Managing relationships, with clients and stakeholders, in The New Generation Gap has layers of possibilities.
You can’t expect all members of your team to participate in one set management strategy for relationship maintenance with external stakeholders. Each, respective, generation on your team has a certain realationship strength which they prefer (and also which they excel at).
The Silent Generation builds and maintains relationships through face to face meetings and paper-based communciations. They know the client by name - by face - by handshake.
Baby Boomers builds and maintains relationships through face to face meetings and e-mails. They share family stories and personal experiences. They get to know their clients on a personal level.
Generation X builds and maintains relationships through always-accessible-electronic-contact. They are never more than a click away from their clients.
Generation Y builds and maintains relationships through social networking platforms. They not only know the names of their clients, they know where they went to school, what associations they belong to and where they socialize.
It is valuable to take advantage of the layers of relationship management available to your organization through the strengths of your team members.
There was an interesting post in The New York Times about how small companies can compete against big companies in the competition for hiring Generation Y. In, What the Gen Y Worker Wants By Marci Alboher the author explores the issues small companies encounter in getting the attention of Generation Y and how to fight back against “brand” name big companies in the hiring race.
This is an excerpt:
1. Career –
For small businesses, the main problem you’ll fight is the tendency of students to go with a big company, one with a household name. The thinking is that even if the experience is bad, having a name on my résumé that everyone recognizes will still open some doors for me.
Here’s how you fight back: Sell your people, not your company. Show candidates the stellar career paths of others who started with your company and then went on to great graduate schools, to cool jobs with other companies or even advanced to take on bigger responsibility in your own business.
Generation Y wants career mentor ship, professional development and life experience. No small business should sell themselves short. The key is to focus on how YOUR company can help Generation Y in their future.
How do you accommodate the differences in The New Generation Gap? Should an organization accommodate? Love to hear your comments because this is a tricky topic.
One the one hand, it is positive to accommodate to generational differences if the accommodation provides tools for better productivity. On the other, it is negative because accomodation could be prohibit progress to other generations in the office.
For example, The Silent Generation and Baby Boomers are more proficient with what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) computer applications. Your organization can purchase and use WYSISWG applications - accommodating to the comfort level and technical savvy-ness of the mature generations - thus making their work time more productive.
However, what if this accommodation hinders the work - of say - Generation X and Generation Y - who can work well and more efficeintly with more complex applications. This could create tension, resentment and conflict - growing the new generation gap.
It is almost a chicken-before-the-egg debate. Do you accomodate - before hand - to bridge the generation gap? Or do your resolve a conflict - afterwards - to bridge the generation gap?
It’s a debatable topic. Is accommodation and understanding separate? Should an organization “keep it simple” because of generational differences or should they challenge the four working generations to bring their game up a level?…
Incentives are also a manner in which to retain valued talent. If an employee is happy (i.e. feels valued, recognized and appreciated) in his/her role - the more likely he/she is to stay with the organization.
Specifics:
The Silent Generation: wants to be appreciated. They want to feel of value to the organization. They are not interested in “casual dress day” as an incentive. A preferred reward would letter of recognition in the company newsletter. A mentorship opportunity.
Baby Boomers: want recognition. They want something tangible for their efforts. They want a paid day off. They want a gift certificate.
Generation X: wants professional development. They want an opportunity to progress in their careers. They want to attend a professional conference. They want in-office time to attend webinars.
Generation Y: wants it all. And now. They want to be appreciated. They want something tangible. They want professional development.
These offerings will help an organization retain knowledge in an organization. It will also contribute to an individual’s engagement with the organization.
Conflict management with any team is challenging. However, when you include four different generations into the mix, it can be downright difficult. What are the generational attitudes of the role of a leader in conflict management?
The Silent Generation look to upper management for conflict resolution. To this generation, the final word comes from the corner office. Period. The Silent Generation entered the workforce at a time of stern hierarchy and formality. The boss makes the decision and they follow.
Baby Boomers are more - conversational - with conflict management. They are not shy to voice their opinions. Baby Boomers experienced the Civil Rights Movement, Anti-war movement, Women’s Movement. They believe in questioning authority for a greater purpose. They may go along with a decision - if they agree with it.
Generation X are disengaged with conflict management. They have opinions but don’t intrinsically feel their opinions matter in the final decision. They grew up with growing divorce rates and a saturated workforce. They have survived downsizing and job redundancy. They may follow a decision - but after-office-hours they will be updating their résumé.
Generation Y are similar to The Silent Generation in that they look to authority to resolve conflict. They have grown up with snowplow parents and little league coaches who have decided their conflicts - on and off the playing field. In the workplace, Generation Y expects management to go to bat for them.
Thank you to the reader who shared this YouTube link on the Jones Generation. Generation tags do overlap over the years giving birth to individuals who don’t quite fit into their generation “label”.
Jones Generation is a prime example of overlapping. Persons born in - say - 1961 are caught between Baby Boomers and Generation X. Their experience and influencers are blended between the two generations.
In these tough economic times, it is challenging to find incentives for employees. A compressed work week can be a solution to your organization. Introducing a voluntary compressed work week for individuals to opt into — can be very attractive — especially with the summer approaching — to Baby Boomers, Generation Y and Generation X.
These generations are looking for more personal time - to pursue personal activities, care for dependents and/or travel. A compressed work week offers the opportunity to have both a valuable professional life and a sucessful personal life. It allows mothers the time to take their kids (or parents) to medical appointments, it allows younger generations time for sport. A compressed work week de-stresses and balances individuals.
It can be an incentive to be offered a compressed work week - without loosing rank or status in the company. It provides an employee a dignified and respected way of taking time for their personal lives without losing face in the boardroom. The generations can be more engaged in their work lives because of they are more balanced.
For an organization, the salary decreases (due to the day of not working) can be a cost-savings-centre. 20% off the salary budget can be a substantial.
Look at media conglomerate Rogers Publishing who has adopted a voluntary compressed work week plan…Rogers austerity plan offers four-day week. Companies can make this policy work - maintaining the operations of the company, making the generations more balanced and giving their employees a tangible incentive.
Conflict can be a team killer within the generations working on one’s team. Whether the heart of the trouble comes from discrimination, ignorance, jealousy or cynicism it eventually becomes viral affecting every member of the team.
In a perfect world, an organization would take steps to create zero-tolerance policies for ageism and host working with the new generation gap seminars within the levels of management. This would deescalate any conflict from the very birth of hard feelings.
It is important to understand the history and cultural impacts of each generation - from this understanding one can clarify potential conflicts.
A colleague may find The Silent Generation strict and formal - but this is the experience of Silents. When they first entered the workforce -it was hierarchical and formal.
Baby Boomers included themselves in projects. They entered a workforce where change and inclusion was valued.
Generation X are self-reliant and like to own projects. They grew up in an era of high divorce rates and two parents working outside of the home. They honed self-reliance skills early on.
Generation Y asks questions. Questioning can be taken as a form of mis-trust. However, one must remember Generation Y grew up - invited - to question (for investigation and illumination) their educators and parents.
Inter-generational conflict comes up when people confuse generational attributes to personal digs. A manager must rely on clear communication, gracefulness and motivation to get the team focused on projects at hand.
Conflict within the New Generation Gap is a possibility - deescalating that conflict is a necessity.
