Leading across generations: from Traditionalists & Baby Boomers to Gen Z

But the reality is that when you lead across multiple generations in your business, it brings with it a range of opportunities.

In order to bring out the best in your team and create a high performing environment, you need to understand the people you work with, and what their focus areas are. What’s important to them? How can you collectively come together and support each other?

In this blog, I’ll be going through the different generations that you may find yourself leading and sharing some specific tactics for leading multiple generations in your business.

Traditionalists

The oldest of the groups, Traditionalists were born between 1928 and 1945. Labelled as the ‘silent generation’, they experienced the Great Depression and World War II, so you can imagine growing up in that era was very different to growing up today.

The Traditionalists will be the oldest members of your team, and since we now have better healthcare, people are living longer and retiring at the age of 60 or 65 is no longer the norm. This generation values fixed work schedules and they prefer to be in the office full time because they thrive on workplace relationships. They tend to keep their work and personal life separate, but they have a wealth of knowledge and experience that could be useful to younger generations.

Baby Boomers

The next group were born between 1946 and 1964. and would’ve been brought up during the Vietnam and Cold wars, as well as the civil rights movement, making them a socially conscious generation.

Having seen several wars in their lifetime, the Baby Boomers may have an increased sense of duty, loyalty, and respect. This generation gets on with their job and delivers what needs to be achieved. They often respond well to structure and specific goal-oriented projects. Most often, people of this generation may have stayed in one job for a very long time, so just like the Traditionalists, they’ll have a wealth of knowledge to share with younger generations.

Gen X

Born between 1965 and 1980, this group grew up in a time of economic uncertainty. They experienced the energy crisis and the stock market decline, as well as the end of communism and the transition to capitalism. Having been born in 1972, I’m actually part of the Gen X group.

Generation X tends to have a very strong work ethic, but it must be aligned with their personal goals. They’re more aware in terms of work-life balance, and a bit more flexible with work schedules. Their style tends to be more independent and adaptable, looking for ways to save time and increase efficiency. Generation X tends to always be seeking new initiatives and ways of working, acting as champions and subject matter experts in their chosen area.

Millennials

Up next is the group born between 1981 and 1996. This generation came of age when technology and media was absolutely booming. They were the first generation to have access to computers and smartphones from a young age, and they were also the target consumers for social media and streaming services.

Millennials tend to want to be part of something bigger, and not everything is about corporate profits. They want to feel part of the broader movement or organisation. This generation tends to excel when they see a clear career path which includes personal development opportunities, meaning they’re aware of their life and what’s important to them. Like Generation X, they tend to be more flexible and adaptable, but increasingly independent and able to manage their own schedule with the likes of remote working.

This generation also holds very strong values, so they’ll be heavily focused on the employee value proposition. When your organisation is looking to attract talent, if it’s millennials you’re after, know your employee value proposition, because they will choose very carefully based on the overall package. This could include healthcare, wellness, and personal development perks, not just the role and the financial reward.

Gen Z

Born between 1997 and 2012, this generation has never known a world without the internet, so technology is an important part of their lives. They also place great value on social issues, such as mental health, racial equality, and the environment.

For Gen Zs, they feel a strong connection to workplaces that share their values, which means company culture should reflect diversity, equality, and inclusion. Their work style is also the most different, because it’s completely flexible. They may have multiple roles at one time, or they may move from one workplace to another quite frequently.

They enjoy social team-based activities and interactions and prefer role-specific personal development. Mental health and wellness is critical for Gen Zs, and they most desire to give back environmentally and socially, valuing socially responsible practices.

8 key steps to success

There are five different and very powerful groups that could be on your team, so how can you bring out the best in them all? Well, you’ve got to be able to bridge that gap and find common ground to bring the team together. So, here are eight tactics that you can use help with leading across multiple generations:

1. Take advantage of learning from one another.
2. Foster a sense of wellbeing across the multiple generations.
3. Share values and show respect.
4. Be a trustworthy leader.
5. Break down silos.
6. Create a learning culture.
7. Build a mentoring relationship between generations.
8. Be a master of communication.

Conclusion

It’s a great joy to be a leader, but it isn’t always easy, especially when you have those five generations that you’re trying to bring together as a collective high performing team. So, tap into all of the different aspects that comes from having a multi-generational team, and have each other’s backs in order to see success.

If you need assistance or guidance in leading a multi-generational team, contact us and see how we can help you on your journey.

By Jeannette Linfoot www.jeannettelinfootassociates.com