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Companies are made up of a mix of people who bring various perspectives, priorities, beliefs and values to their jobs. Some leaders point to age differences among their employees as the root cause of many workplace problems. While managing multigenerational teams could be seen as a challenge, Michael Strawser, Ph.D. views it as an undervalued asset.
“A multigenerational workplace leads to many benefits. Chief among them is the ability for diverse problem-solving,” said Dr. Strawser, a communications professor at the University of Central Florida and independent coach. “People who have been at an organization for 30 years or 30 minutes can still provide valuable insights. The key is to tap into their unique skill sets and opinions.”
Dr. Strawser said influential leaders don’t allow generational identifiers to define the workplace culture. They rise above age-related stereotypes and engage their employees based on what they bring to the table, not the number of lines on their resumes. By focusing on culture, conditions and clear expectations, managers establish standards that apply to all members of multigenerational teams.
Letting Go of Assumptions
Four generations are active in today’s workforce: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z. Each group has its own negative stereotype, such as Millennials’ sense of entitlement or Baby Boomers’ resistance to new ideas. While Dr. Strawser acknowledges that even he makes assumptions about peers from different age groups, what we think we know about others often doesn’t match the reality of their behavior.
In many ways, generational differences become self-fulfilling prophecies. “Leaders, managers and co-workers often define generational behavior based on someone’s age and stage of life,” Dr. Strawser said. “I’m unashamedly a self-deprecating Millennial, and my assumptions about colleagues who are members of other generations aren’t always correct.”
Common workplace issues related to generational differences usually revolve around expectations, according to Dr. Strawser. He said this results in communication problems, friction between employees and managers, and discrepancies about pay and promotions. It can also limit the potential performance of teams.
If you believe all members of Generation Z are fickle and probably won’t last long in a position, for example, you probably won’t hire enough promising young talent. Conversely, if you expect all newly hired Gen-Xers to be stoic, independent and self-motivated, you might end up disappointed with the work styles of individuals from this generation. Teams suffer in both scenarios. Dr. Strawser implores managers and employees to see others for who they are and how they work instead of basing their opinions on generational assumptions.
Celebrating the Differences
Dr. Strawser gave a TEDx talk about rising above generational stereotypes in the workplace. His talk explained that a person’s value and identity can’t be summed up with a single concept: generational agnosticism. He coined the term as a call to action for workplaces to recognize individuals as having intrinsic competency and value on their own without ascribing to generational identifiers.
He said that all workers, regardless of age, value work/life balance, fair compensation, fulfilling responsibilities and being recognized for a job well done. At the end of the day, they want to be part of something that’s bigger than themselves and work in conditions that are equitable and balanced.
Setting clear expectations goes a long way toward establishing a workplace culture based on these tenets. “Everyone wants to know what they’re expected to accomplish,” Dr. Strawser said. “Clarity transcends generational differences. It allows employees to meet and then exceed expectations.”
Creating a culture in which people understand the overall mission and buy into the vision for success is essential. “An effective workplace culture doesn’t frustrate generational differences,” Dr. Strawser said. “It embraces and uses them.”
Despite the real and perceived differences between generations, Dr. Strawser argues that workers essentially want the same things.
“Workplaces should be designed to emphasize balance, fair compensation and mobility,” he said. “Does your organization reinforce these conditions for all employees? Doing so transcends generational difference and maximizes productivity and satisfaction among the team.”
Sean Glaze is a leadership speaker and team-building facilitator with a broad range of clients that include Cisco, John Deere and CDC. Like Dr. Strawser, Glaze believes that multigenerational teams deliver huge benefits. “A homogeneous team will underachieve because it’s always going to have blind spots,” he said.
Glaze believes that addressing assumptions that impede collaboration among multigenerational teams starts with embracing curiosity within the workplace.
“Using curiosity to establish clarity is a huge part of being a great teammate and leader,” he said. “That’s true not just for multigenerational differences, but any number of differences among colleagues who bring various experiences and awareness to the workplace. Productive and curious conversations among people from different backgrounds are invaluable.”
Managers fail to bring out the potential of their teams when they don’t recognize, appreciate and leverage diversity, according to Glaze. He said leaders must help their teams build a culture that values different perspectives and skills, and one in which knowledge can be freely shared.
A hallmark trait among great leaders is the ability to identify and take full advantage of the differences within teams, Glaze said. “They help to establish spaces for people to collaborate more effectively because they understand and recognize different individuals provide unique and valuable contributions,” he added.
Leaders who embrace multigenerational differences can access a wide breadth of expertise and knowledge. To tap into that potential, leaders need to build cultures in which employees feel comfortable asking for help.
“It’s about creating a space in which individuals are encouraged to admit that they’re struggling with something,” Glaze said. “They should be able to seek help from someone who has dealt with the issue before and can share effective solutions.”
The value of an employee is based on the different viewpoints and skills they bring to their team, according to Glaze. “If everybody sees and believes and does the same things, then some members of the team aren’t needed,” he said.
Glaze believes that Baby Boomers, who are beginning to retire from the workforce, have a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and skill that needs to be collected, documented and made available to the generations that come next.
That will happen only if today’s leaders recognize the contributions of older workers and the potential of younger individuals — and realize strength lies in differences, not similarities.
