The key to managing different generations is actually quite easy. Treat them all with dignity and worth. Crazy – I know.
There aren’t really any differences in our emotional make up. All generations
are basically the same emotionally. We all need the same things to feel
psychologically safe and respected. Managers can give that to
employees of any generation by treating everyone with dignity.
This also means – recognizing that each of your employees – are individuals with
individual life experiences. Those life experiences make some people more
anxious. Some people more eager. Some people more suspicious and some people
more open to the point it annoys everyone.
Everyone is different and treating
each person as the individual they are – helps a manager give each employee
what they need. This also allows the manager to model professional and
compassionate interpersonal relationships. It sets the tone for how
employees are expected to treat each other.
Imagine if an office – everyone
treated everyone else with dignity and appreciated what each individual brought
to the team. That’s doable.
The big difference between generations isn’t in personality. It’s in life
experiences. The defining geopolitical events and economy at the time they grew
up and entered the work force. This sets their expectations for how
relationships are supposed to work – including relationships in the workplace.
What cuts across all of that – is that everyone. EVERYONE wants to be
recognized as a person with dignity and worth. If you can do that – you
can create an amazing team of individuals with different life experiences all
contributing fully to the work and the team.
Humanism matters in business – because humans matter.
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