How to Handle Generational Differences in the Workplace?

Diversity is among the most important aspects of a company. If handled correctly, it can bring your business to many advantageous positions. One of the benefits you can get with a diverse team is the ability to understand your market better. Because people in a diverse workforce will come from different walks of life and were brought up differently, you can expect a flood of distinct ideas you can use to help your company improve. 

Because of these reasons, we can all agree that diversity does bring positive results. However, why is it also one of the most common management problems many companies face? It is because handling people with different backgrounds can be challenging, especially if you have to deal with a big age gap among your team.

The generational diversity

When you say diversity in the workplace, your team consists of people of different religions, sexual orientations, or ethnicity. A diverse group means you welcome suggestions from your team members, no matter where they come from or their upbringing. But today, we will focus on what generational diversity is. 

Generational diversity is defined as having a wide range of ages among your employees. One of the realities of many workplaces is that their population is dominated by employees from four generations – the baby boomers, generation X, millennials, and generation Z. 

Since four generations are working together, you will be met with various styles, needs, goals, and traits. While these differences can undoubtedly be an asset to the company, they can also cause problems if not handled properly. 

Ensuring that these differences are used for the improvement of the company is one of the responsibilities of leaders. But whether you admit it or not, managing these differences and turning them into something useful for the company can be challenging.

That being said, here are some tips leaders can use for team development and combatting generational differences:

• Acknowledge the gap

Acknowledging that your team has a generational gap allows you to create more solutions than problems. Denying it can only leave you in a pit of piled-up and unresolved issues. Remember that you can never solve a problem without acknowledging its existence.

• Respect boundaries

Respecting your team’s boundaries does not apply to handling generational gaps, but they can be critical in solving them. You must remember that your team has different beliefs and traditions, and what might be okay with you can be uncomfortable to others. 

• Be flexible

Since your team is diverse, you must also be prepared to handle different situations. Look for various approaches to accommodate multiple concerns. You must also avoid being biased or playing favourites. While it is coherent that you may feel more comfortable with the members you share of the same generation, your duty as a leader is to accommodate everyone as much as you can. 

• Dismantle stereotypes

Baby boomers are known to be collaborative but averse to change, generation X is independent but bleak, millennials are driven but entitled, and generation Z are progressive but disloyal.

These are the stereotypes for each generation, and leaders must be one of the first people to dismantle these stereotypes. These standardised views of each generation are what divides a team that has the potential to create great ideas. The first step in debunking these generalisations is having mutual respect among peers, which leaders should demonstrate.  

• Resolve issues as soon as possible

Issues that are neglected can turn into bigger concerns in the future. Therefore, if you notice tension forming in your team, you must address the situation as soon as possible. Never leave the problem hanging, as it will not fix itself. While it is understandable that you might want to let your team handle the conflict independently, your role as a leader is to guide them into resolving it. 

Improve leadership skills with Corporate Learning Solutions

Without a doubt, leadership is indeed a challenging task. More so, handling the differences of your team members. This is why it is essential to engage in courses for leadership and management to help you improve your leadership skills and help your team improve. 

Here at Corporate Learning Solutions, we offer various leadership and management courses you can use for your leadership journey. 

To know more about us, please visit our website at www.corplearn.com.au.