Managing Across Generations in the Workplace

I recently had the pleasure of speaking at the HR Magazine conference in HK on Managing Diversity. My particular topic was Dinosaurs to Digital – HR strategies for managing across 5 generations.

The Larger Context

The world – and business – has changed. Massive disruption has turned traditional models and concepts on their head. For example, Uber – the world’s largest taxi company has no vehicles. Facebook " the world’s most popular media owner, has no content. Alibaba – the most valuable retailer in the world has no inventory and Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider has no real estate!

The heroes are no longer property tycoons, bankers and explorers but young billionaires who have risen to the top with internet fueled successes such as Facebook, Snap Chat and Instagram.

A review of HK demographics shows that Baby Boomers (50+) have now been overtaken in numbers by the Gen Y and Gen X’s (20-49). The Veterans (70+) are on their way out and the Gen Z’s (under 20) are about to enter the workplace. This demographic is pretty standard the world over and the challenges similar.

The world view and life experiences that have framed and coloured each generation make for vastly different needs and drivers. As a generalisation we are balancing command, control and loyalty against "ask not tell", flexibility and work life integration. This can lead to frustration on all fronts.

However, there are ways to balance the generational divide. Here are five simple ways in which IECL work with clients to create inclusive, respectful, sustainable and productive organisations.

1.    Facilitate Purpose – know your organisation’s "why". The Conscious Capitalism movement has clearly shown that companies that put purpose before profit are more sustainable in terms of retaining people and business success. It’s no longer enough to focus on the numbers – the younger generation want to know "the Why?"

2.    Master Storytelling – people across generations love to hear stories – people will remember your story before they remember your sales pitch. Encourage people at all levels of the organisation to tell stories of what you stand for, how you treat people, how their career has thrived etc. Use storytelling in your recruitment processes and all the way through to your interactions with staff, customers, stakeholders", the media etc.

3.    Share wisdom and knowledge – set up mentoring and reverse mentoring programs. The story of Mentor comes from ancient Greece, when Ulyssys went to war and left his son in the care of a trusted advisor – named Mentor. Today, Mentor usually refers to an elder statesperson who shares organisational wisdom with the more junior employee. However some of the most effective programs use reverse mentoring where the younger generation – known as digital natives – are able to share their knowledge with their elders. This may be around use of social media, technology etc.

4.    Coach your people – learn to "ask not tell" – One of the best ways to bridge the generational gap is to develop a coaching culture and a coaching mindset. The most progressive organisations MANDATE coaching as a leadership competency and work with leaders and manager to develop their coaching skills. Young people expect to be coached – it’s no longer a "nice to have".

5.    Encourage regular feedback – annual and bi-annual feedback are no longer enough. A spate of companies has recently hit the news for getting rid of the traditional performance reviews which are universally hated, expensive and not productive. These include Accenture, Deloitte, Microsoft, Gap, Adobe. Instead, leaders need to learn to have regular (weekly or bi- weekly) conversations where they provide timely, constructive feedback that focusses on the present and future rather than the past.

To effectively manage all generations in the workplace I believe creating a sense of belonging and connection for all generations is crucial. I love the story of Macquarie Bank in Australia. They have recently refurbished their flagship building and replaced 34 small kitchens with 4 large ones where people congregate. They have installed a chicken coup and bee hives. One of the most coveted tasks in the Bank is to be on the chicken feeding roster. This is about creating hubs of human connection where people can get to know each other and relate on different levels.

Where can you create your hub?