Multigenerational Teams Inspire Better Results

Published on : 4/1/21

    • By Nancy Ness Judy

    Last week, my mentee shared challenges she is facing in leading her multigenerational team. It’s not a surprise given the complexity of engaging the five different generations that make up today’s workforce: Traditionalist, Baby Boomer, Gen X, Gen Y/Millennial, and Gen Z. Each one has different styles, preferences and needs.

    Here are a four tips I shared to help bring her team together:

    1. Avoid generational stereotypes by encouraging courageous conversations and amplifying colleagues’ unique skills and contributions.
    2. Give everyone a chance to contribute to the team in their own way. Sometimes people need a reminder that they’re safe to offer ideas that are new or different.
    3. Set up mentoring relationships that leverage and build on the strengths of each person.
    4. Make the effort to connect with your team members and support their shifting needs across generations and life stages.

    Varying perspectives are a gift to any organization. By leveraging multigenerational teams that bring different perspectives we get better results. When we create a culture that is open to all perspectives we unlock the creative power of the group. Each person can bring their best ideas and be open to learning from the others.

    Another way to look at is when you pigeonhole people into categories, you pigeonhole ideas. Let ideas flourish with respect for every perspective. You’ll get better results.

    At Sodexo, we are committed to closing any engagement gaps between generations in order to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging for each team member. I’m proud to be an executive sponsor of our Intergenerational Network Group (i-Gen). In April, we are launching a campaign with the theme “Generations Together: Celebrating Perspectives.”

    Please share what your organization is doing. What advice would you give your mentee?

    Blog originally published on LinkedIn.

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