how to create a team culture in a multi
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How to create a team culture in a multiTRANSCRIPT
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By Michelle Riklan
and Doug Staneart
©Copyright 2016, The Leader’s Institute® Publishing
Publisher reserves all rights to copyright material in this document.
http://www.leadersinstitute.com
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The majority of American companies have workforces
that span across many generations. The traditional
seniority ladder‐climbing and top‐down decision making
have gone the way of the dinosaur in many workplaces.
As a result, the older structures are giving way to a
culture where bosses are younger than the people who
report to them, and where teams encompass members
who have 40 years of differences between their ages.
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Because of this shift, leaders are seeking ways to help
their teams work together despite the age differences
that exist between their members. One of the most
important factors to consider when preparing and
improving in multi‐generational leadership is how to
build a culture that incorporates and satisfies all of the
needs and wants of these various personalities.
A well‐defined and intentionally built company culture
increases productivity, decreases turnover, and
promotes collaboration that cross the generational
divides. Read on to discover how to promote an inclusive
culture in your workplace.
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Chapter 1: The Generations Present in Today’s Workforce
Before talking about how to intentionally create a team
culture in today’s generational climate, it’s helpful to
know what generations are present in most workplaces.
This is a broad overview, but it is a quick way to see what
the primary want or need of each generation is.
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The Traditionalists (1923‐1944)
First are the
Traditionalists, who make
up a relatively small
amount of the workforce
at 12 percent according to
a recent Gallup poll. These
team members were born before 1960 and can often be
seen as inflexible, old, and fatalistic, though hardworking,
to the rest of the organization.
The traditionalists are resistant to technology, and they
tend to want to stick to tried‐and‐true processes,
policies, and corporate structure. They embrace and
respect the chain‐of‐command. A good analogy for this
group is a military structure where the general or admiral
is in charge, and a hierarchical structure is in place where
decisions are made and passed down to the organization.
A good motto for this generation is, “My way or the
highway.”
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The Baby Boomers (1945‐1964)
The Baby Boomers are up
next, and this group
values being treated as
individuals and being
recognized appropriately
for their contributions in
the workplace. They are loyal, and they value being
respected for their hard work.
The Baby Boomers know that people who pay their dues
are rewarded for loyalty and for hard work. They see the
hierarchy that their former generation created as a
challenge to conquer, and their goal is to make it to the
top so they can re‐create the hierarchy in a way that
better suits them. They are revolutionaries.
A good motto for this generation is, “My way is better
than your way.”
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Generation X (1961‐1981)
Gen X, or the “Forgotten
Generation,” are skeptical
of leadership and lack the
optimism and engagement
of the Boomers. They are
known for rejecting most
rules and strongly value work‐life balance. They resist the
hierarchy all together, because there is always a more
creative solution than what we’ve done before. They see
the organizational structure of old as an impediment to
creativity and growth.
This is the dot com generation where one good idea can
make someone wealthy, and with great risk comes great
reward. They value creativity and ingenuity, and the love
to receive recognition for this ingenuity – especially if
that recognition includes additional income.
A good motto for this generation is, “There is always a
better way.”
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Generation Y or The Millennials (1975‐1995)
Finally, the Millennials
make up 76 million
members of today’s
workforce – the largest
percentage of any of these
groups. They value
recognition, even for routine tasks, and value being
consulted on matters and innovation – which means that
they often look down on coworkers who are less
technologically savvy or flexible.
This is the YouTube and iPad generation that believes
that your success is primarily based on how many people
that you can personally influence. They see true leaders
as people who have the most “followers” (YouTube
followers, Twitter followers, Instagram followers,
SnapChat followers, etc.)
This generation’s motto is, “There are an infinite number
of ways to do something... What makes you think your
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way is the best?”
The thing to keep in mind about these different
generations is that, although each group has different
values and different goals, they all crave recognition. The
Traditionalists value recognition because they believe
that “they DESRVE it.” The Baby Boomers value
recognition, because they believe that “they have
EARNED it.” The Generation X group values recognition
because the recognition shows that others “value their
creativity.” And the Millenials value recognition because
it shows them that “others are following their lead.”
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Chapter 2: Shared Experiences Outside of the Workplace Builds Camaraderie Inside the Workplace
The first thing to keep in mind when building a company
culture that includes age‐diverse members is that it’s
more important to focus on commonalities rather than
differences and to build on the unique strengths of each
group.
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Shared needs across all generations include feeling
valued and respected, being included in the company
and in the organization environment, and receiving
continuous feedback. A culture that emphasizes all these
tenants will satisfy all parties and minimize gaps.
Though some of the generational qualities listed
previously could be seen as negative characteristics,
there are positive sides to every personality trait. For
example, the skepticism of Gen X could encourage
disengagement, which is a negative, but it could also
keep everyone honest and focused on a specific goal.
Encouraging a culture where all generational traits are
celebrated encourages open‐mindedness.
When it comes down to it, leaders should see people and
individuals, and not the generation that they inhabit.
Engaging with your team on an emotional level and
recognizing the unique skills and perspectives they bring
to the table will be inherently more valuable than just
catering to their age. Reward them when they do good
work, and respond with education and engagement
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when they fall short of standards.
These best practices will resonate with your team and
build a supportive, inclusive culture – no matter what
generations it includes.
In addition to the normal day‐to‐day feedback and
recognition that is important to each of these
generations, sometimes it is important to get out of the
office with your group so that they get to work with each
other in a non‐traditional setting. This can take place at
annual retreats or conventions, or you can just take a
Friday afternoon to reward your team for their hard
work.
Team building events can be effective tactics for bringing
a team together to work toward a common goal. Often,
these types of fun, team‐wide events force people to get
outside their generational comfort zones and recognize
the value that each person brings to the table.
One of the most popular types of team building activities
are charity team building events where the group learns
good team building skills but also donates their time or
effort to help a charity.
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These types of activities have been around for decades.
The first of these types of events began in the church
where company workers volunteered on weekends to
help with church rummage sales and the like. Years later,
charities like Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels
were formed, and companies often formed “outings”
where their groups donated their time to help those in
need.
In the last decade, though, an entire new industry has
been created around Philanthropic Team Building. For
the first, professional team building facilitators began to
organize high‐energy events where real team building
and communication skills were developed between these
generations, and, at the same time, the groups were able
to help a charity in their local area.
The most popular of these types of Charity Team Building
Events is the Build‐A‐Bike ® Team Building Activity. This
was the first event where the activity came to your group
versus your group traveling to the activity. In this event,
teams race against each other and time to acquire pieces
of children’s bicycles. They acquire each piece by having
to solve team challenges where the expertise of the
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different generations is critical to their success. For
instance, the competitive spirit of the Baby Boomers is
important to get the participants moving in the same
direction, but the goal oriented strategies of the
Generation X group helps the group stay focused. The
real secret to success though is that when the groups
become cross‐functional (meaning the groups begin to
work together to solve the challenges) the speed that the
groups complete the tasks increases exponentially, and
the Millennials are the group that typically gets the
others to see the value in sharing their success with the
other groups.
The beauty of this type of activity is that it is fun and
high‐energy, but it also brings about an emotional
benefit to the participants. At the end of the Build‐A‐
Bike® activity, children from a local Boys & Girls Club or
shelter are often invited to the event where the groups
actually give the bike to a kid who has maybe never
owned a bike of his/her own. There is a feeling of
camaraderie and teamwork that often carries back over
into the workplace.
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In January, a few years ago, I was leading one of these
events, and the director of the YMCA in Irving, Texas has
a tear in his eye as he watched a little boy and a little girl
ride their new bicycles around in the ballroom of the
Four Seasons. Now, this director was a big, burly
“football coach” type of person, so I was shocked to see
him tearing up. I asked him what was it that got him
choked up this time as this was one of probably a dozen
or so events like this that he had helped me with.
He turned to me and pointed to the little boy and girl and
said, “Those kids are twins, and ten months ago, their
dad got laid off from his job. This was the first Christmas
in their entire lives where they didn’t receive any
presents – or even have a tree for that matter. Look how
happy this gift has made them.”
It is that type of emotional impact that makes events like
this very special.
Other types of Charity Team Building Events include
building a mini‐golf course out of non‐perishable food
items like canned goods that are later donated to
homeless shelters or food banks or building stuffed
animals that police officers or firefighters can carry with
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them in their vehicles to give to kids who have
experienced a tragic loss.
You don’t necessarily have to invest in a professional
team building company to get this result. Sometimes,
just an evening out for dinner or a pizza party in the
break‐room can get you a similar result. However, the
larger your team and the more challenges that you have
within the team, the more beneficial a professional team
building facilitator will be.
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Chapter 3: Baby Boomers Who Manage Millenials
According to the latest U.S. Census, Millennials make up
the majority of today’s workforce. As of 2015, the Baby
Boomer generation makes up only 29 percent of the
workforce as a whole.
However, just because Millennials have surpassed Baby
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Boomers in numbers does not mean they are
represented equally in leadership. In fact, in many
situations, Baby Boomers have risen through the ranks to
inhabit management positions, and now find themselves
managing teams of Millennials.
It’s not hard to see that these generations operate
differently in the workplace. To work effectively together
and to manage Millennials in a way that bridges these
differences, there are several things Baby Boomer
leaders should keep in mind.
How are Boomers and Millennials different?
First, it is helpful to know the main differences between
these two generations as they relate to work.
Baby Boomers have grown their careers in large
corporate hierarchies where putting in long hours and
organizational memory were rewarded. They derive their
self‐worth by their strong work ethic, and when faced
with a question of work‐life balance, the scale often tips
toward work.
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Boomers’ motivation to put in these long hours comes
primarily from money, and they rose through the ranks in
an environment where annual raises with a percentage
bonus were the norm.
In the media, Baby Boomers were also heavily influenced
by the concept of the “American Dream,” which
reinforced that if they worked hard enough, they could
be successful and achieve the “white picket fence”
lifestyle.
Conversely, Millennials grew up when AIDs, terrorist
attacks, global warming, and school shootings ruled the
media. They are more socially and globally conscious,
and deeply value their personal time. They enjoy
flexibility and open environments in the workplace, and
typically aren’t the type to put in long hours just to
impress their boss.
Most Millennials were raised in “child‐centered”
households, where their opinions and decisions played a
role in family situations. Because of this, they expect that
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their career should fulfill them creatively and monetarily
– and if they do not find a job that fulfills these
requirements, they move on to the next one.
How to engage and lead your Millennial staff
The different mindsets, historical contexts, family
constructs, and technology that these generations grew
up around can cause friction in the workplace. So how do
Boomer leaders avoid tension and lead Millennials in a
way that celebrates, not punishes, their different
viewpoints?
Millennials do not like to feel like just another cog in the
machine of an organization. Baby Boomer leaders should
give them meaning and purpose in their work by helping
them see the bigger picture. In your training and
professional development, talk about how the work they
are doing contributes to the organization in tangible
ways.
1. Do not just tell Millennials what to do – tell them why
it’s important they do it. Simon Sinek’s TED Talk, Start
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with Why, gives several practical tips on how to do this in
your workplace.
2. Enable all employees to have their voices heard.
Because Millennials want to feel like they’re making an
actual contribution to their company and to the world,
and not just clocking in and out, create a culture and
processes to allow for people to voice their ideas and
opinions. Take a page out of Toyota’s book – they allow
any employee to completely halt production if they
discover a quality issue in their products. Tools like
SpeakUp and 15Five are great ways to enable the
dissemination of ideas across companies.
3. Provide feedback that is more consistent. Research
shows that the primary reason Millennials decide to
leave their company is because of their boss. It also
showed that three out of four Millennials felt in the dark
about their performance, so frequently checking in
outside of the standard annual performance review
would go a long way.
By keeping in mind the differences between Baby
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Boomers and Millennials and by using these tips to
appeal to younger generations, leaders can bridge the
gap to create a happy, productive team atmosphere for
all groups.
If you need help increasing communication across the
generational divide, our instructors are masters at
analyzing the specific needs of a group and tailoring
workshops and training programs that lead to positive
behavior change. In fact, if you need help, you can talk to
a facilitator directly for a free needs assessment and
consultation at (800) 872‐7830. We look forward to
helping you build your team culture!