their career, many companies have moved toward offering a menu of benefits.  This allows employees to choose the options that are most appropriate to their life stage and needs.  It also makes the provision of benefits more cost effective by targeting only those who actually appreciate the option.  Benefits that are gaining popularity, especially in the technology sector and major metro areas are telecommuting and flextime.  Both recognize the importance of issues employees face in work-life balance and offer a means for dealing with them.  Another is back up child care or elder care plans—often the costs of these plans is offset by a reduction in absenteeism and increase in productivity.
• Communication—Technology has increased our ability to communicate, but still hasn’t provided the time for it.  Thus every leader must consciously plan communication both up and down the organization as part of their workflow.  Information is the single most valued asset in any organization, and the free flow of information through communication is one of the surest ways to increase employee engagement.  While some differences exist between generations as to the preferred mode of communication, all will be motivated by more of it, both formal and informal.

A great example of a company that uses best practices in employee motivation is Google.  They offer an array of legendary benefits ranging from stock options and a 4 star café, to onsite physicians and dental care.  Besides benefits, Google is very conscious about regular communications with employees.  Every Friday they hold a TGIF, with the founders often headlining the event.  In addition, they have originated a practice called the 20% job—it authorizes employees to set aside about a day a week to work on projects of their own choosing.  In this way, they are allowing employees to help set at least 20% of the company’s strategy.  While many of these projects have lead to innovations and new product offerings, just as many or more have yielded less concrete results in terms of new sales or profits.  Yet, all are deemed essential to high employee satisfaction, low turnover and incredibly easy recruiting for Google .

Making Creative Use of Differences
While identifying and making use of commonalities among the generations is one approach, another is finding ways to celebrate the differences for the overall good.   Each generation brings unique assets to bear.  Great organizations are finding ways to capitalize on them.  One example we’ve used in our own company is cross generational mentoring.  In this model, baby boom era workers mentor GenX and GenYers in business skills while the GenX and Yers teach their mentors technology. 

In the technology industry, the use of multiple generations in projects is a must as each can bring their unique perspective to the task at hand.  We’ve witnessed many a project that has failed as GenX and Yers made up the entire team, when the eventual end-users of the application were senior leaders from the Silent and Baby Boom generations.  Since the younger techies lacked the perspective of members of these groups, the designs they created were not user friendly and ended up on the shelf.  Best practices in project management now require that teams draw their membership from multiple generations.

So, while dealing with the challenges posed by a multi-generational workforce are real, they are not insurmountable.  Realizing the advantages each group brings to their job is the responsibility of today’s leaders.  Without conscientious management and attention to the varying needs of employees, companies can experience unforeseen dynamics, miscommunication and high turnover.  Yet with understanding and a bit of creative thinking, leaders can harness this new diversity to expand the possibilities and broaden the accomplishments of their teams.

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