If your job involves communicating with a generationally diverse team, the learning curve for reaching that audience may be a bit steeper than usual. Indeed, working with staffers of various ages is common to most of us, however, studies show that for the first time, five generations are working side by side in many companies. That incredible statistic speaks to our longer life expectancy and the fact that many senior workers are staying on the job longer than in the past.
So, your team's mix of expectations and styles will continue to diversify in the years ahead. This raises questions about how the different cohorts like to learn and what they need from their organization, their manager, and one another to make learning opportunities successful. By striving to understand the learning needs of your team today, you are paving the way to maximizing the skills of your people and creating an environment for success going forward.
HBR reminds us that age-diverse teams are crucial because they combine abilities, experience, and information across several generations and allow the entire team to bring their unique perspectives to the table. Diversity of thought leads to new ideas and opportunities for growth and reduced rates of groupthink and confirmation bias. Also, it’s important to understand generational differences without falling into stereotypes that don’t do justice to the people sitting in the cubicles nearby. Knowing your people takes some initiative, and probably ongoing education, but the results are worth it.
For example, it may be helpful to note that employees that are part of the Silent Generation (1928-1945) and Baby Boomers (1946-1964) are often accustomed to a more formal, hierarchal corporate structure and value an appreciation for their loyalty and work ethic. Conversely, many Gen X (1965-1980), Millennials (1981-1996), and Gen Z (1997-2012) employees may be more focused on professional development and training opportunities and may see jobs as more fluid.
By understanding where people are coming from you can sidestep negative suppositions and implement methodologies that support staffers successfully across the board.
Mentoring: Researchers encourage the use of mentoring to unite the team and to allow employees to use their strengths for the good of the group. Rebecca Knight, writing for Harvard Business Review, cites the success of the military in having soldiers partner up and the common practice of younger lieutenants overseeing seasoned sergeants. There may be some bumps along the way, but the system of recruits coming in and the need to share skills is well established in the military environment. By building collaboration, you open the door to shared learning and teamwork.
Different Strokes: Knowing a bit about your employees and their needs allows you to tailor learning to fit different styles. Offering continuing education can help older employees stay up-to-date while, at the same time, spearheading special assignments like a task force, or a presence on social media may bring out the best in younger workers. Also, consider offering continuing education in different, multi-modal formats; such as offering a learning module in a PowerPoint or article-based format and supporting it with complementary videos or a gaming component. When it’s possible to offer options that fit the whole team, the results will be exponentially greater.
Employee needs may differ, but everyone likes to feel appreciated. Part of knowing your team means knowing what’s important to them about access, recognition, and communication. Human Resources Consultant Jeanne C. Meister recommends thinking like an anthropologist and assessing where people are on their life path and what their needs are right now. This may mean that younger employees respond best to incentives that include new experiences, while mid-life employees may place a higher value on flexible, on-demand learning, and senior employees may prize more traditional methods of learning with the least amount of friction to access.
Feeling heard or giving voice to employees rates as an extremely important factor in overall career satisfaction. Communication is essential and knowing how to facilitate it is the mark of a strong leader. When thinking cross-generationally consider the more formal needs of senior workers who may prefer public recognition, structured evaluations, and the opportunity to communicate by phone or in person. Meanwhile, the Gens (X, Y, and Z) often prefer open discussion, live learning moments and idea sharing, more frequent feedback, and the chance to communicate via email, text, or instant messaging.
Open communication (in whatever forms that may take) and feedback allow the team to learn and grow together and like the many branches of a tree, be stronger through the diversity of its parts.