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While Generation Y/Millennials appear confident and sure of their “quick study” abilities and diligence, they want a precise guidebook for their activities so they won’t fail to be “right,” a status they have been brought up to think they will always achieve. They don’t deal well with ambiguity; used to being given help from parents, coaches, teachers, mentors, tutors and the fact that they most often work in teams, they are less adept at figuring things out on their own than Gen Xers, who were often left to their own resources, and the Boomers.

In an April webinar, W. Stanton Smith, the National Director of Next Generation Initiatives at Deloitte LLP, gave his observations on how Gen Y will lead when their time comes and how they want to be led:

• Transparency is the most valued attribute of a leader, which includes distributing information so everyone is in the loop and part of the conversation.
• They want opportunity to have impact, encouraging social entrepreneurship and web 2.0 sense of community.
• Gen Yers have high expectations for meaningful work and want to feel passionate about what they do.
• They favor a team approach to goal setting and achieving that must be reinforced by recognition and rewards to everyone who contributes.
• Navigation through career challenges, pace and progress and work/life flexibility need to be facilitated through honest conversations.

The above perception is far different from command-and-control style leadership and authority based on longevity, neither of which Gen Y believes in. Practice group and work teams need to shift their operational models to adjust to today’s multi-generational teams.

 

As I have said and written many times before, I believe facilitated dialogues within work teams are the key solution to achieving change and harmony among the different generations. That is where close and effective bonds can be established and nurtured to eliminate generational disconnects and change debilitating business models.

How facilitated dialogue in work teams can foster stronger multi-generational teamwork and increase productivity:

• All generations and levels are part of the conversation and are heard.
• Leaders must be clear about quality of work and deadlines and discuss alternative ways to get desired results.
• Understanding of differences and benefits of diversity of styles mitigates resentments and fosters sympathy.
• Using assessment tools for identifying personal behavioral style, group culture, work expectations and learning style enables better understanding of self and teammates and reduces stereotypical thinking.
• Through dialogue, roles can be customized with working arrangements that are perceived as fair to work for each team member.
• Meeting of the minds requires some compromise on all sides.
• “What’s in it for me” from the individuals standpoint? To be associated with a team that demonstrates better results, reinforced by recognition.

Using a combination of behavioral style and business development expertise as well as mediation skills and generational differences and similarities knowledge, we are optimistic about the positive results we are seeing with our work facilitating dialogues. It is the most effective way to bring inclusiveness and change to increasingly obsolete business models.

 

Please share your thoughts.

Phyllis

© Phyllis Weiss Haserot, 2010. All rights reserved. 

* The generational chronology for easy reference: Generations are defined by the similar formative influences – social, cultural, political, economic – that existed as the individuals of particular birth cohorts were growing up. Given that premise, the age breakdowns for each of the four generations currently in the workplace are approximately:

Traditionalists: born 1925-1942
Baby Boomers born 1943-1962
Generation X born 1963-1978
Generation Y/Millennials born 1979-1998 (under age 30 today)

Phyllis is available to speak at your organization or at firm retreats on inter-generational relations and organizational effectiveness topics. Call or e-mail for a list of topics or to custom-tailor your own.

Check out *Next Generation, Next Destination*, our blog about succession/transitioning planning and the generations. Visit, comment and subscribe by RSS feed or e-mail. http://www.nextgeneration-nextdestination.com.