Effective leadership hinges significantly on the ability to build trust-based relationships, yet many leaders face challenges managing teams with members from different generations. Gallup reports that 54% of Gen Z and younger millennials are disengaged. Most young workers, Gallup says, don’t feel a close connection to their coworkers, manager, or employer. Leaders see the “generation gap” as a significant hurdle in creating cohesive, high-performing teams. Before addressing the perceived generation gap, it’s crucial to explore whether it truly exists or whether leaders have to take a different approach to connect with their mixed-generation team members.
Today, there may be up to four generations working together in organizations. Their life experiences, values, and beliefs are bound to differ and can lead to disagreements or even conflicts. Frustration over this can easily lead leaders and their teams to fall back on common stereotypes such as “Baby Boomers are arrogant and inept with technology,” “Millennials are entitled,” or “Gen-Zers are lazy.”
Just because these stereotypes exist doesn’t make them accurate reflections of reality. There’s little solid empirical evidence to confirm that the era we were born in determines how we behave. The stages of development we go through in life, however, can be consistent, meaning that the behavior of a mid-twenties professional today will be similar in certain ways to mid-twenties professionals working thirty years ago. Believing in these stereotypes limits leaders’ ability to see each team member’s unique capabilities and potential.
Generational stereotypes are built on assumptions and lack substantial evidence. When faced with behavior that defies our understanding, we tend to fill in the gaps with our own experiences and beliefs, leading to limited perspectives. A person’s belief system and values are shaped by their life experiences growing up, which occur in the context of social, political, and economic events. These events can be quite different for everyone. When leaders work internationally with mixed culture teams, these experiences are bound to be very different. Someone who grew up in the 1990s in China will have had a very different life so far than someone who grew up in the 1990s in the US. Leaders won’t be able to fully appreciate the unique aspects of the backgrounds that shaped people until they’ve heard each of their stories. When they do, it becomes strange to label members of teams according to when they were born. Making assumptions without exploring the underlying reasons for behavior creates distance and hinders building trust, which is essential for effective leadership.
Bridging the Perceived Generation Gap
Rather than using the generation gap as an excuse for disconnection and disengagement, leaders should initiate conversations that reveal individuals’ motivations, values, and aspirations to help build meaningful connections, fostering trust and understanding. Employee needs evolve, influenced by both personal and global events. Leaders must recognize that people’s lives extend beyond the workplace and consider personal elements that may affect performance. Workplace flexibility initiatives, such as those acknowledging family responsibilities or personal circumstances, can contribute to employee satisfaction and loyalty.
Three Things All Employees Need
How can leaders move away from generational stereotypes and adopt an individualized approach to leadership? Effective leaders actively engage in conversations with team members to build a deeper connection that goes beyond daily tasks and work-related topics. This type of connection lays the groundwork for what I call ‘professional intimacy,’ The dynamic is such that leaders know what the people they work with desire, what their needs are, what drives them, and what they value. It’s a process of getting to know people for who they truly are.
To help start these conversations, leaders need to understand that every employee, in fact, every human, has three basic desires:
- People want to be seen. Leaders must aim to pay a sincere interest in their opinions and views and create an environment where they can fully express themselves without the fear of judgment.
- People want to be respected. As their leader, you want to recognize others’ contributions, allow people to take ownership of projects, involve them in decision-making, and show appreciation.
- People want to grow, whatever growth looks like for them. That could relate to monetary or personal growth. It could involve learning new knowledge or skills. People always seek increase, expansion, or advancement in their lives. We have to allow them to expand or advance in the specific ways they desire if we’re to form closer relationships with them. Otherwise, they’re likely to look elsewhere eventually.
Helpful questions leaders can use to ensure employees feel seen, respected, and grow are:
- Tell me about your background, education, and career so far. What’s your journey in life been like up to this point?
- What’s important to you in your life and your work?
- What are you most proud of, both personally and professionally?
- What do you most enjoy at work?
- Where would you like to be in five to ten years?
- What are some of the opportunities and challenges you see in your role?
- What do you think are the strengths or weaknesses of our current strategy?
- If you were in my shoes, what would you change?
- How, in your opinion, could we use our resources more efficiently?
- What are three things you want to focus on in the next few months?
- How would you prioritize these three things?
While HR plays a role in strategic initiatives to attract and retain talent, it’s the leaders’ responsibility to build close connections within their teams. Effective leadership involves transcending generational stereotypes and having individual conversations that build deeper relationships. By understanding team members’ diverse backgrounds, values, and needs, leaders can foster an inclusive and dynamic workplace where everyone contributes meaningfully to the organization’s success.