Experts explore most effective ways of leading different generations during APM Volunteer’s Development Forum

Bridging generational differences can foster better collaboration within projects, experts advised during a discussion held at Association for Project Management’s virtual Volunteer’s Development Forum.

Held 20 November, the discussion was led by Blaire Palmer, Future of Leadership expert, who explored the work approaches, communication styles, and perspectives of each generation. Volunteers attended her session at the forum, which was held fully virtually, to discuss their thoughts and experiences on generational differences and collaboration.

Leading a team under the current climate is not easy. There is social change, political change and cultural change. People are dealing with the back end of the Covid pandemic, a rising cost of living, soaring inflation, and the existential threat of the climate crisis. In the workplace, employee and employer expectations are changing. Mental health is more of a focus, AI is slowly being introduced and there are new generations coming into the workplace.

Blaire said: “As a leader, it’s important to consider the different perspectives and challenges facing each team member as it can help you to understand their approaches to work. This can be done by looking at people through their generation. While you should never make sweeping assumptions or generalisations, and there aren’t always exact descriptions because sometimes people feel they fit in-between generations or recognise certain qualities in different generations, this can help you to build a better perspective on your team members and recognise them as individuals.”

Current workplace 

The current workplace is made up of several generations:

• Baby Boomer (1945 – 1965) Oldest members of workforce and beginning to retire

Often started at the bottom and worked their way to the top, building a huge bank of knowledge in the process. Consequently, they have a strong work ethic and are more likely to stick with an employer for life. Members of this generation are starting to retire but sometimes continue to work in some capacity.

• Generation X (1965 – 1980) Most members in workforce, typically in higher positions

Often feeling like a ‘sandwich with both dependent children at home and caring responsibilities for older relatives, Generation X comprises most of the leadership level in an organisation. Often, they will seek stability in their workplace and display financial responsibility because of both kids at home and elderly relatives to take care of.

• Millennials (1980 – 1995) Increasingly larger amounts entering higher positions

Moving up in organisations, Millennials are comfortable with technology and prefer a flatter organisational hierarchy. They look for flexibility in their work, value diversity, informality, and are typically less loyal to an employer than previous generations. This sometimes leads to tension with older generations.

• Generation Z (1995 – 2010) Typically entered workforce during Covid pandemic

Impacted negatively by Covid, Generation Z missed out on early workplace experiences. Outspoken, social media savvy, intolerant of intolerance, and diversity aware, organisation values are typically more important than a salary for Generation z. There is typically more personalisation of career, jumping around and no job for life.

• Generation Alpha (2010 – 2025) Beginning or about to enter the workforce

Although not in workplace yet, Generation Alpha is radically diverse, the longest lived generation in human history, they will expect to work into their eighties. We expect them to change jobs and career frequently (which requires more senior people embracing their desire for variety) and to demand recognition of the breadth of their experience rather than their deep specialist expertise.

Recommended strategies

During the discussion, Blaire and the attendees identified several practical strategies that leaders can use to bridge the gaps across generations, ensuring better teamwork and more effective leadership.

Prioritise trust

Authority doesn’t necessarily come with your job title anymore. Younger generations don’t trust people based off their position. Millennials want flatter organisations where there is no lead authority figure, while Generation Z are more agile and have less job stability. Comparatively, Baby Boomers are more experienced and are more willing to trust. Blaire recommended two ways to develop trust as a leader:

• Be trustworthy – It’s important to show that you stand up for your own personal values, whilst also demonstrating that you have a willingness to trust others. From a leader’s perspective, it is a battle of trust versus control. To overcome this try to believe in the positive intent of others in your team.
• Be willing to listen – There are different kinds of listening - be active and don’t just wait for your turn to speak. Be willing to listen to change your mind. Understand that other team members have different perspectives to be able to accept the shared pool of insights.

Blaire said “Authenticity has a huge part to play. There is a skill in balancing authenticity and understanding that people are individuals and operate in different ways. If you are going to be a skilled communicator, you need to be able to flex your style.

Focus on purpose

Instead of focussing on belonging to a team, focus on a common purpose. This will lead to increased collaboration, while belonging to a team can create silos which is bad for creativity. Each generation is driven by different things, so finding a common purpose is not simple. Baby Boomers are at the end of their career, so a purpose is exactly what they are looking for, Generation X often feel overlooked so showing recognition provides a sense of worth and therefore purpose. Both Millennials and Generation Z are motivated by anything to do with purpose - they need one or they will not work at the organisation.

Give people a voice and make mistakes

It’s important to create a culture where people can speak out. Millennials and Generation Z value having a purpose and a voice - they need to be able to speak out and will hold other generations to standards. Baby Boomers and Generation X are in positions of authority, so they need to become advocates for change and for under-represented communities. It is equally important to create an environment that allows people to make mistakes and learn from them themselves. The relentless pursuit of right answers dilutes great ideas or keeps us locked in meetings for weeks only to emerge with the decision we knew was inevitable at the start. Pilot ideas, learn from failures and fix mistakes in real time.