allPM.com :: It takes six steps to build a Cross Generational Team By Elizabeth Kearney, Ph.D.

It takes six steps to build a Cross Generational Team By Elizabeth Kearney, Ph.D.

Published on Monday, March 31, 2008 - 02:45 PM

Project Managers are expected to ensure that their company’s pre-defined objectives are accomplished within set guidelines and time limits, and it takes teamwork to accomplish this. So, what’s new about that? Well, Millenials are now part of the mix, and new approaches are needed to ensure success. Those approaches must be based on an understanding of this group and an awareness of how to manage and motivate them to ensure that their many talents are successfully tapped.Successful project managers have long been able to blend, motivate, and manage cross generational teams made up of Traditionalists (those born between 1920 and 1945), Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1966)*, and Generation Xers (those born between 1966 and 1986), but now we have another group in the workforce – the Millenials (those born between 1986 and 2006 who are sometimes called the Y Generation). In most cases, their interests, approaches, attitudes, and work ethics are markedly different from those of their parents and grandparents, yet appropriately approached, they can add a great deal to a team. The Millenials are technologically savvy, optimistic, and definitely entrepreneurial in their approach to work. For them multi-tasking is natural, and Project Managers need to recognize and utilize their abilities to the advantage of the companies for which they work.

In light of the coming Baby Boomer Exodus, it is essential that we do so. Consider for a moment the statistics that apply. We are told that as of January 1, 2008, some 10,000 Baby Boomers became eligible for retirement, and that number will be true every day for the next 10 years. Of course, not all will retire right away, but the knowledge drain will be significant even so, and the loss will go beyond factual knowledge because this group brings to corporations “hidden knowledge,” corporate dedication, experience, and stability – all of which successful teams need. It is up to the Project Managers to develop a process that ensures that this loss is handled effectively by using and motivating cross-generational teams.

*78.2 million Estimated number of baby boomers, as of July 1, 2005.
<http://www.census.gov/popest/national/ . The Millenials are almost equal in numbers.

7,918 Number of people turning 60 each day in 2006, according to projections. That amounts to 330 every hour. <http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/usinterimproj/>

There are six steps that need to be taken to ensure that such an environment is created. Let’s look at each of those steps, consider what needs to be done, and how to go about it.

Since the only element new to the mix is the Millenial workforce, let’s find out who they are, what they expect, how we motivate and manage them, and the value they can bring to a team. The very first thing to consider is how to go about creating an environment that appeals to all four generations and ensures that teamwork is even possible.

Step One: Consider the Events That Occurred During Their Teen Years

To a great extent, our attitudes, values, and work/life approaches are shaped by the events of our teen years, so let’s take a moment and consider those that impacted the Millenials.

9/11
The Clinton Presidency – both the good and the bad
Wars around the world in which we get involved
The growth of the internet
An increasing global economy
A growing number of highly successful youth
Parents who listened to what they had to say and respected their judgment
A sense of security which comes from being part of a team and a tendency to close ranks against others who are not members of the team
Less parental oversight and increased bonding with peers
A growing divorce rate
Schools that encouraged them to believe in themselves and their abilities one of which is the ability to multi-task.
The corporate ethics meltdown, and
A rapid increase of technical tools and “instant” information.

If you consider the force of these events and their impact on the Millenials, you can better understand them and

their belief in themselves and their abilities
their desire for a better work/life balance
their lack of trust
their dependence on technology
their close ties to their parents and their “teams”, and
their desire to seek and find the right job fit even if it means “job hopping”

It is also important to understand the impact that these events had upon the newest members of the corporate world since only then will Project Managers be able to provide the environment necessary for the successful teamwork so vitally needed for project success.

Step Two: Motivating and Adapting Are Two Key Factors Essential To Team Success

Successful teams are the goal of every Project Manager, and most already know how to effectively motivate Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, and Generation Xers, but let’s briefly review what’s needed by those groups.:

Traditionalists: Provide flexibility
Baby Boomers: Respect their experience and note the job’s status markers
Generation Xers: Promotions on merit, informality, and mentors if wanted

Now, what needs to be done to ensure that the Millenials are motivated? Well, it is very important to believe in them and help them strike a balance. In order to ensure that there is a balance, it is always a good idea to help them develop a career plan. Besides, a well-developed plan is one way to ensure that they have a realistic picture of what they can do and when and how it can be done.

Step Three: Building and Motivating a Balanced Team

The first step Project Manager’s need to take is to coach and train their team leaders, for they must be able to work with and motivate a diverse team from all age groups and all walks of life. They also need to be able to help the team’s members reach a consensus on the best way to handle a given project or concept.

Now, how can this be accomplished? It is not always easy, but it is always necessary and possible. It is important to understand each of the generations, match the approach used to their motivational needs, and then teach the team leaders how do the same thing. The motivational tip chart that follows provides a starting point.

What Each Generation Likes and/or Needs

Traditionalists	Baby Boomers	Generation Xers	Millenials
Money Opportunity to lead Recognition Security Information	Leadership roles Recognition Promotions A private office Staff Support	Flexibility Recognition from the boss Skills training The guidance of a mentor	Immediate “hands-on” work Teamwork To be heard Work/life balance Coaching

So, the first step to building those teams is to follow the 4 R’s: Research, Review, Remember, and Respect.

Step Four: Preplan, Train, and Implement

You can’t expect success unless you preplan what needs to be done, share that information with team leaders and the team members themselves, provide communication and diversity training, and then coach for success.

That means that employees need to understand the diverse nature of the workforce while having their own needs respected, as well. For example, the workplace environment that each group seeks is often quite different. Whereas the Millenials may well prefer an open space office that will facilitate interaction and planning, The Traditionalists and Baby Boomers like the privacy of their own individual offices (or even the so-called “cubes”). Some companies have listened to one group – often the loudest one – and made changes accordingly and irritated those whose preferences were not considered. Instead, there is no reason why a combination of workspace patterns could not have been designed to fit the diverse work population.

By helping the diverse members of the team better understand the other generations, a great deal of distrust, frustration, and irritation can be avoided.

Step Five: Make It Fun

Conflict is generally triggered by a lack of understanding, and that is certainly true when you mix generations in the workplace. The motivators, backgrounds, and interests can be really diverse, and, of course, each generation best understands its own approaches and interests. So, what can be done about it? Well, handing out an information sheet is unlikely to produce the results you want, so how should you handle the “awareness gaps”?

Competitions and games appeal to most people if the games and competitions are well designed. One company has been very successful in setting up generational teams (e.g., four teams – one for each generation) and asking questions geared to highlight the generational differences, beliefs, and motivational patterns. The teams are then asked to indicate their responses to each question. Their responses are shared with the total group which can then ask questions about the rationale behind the choices. This approach goes a great deal further toward fostering understanding than a sheet of paper that outlines possible answers or feelings.

Here are some examples of questions that could be asked:

How do you feel when at the last minute you are asked to work overtime?
Are you comfortable working with older/younger staff members? Why?
Consider the make-up of the team and indicate the valuable contributions made by the Millenials? Traditionalists? Baby Boomers? and Generation Xers. Be ready to explain your answers.

Another great way to promote competition and appreciation is to design a competition among cross generational groups. One of the best I have ever seen used is simple, inexpensive, and fun. Give each group a large stack of 3 x 5 cards and ask them to build a structure with them. The group that creates the tallest structure is the winner. Oh, but here’s the catch. They can’t talk, yet they must work together. The tallest structure is usually not very tall. Award the winning group its prize, and then have the same activity repeated, but now they can talk. The structures are generally a great deal higher because the group is cooperating on several levels. When the exercise is over, discuss what was learned and how it can be translated into cooperation in the workplace, and, oh, yes, award the winning group a prize.

Step Six: Design a Workplace That Fits All

A one size fits all design doesn’t mean that everyone must work at the same pace, in the same timeframe, or apply the same approaches to reach a pre-determined finale. What it does mean is that individual approaches will be acceptable as long as they produce balance, don’t interfere with the approach of others, and contribute to the overall success of the team. Why is this approach important to the Millenials? Remember, they have been encouraged:

to step out and discover new ways to do things
to move quickly
to feel free to ask questions and expect them to be answered
to believe in themselves and their ideas
to use a team approach to solving problems
to readily share their views
to expect praise for their actions which means that they may well react negatively when told “no.”
to expect help when it is needed – coaching, support, and /or encouragement.

There isn’t one thing on that list that would be detrimental if it were applied to the other generations, so your job is to provide those things, teach your team leaders to do so, and help all of the members of the team understand the needs and motivators of their fellow workers.

© 2008 allPM.com

Elizabeth Kearney, Ph.D. is on four boards, publishes a monthly newsletter, writes for a newspaper, and is the founder of Kearney & Associates: The Experts’ Alliance. She and Alliance members design and deliver programs and provide consulting services. Liz specializes in strategic planning, generational issues, and effective leadership, is an award-winning author and professor. Three of her books were Fortune Book-of-the-Month Club selections, and her latest book, Women Who Paved the Way is already in its second printing. For four consecutive years, she was selected as Businesswoman of the Year, was honored in Washington, D.C., and was presented with the Ronald Reagan medal for her work with small businesses and their related issues.

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