Tag Archives: Multigenerational

Emotional Intelligence: Use It or Lose Your Career!

You may think I’m exaggerating but it’s true. The #1 reason professionals stumble in their career advancement is because of their lack of social and emotional intelligence. They may have all the knowledge, skills and even years of experience but they have earned a reputation for not being able to get along with their colleagues, direct reports or even their bosses.  In short, their own self-awareness; empathy for others and ability to manage their own emotions is limited or nonexistent.

These folks (are we talking about you?) are just known for being difficult – they don’t listen, are confrontational, unpredictable and even arrogant in their beliefs. They may be in a supervisory or middle management position because they have been with the company for so long but now their career is on thin ice and they wonder why.  But others know why . . .

So what exactly is “social and emotional intelligence”?  Here is a excellent working defination from the Institute for Social & Emotional Intelligence (ISEI), Denver, Colorado.

  • “Social and emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of our own emotions and those of others, in the moment, and to use that information to manage ourselves and manage our relationships”.

I’ve been giving workshops on emotional intelligence (EQ) for years – it’s truly my favorite topic because it impacts every aspect of our working and personal lives.  I’m delighted now to be in an intensive coach certification course (October – November) through ISEI with my Australian coaching colleagues to learn even more.  I’ve already started to pull new ideas and tools into my training courses and with my individual coaching clients.

So let’s remember that 80 – 85% of our career success at the upper levels depends on our ability to connect, communicate and collaborate with others. Our own personal work experiences confirm that research.  We have all known industry leaders who have those qualities – they inspire, motivate and engage their teams and employees resulting in people working harder with energy, creativity and greater flexibility.  The result? Less employee turnover; higher productivity and greater profits for the company.

This is emotional intelligence competencies in action. Let’s be known as one of those leaders!

 

 

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Don’t Wait to Learn From Each Other

It’s the end of June and retirement parties are happening all over town. They are festive events for the pending “retiree” (who can’t stop smiling) but not everyone feels the same way. Often, the managers, department heads and team leaders are suddenly realizing that a wealth of expertise, experience and history is walking right out their door. As leaders tell me, “it’s a tsunami” of baby boomers retiring and for the most part the remaining leadership is totally unprepared to fill these gaps in the short or long run.

So what can you as a leader do? Build relationships now! Don’t wait. The single most effective initiative you can take in your organization is to ensure that the four generations (Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials) have regular opportunities to connect with one another, to collaborate on projects and therefore to learn “up & down” the generations. Challenge your employees/colleagues to tap into each other’s wisdom, knowing that each generation is bringing different strengths and gifts to the workplace and ultimately for the benefit of your company. After all, they were hired by your company to do just that.

It’s tempting to stay with what we are most comfortable with – to work in silos. You as a leader have the responsibility and opportunity to create a “multi-generational learning environment” for the benefit of all. Give them an opportunity to work and learn from each other. Try it!

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Coaching Up & Down the Generations

Coaching Up & Down the Generations, by Lisa Haneberg, ASTD Press, 2010.

The title of this book caught my eye at the recent ASTD TechKnowledge conference in San Jose, California. There are lots of books on multi-generations in the workforce but I had never seen a “how to” book on using coaching to bridge these common generational gaps.

It’s an excellent book for both professional coaches and leaders alike. Haneberg identifies an issue that is often hinted about in today’s workplace but rarely offered a solution. And that is how to help the four generations now working in today’s world connect, communicate and finally learn from each other. Haneberg calls this “Up & Down the Generations” to illustrate that this kind of collaboration goes both ways – from oldest to youngest and (just as importantly) from youngest to oldest. Haneberg gives an excellent review of state-of-the-art coaching strategies and techniques to accomplish exactly that. This is a great book for every leader and every coach I know.

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First Step in Working with Multiple Generations

I’ve got all the generations . . . a Traditionalist Dad; a Baby Boomer husband; a Generation Y son; a Linkster daughter and my community non-profit work with multiple Generation Xers.  And everyone is working in some capacity.  Even my Dad, age 94, is a corporate attorney and goes into his office every day.

In today’s work world, we have the opportunity but also the challenge of working with all five generations.  Each generation has different expectations, experiences and expertise to bring to the table.  And each also has their prefered ways of communicating as any parent of a teenager knows.  All of these differences can make the daily job of the project manager, team leader or supervisor infinately more complex and challenging.

First Step:  Know the Generational Context

I’ve found that reading about the “generational context” that each of these generations grew up in has been invaluable in understanding the lenses that they see themselves, their colleagues and their jobs.  It’s amazing the differences in generational perspective!

One of my favorite books is Generations, INC: From Boomers to Linksters – Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work, Meagan Johnson & Larry Johnson, 2010.  Written by a father-daughter team in a lively converational style, this book is filled with research and personal interviews to help us appreciate how each generation perceives their world around them. And the authors go a step further by giving us concrete tips on how to lead and be led by each of these generations.  It’s a must-have book if you’re in a leadership position or now working for someone in a different generation than yourself.

What Works with Each Generation

This is my short cut list of how to maximize the gifts each generation brings to their work.

  1. Traditionalist (1918-1945) Use their life wisdom especially in times of change.
  2. Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Give them new challenges to stretch & grow.
  3. Generation X (1965-1980) Keep things moving & provide autonomy.
  4. Generation Y (1981-1995) Have them take the lead with technology.
  5. Linksters (born after 1995) Tap into their expertise with social networking.

And it goes both ways . . . you may find yourself as a Baby Boomer working for that Generation Y boss.  If so, grab up this book, keep your sense of humor and enjoy the ride!

 

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5 Generations at Work is Challenging!

It’s a challenge – working with people of all ages both in my regular training and coaching roles but also in my community volunteer work.  Each age group is really quite different – disconnects and miscommunication happen all the time.  We often don’t even realize that it’s a “generational thing”.  But it actually all makes sense if we take the time to understand & appreciate the differences (and gifts) that each generation brings to the workplace.

All Ages Volunteering at the Red Cross

I’ve had the great opportunity to design and deliver a leadership training course to the American Red Cross, Northern Nevada Chapter both in 2010 and again this year.  Tomorrow night’s materials will be fun – it’s all about how to work with volunteers of all five generations – common for the Red Cross.  Each generation has its own motivations for wanting to work with the Red Cross and each generation brings its own talents, strengths and gifts to their volunteer work.  But for new leaders it can be a stretch to know how to engage and motivate individuals who often are younger or older than themselves. 

A Great Book & Resource

Here is where I would start . . . pick up this brand new book written by a father-daughter team in a lively conversational style.  Generations, INC: From Boomers to Linksters – Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work, 2010, is packed with facts, historical research and practical, concrete suggestions for how to manage and work with each of the five generations.  It’s current and relevant to today’s work world and our families as well.  And it goes beyond just describing the generational differences (although I found that fasinating) to really teaching us as leaders how to bring out the best in this amazing diverse workforce.

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