Studies show some critically important facts about the workplace. First, the number one reason people leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. Also, 9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they are around positive people.
Leadership is your ability to lift and lead others!!!
Every single person you meet – needs to be lifted to higher level. That is leadership. Does your presence in another’s life – lift them.
Are You a Lifter or Leaner?
There are just two kinds of people on earth today,
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.
There are just two kinds of people on earth today,
Not the rich and the poor, for to count a man’s wealth
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.
Not the humble and proud, for, in life’s little span,
Who puts on airs is not counted a man.
Not the happy and sad, for the swift counting years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
No, the two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.
Wherever you go you will find the world’s masses
Are always divided in just these two classes.
And oddly enough you will find, too, I ween,
There’s only one lifter to twenty who lean.
In which class are you?
Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others bear
Your portion of labour and worry and care?
– Ella Wheeler Wilcox –
Studies show some critically important facts about the workplace. First, the number one reason people leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. Also, 9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they are around positive people. One study found that negative employees can scare off every client they come in contact with – for good!
Answer these questions if you are serious about becoming a Lifting Leader!
Are you Willing to Invest in Others?
Are you willing to invest in other people? You may build a beautiful house, but eventually it will crumble. You may develop a fine career, but one day it will be over. You may save a great sum of money, but you can’t take it with you. You may be in superb health today, but in time it will decline. You may take pride in your accomplishments, but someone will surpass you.Relationships are like anything else. The return you get depends on what you invest.
Are you willing to be vulnerable and courageous?
Approachable people are real. They engage with others on a genuine level, and don’t pretend to be someone they’re not. They don’t go out of their way to hide what they think and feel. They have no hidden agenda. Authenticity wins every time.
Are you willing to focus on others?
All human beings possess a desire to connect with other people. The need for connection is sometimes motivated by the desire for love, but it can just as easily be prompted by feelings of loneliness, the need for acceptance, the quest for fulfillment or the desire to achieve in business.
To fulfill our desire for relationships, we must stop thinking about ourselves and begin focusing on the people with whom we desire to build relationships. When you stop wor- rying so much about yourself and start looking at others and what they desire, you build a bridge to other people and you become the kind of person others want to be around.
Are you willing to learn from other and be teachable?
Each person we meet has the potential to teach us something. All of us can learn things in unlikely places and from unlikely people. But that’s only true if we have the right attitude. If you have a teachable attitude, you will be positioned well to learn from others. Leaders who think they know everything and shut down other peoples input, very quickly find themselves alone.
Conclusion
You are responsible for developing your talent and the team around you’s talent as well. How do you do this effectively? You do it by becoming a leader who lifts constantly, take people higher, lighten the load, keep adding value and watch your leadership compound.
Today we learn about Autonomy in the workplace. Through this lesson, you will learn how to define autonomy and gain insight into how the concept works in personal, and organisational contexts.
Definition of Autonomy
Every day we make countless decisions about everything from what to wear in the morning to what to eat for dinner. In most cases, we never stop to think about why we’re making these decisions nor do we pay much attention to the fact that no one is helping us to make them. If you stop and think about it, though, we have not always had the power to make decisions for ourselves; rather, we are granted this power as we grow older. The power to make our own decisions without the interference from others is what’s known as autonomy, and in nearly every sphere of life, it is incredibly important.
Autonomy is a term used to describe a person’s ability to make decisions, or speak and act on their own behalf, without interference from another party.
The importance of autonomy at work
Autonomy, in its simplest definition, is the urge to direct your own life. It’s something we want in both our professional and personal lives, but having autonomy at work (or not having it!) has taken on a pressing new meaning. Autonomy in the workplace isn’t just about managing our actions – it’s about choice; to be able able to choose and actually create our options.
The importance of autonomy in the workplace can’t be minimized. It has a knock-on effect on productivity,creativity and the quality of work produced, as well as work satisfaction and workplace trust. Without the ability to control what, when, and how we work – and even who we work with – we’ll never be fully motivated to complete a task… Nor will we want to stay with a company for very long. People simply won’t invest in a workplace that doesn’t respect their ability to manage their own professional space.
In our new era of “employee experience”, people expect to feel empowered at work. They want to feel valued and have a sense of ownership. If they don’t, most will simply up and leave. And where people feel oppressed and unhappy, neither promotions nor pay rises will fix the problem. In fact, one study found that people were two and a half times more likely to take a job that offered more autonomy than more influence.
While most managers recognize micro-management is bad for business, few have put strategies in place to actively support its solution: work autonomy. And yet, most of us – 79% according to one study – have experienced the pains of having too little autonomy in the workplace. As expectations of what we want from our jobs and employers develop, so too does our desire for greater autonomy. Here’s why building greater autonomy at work should be a top priority for every company – and how to practically go about it.
Some challenges of remote work include feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection. However if you get the right mix – you can become most productive as a remote worker. I truly believe that putting good learnings into place will help those working remotely for the first time—or for the fortieth time—be their best remote working selves.
This post was documented on the 15th March – 1 Month Ago!!!! Now this may become a lifestyle so a great read – Recycled!!!
Remote Working
Whether you’ve been working remotely for a decade (like me!) or are just getting started on your remote working journey, there are ways of making sure it’s a delight instead of a total drag.
For the many that are forced to embrace our way of working now -there may be fear, anxiety and a lot of uncertainty. But to be honest its the best way to work i feel and for years i have belonged to remote organisations and have been attending church remotely, conferences remotely and have absolutely loved being connected even though i was not physically in that room. So embrace this season to become more tech savvy.
In a recent survey, 77% of respondents reported greater productivity when working remotely compared to working in an office setting. In a different survey, 82% of respondents reported feeling happier when working remotely.
However, remote work is not all sunshine and yoga pants.
Some challenges of remote work include feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection. However if you get the right mix – you can become most productive as a remote worker. I truly believe that putting good learnings into place will help those working remotely for the first time—or for the fortieth time—be their best remote working selves.
What Is Remote Work?
I’m going to define remote work as “working from home, collaborative spaces (or wherever you choose) as a discipline.”
This means you’re treating remote work with an appropriate amount of respect and thoughtfulness at both an individual and at a team level.
You’re constantly trying to better yourself as a remote worker, and build a balanced remote culture within your team. The next most important thing is for your team to develop a shared context. A shared context means everyone is playing by the same rules, understands the team’s rituals and practices, and feels that they are operating in an equitable environment.
A normal programme at the Leadership Academy SA. Some people are in offices, some people are working remotely. Can you tell?
Most people who work on Leadership Academy SA activities do so remotely. We decided to go down that road early on when we were a startup because remote work enabled us to meet anytime and anywhere, we get to hire the best people regardless of location, develop a results-oriented culture, and scale our processes digitally.
So how did we do it?
Let’s first explore what it really means to be a “remote worker” because that’s the first step to success.
Working From Home Does Not Equal Remote Work
In a lot of companies, “working from home” is synonymous with well, not really working.
One of the biggest misconceptions about remote work is that we’re all just sitting around in our yoga pants, binging Netflix, and doing our laundry. I think this comes from a mentality that, if you can’t see someone, how do you truly “know they are working?”
That’s got to be the first cultural myth to dispel in any organization that is really, sincerely willing to give remote work a fair chance. When remote work is your day-to-day reality, and not a wink wink nudge nudge exception, it becomes imperative to figure out the best ways to work.
People have different times where their energy peaks and you will see their are extremely productive – for some its 11pm at night and for others its 4am- remote workers get to schedule their time around this productivity. the worst thing is to be stuck on a commute during your most productive thinking time. So here are some insights on how to develop a remote working plan.
LASA’s Rules For Remote Work
We’ve developed a list of rules and practices that help maintain a shared context and help our team work together no matter where they are located.
1. Assume Remote
If even one person on your team is not in an office, assume remote. This means that you should take meetings from your desk and make sure to share all context of said meeting in a recording of some sort – either written – but i actually just share the link of the actual recording as soon as possible.
2. Have A Dedicated Office Space With A Door That Closes
When you’re working remotely full time, it’s important to designate and optimize a workspace that is not your kitchen counter or living room couch. I have dedicated Home office. Which is private and very beautiful, it’s my haven for productivity.
The door that closes is about making sure you’re creating the mental space to focus. This means having dedicated childcare when you’re working, just as you would if you were working in a traditional office environment.
3. Have The Tools To Do Your Job.
Every team needs to use a defined digital toolset and every individual needs to have a strong internet connection. For example, we use Zoom for video meetings, Watsapp for chat, Google Docs for sharing docs. Your toolset may be different, but defining it as a team is important for developing that shared context.
4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Follow the Rule of Seven, which states that people need to hear a message seven times before they’ll internalize it. If you feel like you’re over-communicating information, you’re probably communicating just the right amount.
5. Schedule Face Time
Make sure your team has the opportunity to meet and bond in person. Having regular off-sites is key to fostering human relationships that make working remotely function better and more smoothly.
Working remotely only works in organisations where Leadership Abilities are high – like ours. The reality is we are an organisation built on trust, purpose and autonomy. These are things we have cultivated for year. I guess it true that leaders keep climbing the tallest tree and keep a good vision of changing terrains. If you haven’t been fortunate for gearing your team to work remotely, maybe now would be a good time.
Reach out to us to assist helping you develop a plan to keep your greatest asset healthy in this very tumultuous time
We can do good work on auto-pilot, but great work takes initiative, creativity, passion and courage. That sounds like a lot of effort when there’s no burning need to change.
Cultures of Leadership Greatness Improves Employee Engagement
Introduction
Jim Collins opened his book Good to Great with the statement, “Good is the enemy of great.” He explained that when we have good schools, good businesses and good government, we are prone to accept that level of quality as sufficient. Collins observed: “Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is so easy to settle for a good life.”
Many people have bold aspirations and dreams, but they end up settling for good instead of great. Unfortunately, good gives us a false sense of security. We feel ok because whilst we may not have reached our potential, at least we’re not bad.
We can do good work on auto-pilot, but great work takes initiative, creativity, passion and courage. That sounds like a lot of effort when there’s no burning need to change.
That’s why good is the enemy of great. It’s because it lulls us, deadens us and seduces us into thinking that we don’t really need to try. You’re not that bad, so why bother?
Too many times, we think that as long as we aren’t the worst, as long as we’re competent, if the person in the next cubicle isn’t performing as well as we are, then that’s good enough. It’s not anymore. The world as we know has changed and continues to change- we are living in a VUCA – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous times. There are many pressures existing externally and beside that have internal pressures that tells us that business as usual is not going to cut it any longer.
The only way to keep relevant is to strive for greatness. We need every person within our organisation to strive for greatness. We need our performance to match our potential. We need to step up and go to the next level. We need to aspire to greatness!
The Leadership Academy SA
That’s where we come in, as the Leadership Academy SA, we are an organisation of Leadership and Performance Coaches that aims at optimizing workplaces for economic and human development, by providing tools that create cultures of leadership greatness.
We are a partnership with International Leadership Author and Authority on Leadership Dr. John C Maxwell, and the The Coaching Authorities:The International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Harvard Institute of Coaching.
The State of the Global Workforce
According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2017, GLOBALLY Only 13% of adults who work full time for an employer and are engaged at work across 142 countries worldwide are engaged in their jobs, 63% are disengaged, 24% are actively disengaged. The low percentages of engaged employees represent a barrier to creating high- performing cultures around the world.
What is the correlation between employee engagement and business outcomes?
According to Gallup’s employee engagement survey engaged employees produce better business outcomes (based on a composite of financial, customer, retention, safety, quality, shrinkage and absenteeism metrics) than other employees do, across industries, company sizes and nationalities, and in good economic times and bad. How do we improve Employee engagement?
We believe Leadership is the answer.
“Everything rises and falls on leadership,” states Dr. John C. Maxwell, “Most people like being leaders by title and position, but being called a leader is only half the battle, learning to lead is the other half”. Dr. Maxwell explains that the key to greatness is transforming yourself and those around you into leaders who successfully lead in the real world is the key to success or failure for any organisation.
People working with leaders who understand and live out their leadership ability are significantly more satisfied with those leaders’ actions and strategies. They also feel more committed, excited, energized, influential, and powerful. There’s no hard evidence to support the assertion that leadership is imprinted in the DNA of only some individuals. Leadership is not a gene, and it’s not a trait—it’s a set of skills, and anyone can learn new skills.
How can an organisation create a leadership culture?
By creating a leadership culture at every level of the organization, you’re also creating a culture of accountability, boosting overall productivity, and raising organizational outcomes. How can you get started?
Below we’ve outlined four methods to create a leadership culture.
1. Provide the Right Foundation
Clarify:
Leadership Development is a highly misunderstood factor. Many times, people and organisations use the words management and leadership interchangeably. Understand the difference between management and leadership.
Gain Buy-in:
Attain buy-in from all levels of the organisation is key to instilling a leadership culture.
Peter Druker stated: “Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast”. A culture of apathy and disengagement is sometimes evident from board level and runs rife to the lower levels of organisations. Therefore a culture of leadership demonstrated at board level improves the culture of the entire organisation.
Develop a recruitment strategy to attract leaders and develop new and junior-level staff to be leaders by giving them skills to increase focus, improve efficiency, and maximize their individual impact within a team.
All employees have strengths — the unique combination of talents, knowledge, skills, and practice that help them do what they do best every day. These strengths provide employees and employers with their greatest opportunities for success. What leaders do, or fail to do, with this workforce potential has enormous implications for a company’s future. Gallup’s data show that simply learning their strengths makes employees 7.8% more productive, and teams that focus on strengths every day have 12.5% greater productivity. Investing in and focusing on employees’ talents boosts employee and customer engagement, according to Gallup’s research, leading to higher levels of performance, profitability, productivity, and greater earnings per share for businesses. Helping people play to their strengths is the most time-effective way to improve their performance and engagement at work.
Culture wins. Culture is the behaviours and practices of the leaders of the organisation.
Most leaders want leadership culture but the problem is that in many companies they just talk the talk and don’t walk the walk. Often the leadership culture then becomes just a reflection of the leader, which may be created subconsciously rather than consciously.
Our leadership practices fall into 5 broad categories: (1) Challenging the Process (2) Inspiring a Shared Vision (3) Enabling Others to Act (4) Modelling the Way (5)Encouraging the Heart
4. Develop Growth plans with leadership strengths and practises in mind.
Leading Companies like Google, Microsoft, Accenture and Deloitte understand that the people development continuum needs to be revolutionized to help people be their best at work and life. We suggest performance appraisals include a leadership growth plan. The approach includes real-time, frequent, forward-looking coaching discussions that helps people:
• Understand expectations
• Build on their strengths
• Understand areas for growth
• Achieve their career aspirations
In Conclusion
“With two-thirds of the workforce being Millennials and Gen Z just around the corner, we need to be extremely relevant to our people. When we look at our return on investment, we not only focus on our return to shareholders or return to reinvest back into our business — but also on the return to our people. Putting our people at the center and helping them to achieve their best is part of our talent-led DNA” Google CEO
Business and political leaders must recognize when traditional patterns in management practices, education or gender roles, for example, become roadblocks to workers’ motivation and productivity, and when selectively disrupting tradition will help clear a path to greater prosperity and transformed company cultures. Employers who focus on replacing outdated management processes with ones that enhance workplace cultures and support engagement can drive their percentage of engaged workers much higher than average. This is the journey from good to great!!!
Jim Collins, Good to Great, 2012
Gallup State of the Global workplace, 2017
Gallup Q12® Meta-Analysis Report, 2017
John C Maxwell, Developing the Leader Within, 2017
Want to ensure you do your best to retain employees, and build a strong culture of employee engagement? You’ll want a happy team. Here are the 10 most important factors in employee happiness.
10 Secrets to Employee Happiness
Want to ensure you do your best to retain employees, and build a strong culture of employee engagement? You’ll want a happy team. Here are the 10 most important factors in employee happiness.
A survey of a whopping 203,756 people from 189 countries by Boston Consulting Group last year reveals some interesting factors in employee happiness and it’s a fascinating read. In this article, we’ll cover the ten most important factors, and how you can easily contribute to them.One of the biggest takeaways from the top ten factors is that unsurprisingly to many, relationships, company values and work-life balance all appear.Many traditional business owners make the wrong assumption that employees are only after the most money in their pockets, yet they could not be further from the truth.In the results below, you’ll find that salary comes in as the eight most important factor; in fact, company financial stability is in fifth place, showing that employees are happier knowing their employers are financially sound, over their own salary expectations.Ready for the list of employee happiness factors? Here they are…
10. Company values
Does your organisation have a set of defined values and do you actually utilise them? The worst environment for an employee is have a set of values which everyone in a company outright ignores. It’s worse than not having a set of value at all, in our opinion.If you don’t have values, or have a set of values or mission statement that is not reflective of your culture, we recommend creating them, in conjunction with your team.
9. Interesting job content
Doing the same repetitive tasks day in and day out is hard work. Consider breaking up your employees week by having them ‘buddy’ up with someone from another department, or get them working for a few hours a week on something charitable.A great question to pitch is ‘If you could remove one part of your role, what would it be?’. This quickly highlights employee pain points.
8. Attractive fixed salary
This one is tricky, unless you have a very healthy profit margin. Obviously, we should do our best to pay our team what they are worth, and what we could afford as employers.When it comes down to money, employees are shy to broach the subject, so take it by the horns and discuss their concerns openly.
7. Job security
Who wants to feel nervous about their position each week? Having a regular discussion around the company direction, and where you hope everyone with you will be in the future.This does great things to set a positive tone and also reiterates that you want them to stick around.
6. Learning and career development
To get the most of your employees, you need to regularly invest in your team’s knowledge. There are many options here, from conferences to in-house training, webinars and more.Even mentoring where you pair less experienced team members with senior people has been shown to be highly effective to continually challenge and grow the knowledge of your people.
5. Company’s financial stability
Most organisations are reluctant to openly share their financials with their whole team, yet the profitability and therefore longevity of an organisation is often questioned by those within the team.We suggest perhaps sharing a rough guide; an example could be ‘Sales are up 5% on last year, and we look good to do even better into the next financial year’.Your employees trust you to do the best; you should expect the same confidence in return.
4. Good relationship with superiors
We’ve all been in that position; being subservient to someone you can’t get along with, no matter how hard you try. Whilst employees don’t need to be absolutely best friends with their supervisors and colleagues, it is expected that people can remain respectful, honest and open with one another.Look for small signs that there is conflict among your team, and speak privately to those involved; it’s quite often just a case of clearing the air in a respectful and dignified way.
3. Good work-life balance
For many people, flexibility with work hours and location is now a large component of what they consider when looking for employment, or changing careers. Do you have the ability to allow for remote working, or allow for flexible hours in your organisation?.Demanding employees put in 70 hour weeks is a great way to ensure they end up burned out, and not productive. Keep a focus on ensuring your team work hard, but for a reasonable period, and have a good life and work balance.
2. Good relationships with colleagues
As stated with point four, relationships are tantamount for a good working experience. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a team with someone whose personality completely polar opposite to yourself!This is hard to judge of course, and there is no easy grading scale to show how relationships among your employees work, however be mindful of how everyone treats each other.Ready for the most important factor in employee happiness? It is by far one of the easiest to address!
1. Appreciation for your work
This does not need to be a solid gold expensive watch either; a simple thank you, particularly publicly is free to do, and very positive. Small gestures as buying an employee a lunch, or saying thank you via email to the team can also be great avenues to show appreciation and lift morale.
Sam is a 22 years old, and an enthusiastic new starter at your organization. This is the career that she has wanted since high school and, now that she’s got her degree and joined your team, she’s impatient to impress her new colleagues with her ambition and creativity. But she soon finds the going tough. Some of her fellow team members don’t seem to appreciate her eagerness, and they are wary of her ideas and suggestions. But she soon finds the going tough.
The team is a mixed bunch. Some are middle-aged and others are nearing retirement, and have been at the company for years. They feel that Sam doesn’t understand the way that things get done in the organization. Her enthusiasm and energy is starting to wane as she feels worn down by their reluctance to consider new ideas. So much has changed in the way our customers engage with our products, but all Sam gets is a deaf ear, raised eye-brows and dis-engagement.
Sam isn’t alone. Around the world and across industries, more generations than ever before are working together. Increasingly, it’s younger employees who are leading older team members , turning the established order on its head. This new scenario can cause problems, but it also presents opportunities for sharing knowledge and experience. This article explores how to thrive within a multi-generational workplace.
In days gone by, it was common for just two age groups to be represented in the workplace. There were long-serving, “dyed-in-the-wool” old-timers and ambitious newcomers. Times have changed, and now you could find yourself working with as many as five generations. Broadly speaking, each one has its own set of preferences, styles, perspectives, and experiences.
Introducing the Generations
This table shows the different age groups that are in the labor force today. It describes their traits and characteristics, and how they are frequently stereotyped.
Recent findings show that Millennials are the biggest generation in the U.S. workforce, followed closely by Generation X and the Baby Boomers. Silents are a small minority, and the youngest generation – the Zs – are just starting to enter the workforce.
The Potential – and the Pitfalls – of Multi-Generational Workplaces
Generational diversity has great potential. People from different generations can grow and learn from one another as they are exposed to one another’s ideas and experiences. The new perspectives they gain can spark new ideas and prompt new ways of working.
However, the potential for conflict and misunderstanding is very real. Intergenerational conflict within the workplace is a growing issue. A 2011 study found that “intergenerational cohesion” is one of the top three workplace risks.
Different generations can struggle to understand one another’s values and working styles. Working together and sharing power can be problematic. And as more people delay their retirement, younger generations can feel that their opportunities for career advancement are being restricted.
Six Strategies for Multi-Generational Harmony
So, now that our workplaces are more generationally diverse than at any time in history, but at risk of conflict because of this, how do we all work together harmoniously? Here are six strategies for thriving within a multi-generational mix.
1. Establish Respect
It doesn’t matter how old or how experienced we are, we all crave respect. And, just as newcomers need to respect older generations’ seniority and experience, so long-servers need to adjust to and respect the talent and potential of younger generations. Only when each group respects the other can both thrive.
The key to respecting other generations is to understand and accept that they are different from yours. Consider what motivates people from different generations, what experiences they might have had, and what their working styles are likely to be. The table above can help you.
2. Be Flexible and Accommodating
When you understand what makes other generations “tick,” being able to accommodate their needs and preferences, where practical, can help to prevent division and conflict.
Each generation has its wants and needs, and values different ways of working. Older generations often have fewer responsibilities and costs at home and they appreciate the opportunity to work part-time or reduced hours, so that they can enjoy the benefits and rewards of a lifetime’s work. But an increasing number of Generation Xers are part of the “sandwich generation ,” responsible for caring for both elders and children alongside their work. And for members of Generation Y, a sociable life outside of work is often just as important as their career.
3. Avoid Stereotyping
It’s easy to stereotype different groups. For example, if you’re a Baby Boomer, you may think of Millennials as tech-obsessed and lacking in people skills. To Generation Z, Boomers may seem to be stubborn and inflexible.
Everyone is unique so, instead of assuming the worst, fight your unconscious bias and accept individuals based on their merits, rather than as “typical” members of particular generations. Remember, chances are, somebody may be stereotyping you! You can change their perceptions and attitude by demonstrating a willingness to listen to new ideas or suggestions, and, as we explore below, by sharing your knowledge and expertise.
4. Learn From One Another
The different generations have a wealth of knowledge and experience that they can share.
The Boomers in your team, for example, can pass on the knowledge, information, useful contacts, and perspectives that they have developed during their years at work. In return, a Generation Y colleague can help them to get to grips with recent innovations, such as the latest developments in social media and viral marketing.
Successful multi-generational teams identify, value and build on one another’s skills and experiences. This focus on individual strengths, rather than on generational differences, is a key part of thriving in the modern workplace.
5. Tailor Your Communication Style
The generations often have their preferred methods of communication. Silents and Boomers tend to use one-on-one, telephone or written communication, whereas Generations X and Y tend to like emails and texts. Generation Z generally prefers the collaborative interaction of social media.
Generations differ in the degree of formality they use, too. Older team members tend to be more formal, whereas their younger colleagues will more likely use colloquialisms, abbreviations and “emojis” – small digital images and icons that are used in messages to represent ideas or emotions. This is more suited to personal or less important messages or communications. Serious or important messages are probably not the best times to use smiley face emojis!
Sticking rigidly to your own favored means and style of communication can alienate others, so, although it might not feel natural, try to tailor your communication to suit the recipient whenever it’s appropriate.
6. Don’t Overlook the Similarities
Focus on the things that unite you with colleagues of all generations, rather than dwelling on the differences.
You might struggle at first to find similarities between yourself and older or younger team members. But, however stark the differences might appear to be, research suggests that there are more similarities than differences across the generations. After all, most people like to feel engaged with their work, to receive fair pay, to achieve, to build a better quality of life, to be happy and respected, and so on. Likewise, many of us share the same grumbles, such as feeling overworked and underpaid!
Key Points
Multi-generational workplaces can host as many as five generations. Having people who were born between the 1920s and the 1990s work together creates the potential for creativity and innovation, but also for conflict and misunderstanding.
You can avoid these pitfalls and thrive through:
Staying respectful, flexible and understanding.
Avoiding stereotypes.
Being open to learning from others, and helping them to learn from you.
Adapting your communication style.
Focusing on similarities between individuals, rather than on generational differences.
Join the Leaders Club Today.
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