Transformation Talks!

Episode #20: Navigating the Multigenerational Workplace Landscape Pt 2: Through Effective Communication

• Transforming Culture Consultants

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Can understanding the unique experiences of different generations revolutionize your workplace? Join us in this enlightening episode of Transformation Talks! as Cindy LaCom and Sharon Wilson, unpack the complexities of fostering a multi-generational workforce. Explore how significant events like 9-11, the rise of the internet, and the Great Recession have uniquely shaped the Millennial generation’s communication preferences and workplace behaviors. Discover how recognizing these generational influences can lead to a richer, more inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and understood.

With four distinct age cohorts currently in our workplaces and the Alpha generation on the horizon, we break down our three-step roadmap at Transforming Culture Consultants (TCC) to navigate these dynamics effectively. This episode zeroes in on the crucial second step: identifying and adapting to multi-generational communication styles. Learn how to develop communication guidelines that incorporate diverse styles and channels, ensuring seamless and respectful interactions across ages. Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation aimed at enhancing respect, insight, and effective communication in your organization.

Copyright: https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/reflection/107904

Copyright: https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/reflection/107904

Speaker 1:

Welcome everyone to Transformation Talks. The intention of our podcast is to provide tips, strategies and inspiration to transform workplaces, communities and lives. I'm Sharon Wilson and I'm the co-founder and chief mindset and growth officer at Transforming Culture Consultants, and I have with me today our other co-founder, cindy LaCombe, our chief impact and inclusion officer. Today we're gonna explore some key aspects of creating a successful multi-gen workforce. This is the second part in our three-part series of our podcast. Here we're glad you're joining us Now, though. Age often falls off our radar when we think of building a more equitable and inclusive workplace culture. It shouldn't, especially because, as we've noted in previous episodes, we currently have four age cohorts in our workplaces, and by 2029, we'll have five when alpha generation turns 16 and joins us all.

Speaker 2:

And that will be a big shift and it will just complicate things more in ways that can be positive or problematic. So we just want to do a little bit of review for new listeners and I know as a teacher that review is usually helpful. So, even if you've heard previous podcasts, this is for you. Remind you that this three-step roadmap is rooted in what is called generational cohort theory, and that's a theory that's founded in the idea that the generation of individuals who share the same political, social, cultural, economic and natural events in the early stages of their life tend to develop a similar set of values, beliefs and behaviors. As always, we want to offer a caveat here. We don't want to ever reduce an individual to their age cohort, but we do want to recognize that generational tendencies and lived experiences of different generations can benefit both workers and workplaces. So if you missed that, we hope you'll go back to that recent episode and check it out.

Speaker 1:

And, as you said, cindy, we've developed a three-step roadmap at TCC to support organizations that want to build and sustain a successful multi-gen workforce. Today, we want to focus on the second step, which is to identify multi-gen communication styles, because they often do differ, and this can have a huge impact on effective communication. If this issue resonates with you and is something you want to bring back to your workplace or organization, you want to also consider some of the objections you might bump up against and how you might navigate those objections. Let's go back to millennials, for example, who were born between 1981 and 1996. And think some more about some of the events that shaped them, because knowing where someone came from can help us understand who they are today.

Speaker 1:

Here are just a few key events that have impacted most millennials. First of all, they grew up and came of age as young adults in the wake of 9-11. This was a national event that shaped the lives of most millennials in profound ways. Next, they grew up with the internet, which debuted in the early 1990s, and they are the first generation for whom technology was normal. Also, they are between the ages of 11 and 26, during the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. And so they were the first generation since the Depression to experience national economic instability and loss. And another point is the first generation to grow up with more widespread experiences of divorce. They were the first generation to marry older or not at all. So understanding how these cultural changes impacted them, their sense of the world, their sense of security or lack of sense of security and their hopes for financial stability can help us work with millennial colleagues with greater respect and insight, regardless of our own age.

Speaker 2:

Yep, I agree completely, and part of this, as you mentioned, has to do with how we communicate. Communication changes all the time, in terms of slang and jargon, but also in terms of the process we use and the means by which we communicate Text or instant message, face-to-face meeting or email. We do this as an online chat. Having an understanding about how communication patterns and preferences actually might vary across age cohorts can help us to be responsive, transparent and effective.

Speaker 1:

Well, this step is hugely important on our roadmap, right, cindy? Why is it? As we've mentioned, it acknowledges that each generation tends to have its own preferred communication styles and channels. As you were talking about, it allows organizations to develop communication guidelines that integrate diverse communication styles and channels and make sure everyone knows how to use not just the guidelines but the communication channels being used, and both of these combine to ensure that people feel heard, understood and valued. So, what are a couple of the possible objections that you may hear in response to the need to identify and accommodate multi-gen communication styles, if you were to present that, and how might you address some of these objections? Well, one objection that you might hear is we only need one communication style here, regardless of everyone's age. Now, how can you overcome that? Well, communication styles have become less formal for millennials and Gen Z, and we need to accommodate this. Gen Z increasingly prefers online communication to face-to-face communication, and Gen Z will make up 30% of our nation's workforce by 2025.

Speaker 2:

That is such a good point. I also think about the data which we've also shared in the previous episode, but that for a lot of Gen Z, they're actually uncomfortable with phone calls, for instance, which a different age cohort might take for granted. So the reality simply is that generational diversity is here to stay and we can turn that into an asset if we are equipped to do so. So if you're nodding and thinking, all right, yes, communication snappers at my place have occurred, and I think actually that many of them might be founded in generational differences then you'll want to be prepared for this key objection if you want to address this at your workplace or organization. Here it is. It's just too much damn work and this is a huge objection.

Speaker 2:

How might you address it? Here's one possible way. Organizations make accommodations for a more diverse workforce all the time, for better worker morale and a stronger bottom line. Why wouldn't we include this? To make workers feel more valued and understood? In fact, data tells us that there's a higher job satisfaction and engagement when organizations and businesses adapt communication styles to meet the preferences of different generations. Understanding and accommodating different communication preferences and styles can actually lead to a more motivated and loyal workforce, and in fact a study by the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, found that organizations that actively manage and appreciate generational differences have lower employee turnover rates.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's really interesting and we cover how to identify multi-gen communication styles and much more in our upcoming free virtual workshop. We want to hear from you about the challenges you've experienced in creating and sustaining a successful multi-gen workforce. Feel free to email us. You can email me directly at sharon at transformingcultureconsultantscom. We'd love to hear your thoughts and we can put you on a waiting list to get more info when that next workshop is available.

Speaker 1:

Our intention is to be a support and resource for you to help navigate these unprecedented challenges in our workplace cultures and create thriving cultures that have a ripple effect that impacts us all in a positive way. So we'd love for you to join our community of HR professionals, executive directors and managers that we're building that want to create and grow more empowered workplaces and organizations. You can get free tips and resources, opportunity to attend free virtual gatherings. You can engage with industry leaders, exchange ideas, strategies and best practices and just go to transformingcultureconsultantscom forward slash HR. We're also able to provide you with a free virtual consultation to explore any challenges or opportunities in your workplace culture, and you can apply for that at transformingcultureconsultantscom slash free application. You can connect with us on LinkedIn at Transforming Culture Consultants. Our vision is a world where employees feel happy, respected, valued and safe. Thank you for being a part of this vision.

Speaker 2:

And we hope you'll join us for our next episode.