…to the world that Gen X and Yers are born into.”
This quote is from the January issue of FastCompany.com addressing the recent leadership changes at Google. In the article, the author uses the leadership arrangement at the search company as an example of a phenomenon he calls “…B-I Leadership—Bi-Generational, Boomer, Gen-X, Gen-Y management.” It also provides a great backdrop for a topic every leader today must understand – generational diversity.
As we look at today’s business landscape we see four generations (and a fifth around the corner) in the workplace. It is in understanding how each generation has a different view of the world and each communicates in unique ways that makes managing the different generations a challenge for today’s leaders. While the Traditionalist (those 65 years old and over) continue in the workforce, their numbers are dwindling, especially as the economy recovers. And while you may have already heard of Generation Z (those just turning 18 years old) they are only now beginning to enter the workforce. For purposes of this commentary, which is Part 1 of a two-part series, we will focus on the other three generations - Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y.
Baby Boomers are the generation represented by those who are now between 47 and 65 years old. As a generation, they were influenced by the Cold War, the civil Rights Movement and the gaffe’s they saw in government such as the Nixon Watergate scandal. As a result, these roughly 76M people value hard work to get ahead, competition, teamwork and face-to-face communications.
The next generation, Generation X is defined as those who are now between 30 and 46 years old. As a generation they were influenced by recessions and high unemployment to the point where they came to value entrepreneurship and creativity. These approximately 46M people also value having greater access to information and feedback than their predecessors.
Generation Y, or Millenials as they are sometimes referred, are between 19 and 29 years old. This is the largest generation of the three totaling just over 80M people by some estimates. Their major influences were technology and growing up with “helicopter parents” a term used to describe parents who managed their every move growing up hovering over them like helicopters. Consequently, as a generation, they value positive reinforcement (lots of it), structure, technology and autonomy.
These generalizations of each generation are just that – generalizations. Leaders must avoid casting too wide a shadow over each demographic themselves lest they become an ineffective leader. However, perceptions prevail in the business (for-profit and non-profit) environment and leaders must deal with them as well. For instance, in recent studies, 63% of Baby Boomers feel “younger people” do not have as strong a work ethic as they do. Additionally, 32% of Generation X believes the “younger generation” lacks a good work ethic, which is a problem. Finally, 13% of Generation Y say the difference in work ethics across generations is a problem.
With this level of disparity in the workplace, leaders must understand what each generation brings to the organization. They must also know how to bridge the gaps between them to achieve the organization’s desired results. How might your own generational perceptions impact your ability to build these bridges?
Lead Well.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
We Can Learn a Lot about Total Leadership…
…From the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers.
As is tradition, the February issue of this newsletter highlights the reigning Super Bowl champions. Hopefully, the mere title of this newsletter does not cause most of my hometown Chicago readers to automatically delete this file before reading at least a few sentences! While the intensity of the Packers-Bears rivalry marches on, we can glean leadership lessons from the way the Packers became only the second team seeded last in the playoffs to go on to win the Super Bowl. As I watched the playoffs unfold, the back-stories kept taking me back to the Total Leadership Model described as the alignment of organizational strategy with its people and processes to fully engage the organization with the expressed outcome to create loyal clients.
Strategically, the Packers mantra for the season was adaptability. They had the most players on injured reserve (15) of any NFC Team in the league last season. They made the playoffs seeded last, meaning they would have to play three games on the road just to get to the Super Bowl. That meant their strategy would have to take those realities into account to achieve the desired result of winning the Super Bowl. How many leaders today misjudge their competition due to changes in the competitive landscape or mentally defeat their efforts because the competitors are bigger, better funded or both? Effective strategies are built on accurate assessments of the external environment and of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. For the Green Bay Packers, these strategies and associated philosophies generated more championships than any other team in the league including four Super Bowl titles.
In the Total Leadership Model, People Development and Process Improvement are aligned to support the organization’s strategy. For the Packers, this meant fielding skilled players (changing week-to-week due to injuries) and processes (play-calling to optimize the changing roster) to support and align with the current strategy. In any business, the people and processes may fluctuate over time. The real differentiator in success is Attitude, especially down the stretch. Much is made of home-field advantage in sports and it could be argued the Packers were not always the most talented all around team on the field in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas. In the end, it was the team that believed in themselves the most that carried the day, even when two more of their starters, and emotional leaders, were lost to injury in the first half of the championship game. Successful leaders create and execute strategies to optimize the strengths of their people in full alignment with the core processes they use in their businesses.
Total Leadership is about creating loyal clients through engaged employees. It is in this regard the Packers are unique among NFL teams. Despite playing in the smallest NFL market, they have one of the largest fan bases in the sport and have more names on their season ticket waiting list than there are actual seats in Lambeau Field where they play. Leaders may talk about client loyalty but fewer put forth the time and level of effort required to create this level of loyalty and pride in their organizations. Engaged employees are the basis for creating loyal clients, concepts that look much like the traditional training camp bike rides and Family Nights of the Green Bay Packers.
I had lunch last week with a business owner who created a very successful business after coming to the U.S. over twenty years ago. When I mentioned the topic of this month’s newsletter she told me about how, in her frequent travels, she carries a book about Vince Lombardi to read his quotes and philosophies whenever she flies. What will it take for you to generate that level of loyalty and be the champions of your business?
Lead Well.
As is tradition, the February issue of this newsletter highlights the reigning Super Bowl champions. Hopefully, the mere title of this newsletter does not cause most of my hometown Chicago readers to automatically delete this file before reading at least a few sentences! While the intensity of the Packers-Bears rivalry marches on, we can glean leadership lessons from the way the Packers became only the second team seeded last in the playoffs to go on to win the Super Bowl. As I watched the playoffs unfold, the back-stories kept taking me back to the Total Leadership Model described as the alignment of organizational strategy with its people and processes to fully engage the organization with the expressed outcome to create loyal clients.
Strategically, the Packers mantra for the season was adaptability. They had the most players on injured reserve (15) of any NFC Team in the league last season. They made the playoffs seeded last, meaning they would have to play three games on the road just to get to the Super Bowl. That meant their strategy would have to take those realities into account to achieve the desired result of winning the Super Bowl. How many leaders today misjudge their competition due to changes in the competitive landscape or mentally defeat their efforts because the competitors are bigger, better funded or both? Effective strategies are built on accurate assessments of the external environment and of the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. For the Green Bay Packers, these strategies and associated philosophies generated more championships than any other team in the league including four Super Bowl titles.
In the Total Leadership Model, People Development and Process Improvement are aligned to support the organization’s strategy. For the Packers, this meant fielding skilled players (changing week-to-week due to injuries) and processes (play-calling to optimize the changing roster) to support and align with the current strategy. In any business, the people and processes may fluctuate over time. The real differentiator in success is Attitude, especially down the stretch. Much is made of home-field advantage in sports and it could be argued the Packers were not always the most talented all around team on the field in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas. In the end, it was the team that believed in themselves the most that carried the day, even when two more of their starters, and emotional leaders, were lost to injury in the first half of the championship game. Successful leaders create and execute strategies to optimize the strengths of their people in full alignment with the core processes they use in their businesses.
Total Leadership is about creating loyal clients through engaged employees. It is in this regard the Packers are unique among NFL teams. Despite playing in the smallest NFL market, they have one of the largest fan bases in the sport and have more names on their season ticket waiting list than there are actual seats in Lambeau Field where they play. Leaders may talk about client loyalty but fewer put forth the time and level of effort required to create this level of loyalty and pride in their organizations. Engaged employees are the basis for creating loyal clients, concepts that look much like the traditional training camp bike rides and Family Nights of the Green Bay Packers.
I had lunch last week with a business owner who created a very successful business after coming to the U.S. over twenty years ago. When I mentioned the topic of this month’s newsletter she told me about how, in her frequent travels, she carries a book about Vince Lombardi to read his quotes and philosophies whenever she flies. What will it take for you to generate that level of loyalty and be the champions of your business?
Lead Well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
