Is There a Generation Gap on Your Team?

 

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, and somehow we started talking about how the workplace has changed in the last 20-30 years (he's a bit younger than I am). Regardless, we both agree that the workforce has changed, and how we deal with the workforce needs to change along with it.

I'm really impressed with the people I get to associate with every day. The Millennial Generation is probably the most tech savvy generation I have ever known. They have grown up working in teams and collaborating since elementary school and are undoubtedly the most empowered group to enter the workforce in the last 30 years that I'm aware of. They are motivated to make a meaningful contribution to whatever organization they work for and don't want to waste time on anything that doesn't provide value.

This is why I believe that the traditional command-and-control management practices of the last century just don't work anymore. Earlier this morning, Raechel's blog post, The Truth About Leadership and Leading Yourself, speaks to this from the point of view of someone at the beginning of her career. "I'd...been thinking a lot about the concept of 'leading yourself,' because I don't believe that having a title with the words 'manager' or 'director' in it is a requirement for leadership," she writes. "In fact, I think leadership qualities, when it comes to the work place most often develop in entry-level positions (or even before that) as people gain experience, opinions, and habits for how they handle work situations, interact with people, and manage their work."

Titles don't impress this generation. If you want to lead this team, you need to earn their respect—it isn't going to happen simply because you're their manager. In fact, it really doesn't matter what your title is, if you're a jerk and you try to "command," you're edicts will fall on deaf ears.

Is their a generation gap in your team? How do you keep all your team members engaged and motivated? Obviously a one-size-fits-all approach to workers from Boomers to Melenials isn't the answer. Please share your successes—and challenges so we can all learn from each other.