As a manager, the key to your success lies in how well you can influence your team. However, you will often have to adapt your management strategy to the different traits of Gen Y, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generation employees.
Typical Gen Y Characteristics…and what they mean for your influencing strategy
- A typical Gen Y employee will respond very well to praise.
- They don’t like strict hierarchies, and seek regular feedback and training that will move them rapidly towards promotion.
- A Gen Y is less likely to accord a manager respect solely based on their job title, so you’ll need to display credibility and competence to earn their real respect.
- They want to feel like they’re part of something, so ensure that they understand the vision. Tell them WHY you’re asking them to do something.
- Gen Y’s also enjoy being social and quite casual at work, so you can influence them quite informally with friendly chats and fun events. Nice office spaces, equipment and even good biscuits and coffee will please this kind of employee.
- They seek challenge, flexibility, and opportunity, rather than focussing on job security. Flexible working hours, travel, and exciting opportunities motivate Gen Y.
- They want to succeed in their careers, but they don’t believe in being a slave to the workplace and will move between jobs frequently if they feel their needs are not being fulfilled. When influencing them, you need to listen to what what’s important to them about their job in order to engage and keep them motivated. They rarely respond well to over-time or a poor work-life balance.
- They don’t tend to feel ‘grateful’ for a job or loyal to an employer merely in exchange for a pay cheque as Baby Boomers did, so you will need to cultivate loyalty through trust and engagement. They don’t respond to ultimatums.
As a leader, it’s your job to develop these Gen Y’s into tomorrow’s leaders by influencing them powerfully towards outcomes of loyalty, ambition, shared vision, and engagement. These employees are high performers…but they are also high maintenance and require your most powerful influencing techniques.
Typical Gen X Characteristics….and what they mean for your influencing strategy
- Gen X’s are independent, and like being allowed to work alone without constant supervision. Micro-managing will alienate and frustrate this employee.
- Gen X’s do respect merit over seniority, but they still have one foot in the seniority camp- ie: ‘I’ve been here for years, and that deserves respect’. They were made to bide their time for promotion by Baby Boomers, and can sometimes resent the Gen Y’s need for rapid ‘star’ status.
- They don’t require constant feedback, although feedback is appreciated.
- They like creative work and enjoy challenge and change in the workplace. A good manager of Gen X employees will find out what they need to be engaged.
- While Gen X do seek a good work/life balance, they tend to be somewhat more tolerant of long hours and boss’ expectations than Gen Y. As such, you need to show that you genuinely value their contribution, or they will move on to greener pastures. Don’t take Gen X for granted!
As a leader, it’s your responsibility to manage this cohort effectively as they increasingly inhabit or move towards senior positions, maintaining that fine balance between allowing them their independence and not letting them do whatever they want. It’s very important to engage and challenge the Gen X employees, although they don’t require constant feedback and supervision.
Typical Baby Boomer Characteristics….and what they mean for your influencing strategy
- Going on a praise offensive will often strike the Baby Boomer as inauthentic, as that was not the work culture most of them grew up in. Recognising good work is important, but over-praising is not well-received.
- Where Gen Y’s love regular feedback, Baby Boomers would often prefer to avoid it altogether. Only schedule feedback with them when it’s genuinely necessary, or they’ll find it stressful or time-wasting.
- Baby Boomers are more accustomed to a strict organisational hierarchy, and are very unlikely to approach senior execs with their ideas unless their input is requested. A great manager will work to draw the ideas out of Baby Boomers and get them to be more forthcoming with their input.
- Baby Boomers are the ‘gold watch’ generation who often work for one company for a lifetime. Having been brought up by parents who endured the war and other 20th century trials, they value job security.
- Baby Boomers believe that their age and ‘time served’ should earn them respect and seniority, and they will often resent the meteoric rise of ‘Johnny-come-lately’ Gen Y’s.
As a leader, influencing Baby Boomers requires that you show them respect and that you value their expertise. A great manager will encourage the Baby Boomer to share and pass on their skills to the younger generations, while also learning a few new ones into the bargain!
Until next time,
Julia
