A New Kind of Diversity
What stories, phrases, or even stereotypes come to mind when you read these words: Millennial…Gen Z…Boomer…Gen X…
Have you asked yourself why you think that way? Or just as importantly, have you asked an individual from that generation to share their experience?
Regardless of one’s beliefs or experiences with individuals of various generations in the workplace, the reality is generational dynamics at work are nearly impossible to avoid.
In the Sophia Partners’ way, we invite you to be intentional with your exploration and conversations around the different generations in the workplace.
In our November Servant Leadership Community of Practice, Christa Williams, Executive Director and Samantha King, Operations Coordinator talked about the different generations from their own perspectives using Tim Elmore’s book, A New Kind of Diversity, as guide.
Personal Leadership Reflection:
- What is the history or influence that your generation brings to leadership?
- Name a time when you learned something interesting or helpful from someone in a different generation.
Q1: As a Millennial, which one of these steps resonate for you?
Sami: Create incentive for them.
We want to know WHY, we’re curious!
“I think it stems back to childhood when parents would just say, ‘Because I said so,’ without an explanation.”
Now with easy access to the internet, we can research the why to clarify the reasoning for a certain task or project.
Q2: As Gen X, which one of these steps resonate for you?
Christa: Give them places for authentic community.
Connecting with people who are real, not fake, is important.
“I want to be connected with something bigger than myself and make a difference. I want to have relationships with people and understand their ‘why.’”
Authentic leaders share their beliefs, values, and purpose. This high level of transparency is elevated through social media channels, employee, and community engagement.
Q3: What do younger generations need from older generations to step into leadership roles?
Sami:
Create the ideal workplace conditions to share and try new ideas, regardless of the immediate success.
Give the resources and tools to succeed, for example, in-person or virtual training; leadership development.
Don’t put out their light just because they’re younger. It’s easy to dismiss the younger generations because they’re different. Instead, give them a chance to show you their ideas, their commitment, their strengths, and their perspectives!
Q4: What expectations do you think older generations bring to the workplace?
Christa:
The expectation of hard work and drive. Doing whatever it takes to finish the job, which includes not complaining about the workload and many times, even working extra hours.
“As I was entering the workforce, this kind of culture was the expectation. The idea of work-life balance sometimes looked like sacrificing personal well-being for work commitments.”
Q4: As a Millennial, how do you see being able to capitalize on the value and skills Gen X bring to the workplace?
Sami: Reverse Mentoring
Instead of top-down mentoring, reverse mentoring is the secret to every generation adding and extracting value from one another.
It’s the willingness to be both the teacher AND learner.
This could look like pairing up a new employee with a seasoned employee to both share timeless values, virtues, and ideas with one another to make the organization stronger.
Added benefits are the personal relationships that can be created and deepened in teams and workplaces.
Servant Leadership: A mindset for all generations
“The key will be to establish safe places where people from different generations not only interact but where this kind of mentoring and informal coaching can take place. It will require you to become an uncommon leader.” – Tim Elmore
We invite you to be an uncommon leader…a servant-leader.
Robert Greenleaf said, “The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then when the opportunity arises to serve by leading, the individual makes the conscious choice to lead.”
Use this list of phrases to guide you in your thinking as you create the ideal working conditions for all generations on your team.
- I listen when you speak.
- I ask thoughtful questions.
- I genuinely want your input.
- I am authentic & vulnerable.
- I am open to new ideas.
- I am a lifelong learner.
What can you do to connect & celebrate the different generations in your workplace?
More about the “A New Kind of Diversity” book:
Tim Elmore’s book, A New Kind of Diversity, published in 2022, dives into the topic of generational diversity – multiple generations living and working together – as the generational gap has become an undeniable tension in the global workplace.
Its contents provide the tools to:
- Focus on the strengths, not the differences of each age group on your team.
- Foster effective communication instead of isolation among people.
- Build bridges rather than walls so that loneliness becomes connectedness.
This book is a great resource for teams or organizations with multiple generations or new leaders in diverse team settings and environments. Each chapter ends with thought provoking discussion questions for personal and professional development.
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What have you learned from this blog? Contact us and let us know!
Don’t miss your opportunity to join our next conversation! Community Practice sessions are amazing opportunities for any and all leaders to gather and learn from one another in a supportive, comfortable environment, right from your computer. We’re taking a break in December and will resume in 2024!
Additional Resources:
- Book: A New Kind of Diversity – Tim Elmore, available online through various retailers. www.amazon.com/New-Kind-Diversity
- Website, www.timelmore.com/onlinecourse
- Harvard Business Review: Are You Ready to Mentor a More Senior Colleague?
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This blog post wraps up November’s 2023’s Community of Practice event. To join us during the live discussion for future months, register at https://www.sophiapartners.org/events/. Community of Practice occurs the fourth Tuesday of each month from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT.
