EP. 25 Coach Your Multi-Generational Team to Reduce Loneliness and Increase Collaboration

In this episode of Team Anywhere, we interviewed Generational Expert and Author of Second Wave Millennials, Warren Wright. Warren uses his experience from his work at Gallup to help bridge the divisive gap between generations in the workplace. Why Teamwork is Important in this Multi-Generational Work EnvironmentInside Warren’s research, 75% of the respondents said generational differences get in the way of being productive in the workplace. When respondents were asked, “When you describe how you see the world and how you view things, what is it about you that actually makes the person that you are?” They were given options like race, gender, where they’re from, and what generation they’re in. After reviewing the results, Warren was astonished to discover that generations actually came up first. So this means that people are defining themselves first by their generation. Communication Styles Between GenerationsBOOMERS & GEN X - Boomers and GenX’ers are learning new ways to communicate and keep up with their teams. They are often newer to systems such as Slack and Zoom and depend more on phone calls and emails.MILLENNIALS & GENZ -Millennials and GenZ are leveraging new technologies to help improve their collaboration. Workplace Values for MillennialsCollaborativeMillennials like to chat and be in constant communication with each other. With this value, we’ve seen a rise in tools that encourage rapid communication and feedback this generation values so greatly, reducing the amount of emails.Purpose-DrivenMillennials want to know that what you're talking about at work is meaningful and real and authentic and makes a difference.  AuthenticityMillennials value authenticity because they want their inner life to be the same as their outer life. As a result, They value authenticity in the workplace and keenly look that the leaders in the company and the company itself stays authentic to who it or they really say they are. Frequent, High Quality FeedbackEnsure that you are touching base with Millennials on a frequent basis, because their time frame is very different from your timeframe.  Current issues Millennials & GenZ are Facing Isolation, Anxiety and LonelinessOne small company made entirely of Millennials, keeps their zoom on all day to defeat isolation and loneliness. Even if they're not talking with each other, they do this just to be together. Dealing With AnxietyThe levels of Anxiety the two younger Generations are facing is off the charts.  With this in mind, Leaders could help combat loneliness and ease some anxiety through creating solutions that bring people together in non-work related ways through events, contests, and games.  Leadership Tips for 2021Coach Your Multi-Generational TeamWarren recommends being like the CEO of Microsoft, take off your “Boss” hat and put on your “Coach” hat. First set up Weekly 1-on-1 coaching sessions for 10 minutes with each person on your team. Next, inside those coaching sessions, ask your team What did you do last week? What do you have planned for this week? How can I help you?Hire in CohortsFor the purpose of creating connections to reduce a sense of loneliness, hire young people in batches and help them connect to each other and collaborate as a team.Find Ways to Increase Connection and CollaborationWhether this involves adding events, online collaboration tools or just creating valuable conversations, leaders need to find ways to increase connection and collaboration with their teams. Ask Your Team What They NeedYounger generations are feeling isolated but if you really want to know what they want, and what they need, just ask them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.