The current workforce is made up of five different generations, spanning the Silent Generation to Generation Z. People born at different points across almost an entire century now find themselves working side by side, and generational differences often impede a smooth working process and fragment teams.
It is a leader’s responsibility to understand the unique attributes, desires and working processes of each generation and build one seamless, productive team. A multi-generational workforce requires careful, nuanced leadership that fosters a welcoming environment and promotes diversity. Effective leaders – like experienced captain and operations manager Jako Hall – understand that cohesion is key to business success.
However, in order to achieve this cohesion it’s important to discard any pre-conceived notions about how different generations work. Common stereotypes, such as baby boomers being stubborn, millennials being lazy, or Gen Zers being job hoppers, are unhelpful and make it difficult to create multi-generational connections. A diverse team has great potential, but not if colleagues are divided.
In the modern workplace, technology is the problem – and the solution. Though it’s stereotyping to assume that an employee cannot use technology due to their age, younger generations have been proven to be more receptive to technological innovations than their older colleagues. However, technology can also be used to create a collaborative professional environment that meets the needs of all employees.
It’s a great way to build connections within a team and allow colleagues to learn from each other. Younger employees can support older employees as they become better acquainted with new technologies, and, in return, older employees can communicate their substantial institutional knowledge. This encourages colleagues to work together and share fresh insights to aid each other’s professional development.
Multi-generational teams are key to workplace innovation due to their diversity of thought and collective spectrum of knowledge. Instead of treating them like isolated groups, it’s vital to foster clear and productive communication. Technology is just one example of how bridging the gap between different colleagues can upskill employees, introduce new systems, and revolutionize work processes without excluding those who worked the majority of their careers in more traditional settings.
Effective multi-generational team management requires patience and hard work, but it pays off. The differences between each current working generation should be used to bridge gaps between them and develop their skills, building a technologically-savvy, broadly-skilled workforce. This synergy promotes diversity and inclusion and creates a collaborative, communicative environment where employees can deliver results.