Name: Be a better multi-generational leader
Uploaded: 2022-08-11T11:28:49.807Z
Duration: 464.03
Description: Every leader wants their team to work seamlessly together. But what if your team spans different generations, each with their own needs and expectations? Katja Rieger helps businesses re-shape their working culture for better results, and here she explains how the right tone from the top can not only smooth over differences but also ensure generations learn from each other.

Be a better multi-generetional leader_final_V2.mp4

Be a multigenerational leader.vtt

English

{{00:00:00}}
Katjia: These relationships, these connections, which you build are good for productivity, they're good for innovation.

{{00:00:08}}
So let people get to know each other, let people be curious about each other.

{{00:00:12}}
And then I think we can work a deal with the conflict in the different styles.

{{00:00:25}}
Sarah: We're gonna talk a bit about leadership and specifically how you lead a multi-generational workforce.

{{00:00:31}}
So, the first question I guess, is, do you see differences between generations in terms of their needs and their values and their expectations of the company?

{{00:00:39}}
Katjia: Yes, of course.

{{00:00:40}}
And they always were, you know, I mean like, every generation always looks back and thinks: Oh, I wish they wouldn't be like that and then suddenly we realize that's what our parents said.

{{00:00:51}}
So yes, there are differences both of the stage in life you're in differences of the culture around you, and a lot of the differences which I see now are actually very encouraging.

{{00:01:04}}
I wish we had the same kind of expectations to work, that I want to work for an impactful company, that I want to work for an ethical company, that I want to have fun and grow, and that I'm leaving when you don't give that to me.

{{00:01:17}}
So yeah, there are differences and they're good.

{{00:01:20}}
Sarah: So, do you think that they...

{{00:01:21}}
I mean, can you think of specific things that people value, the different generations value in their workplace?

{{00:01:27}}
Katjia: Yes.

{{00:01:28}}
And actually, I was saying, all people value it, but the younger generation may demand it.

{{00:01:33}}
And we shouldn't generalize, of course, across all of the younger generation, but more and more people of the younger generation really like to work in, for example, ESG jobs.

{{00:01:44}}
Or when they're work in a large companies they want to work in an environment that is so much more inclusive, you know, masking is a big problem.

{{00:01:53}}
It's a big problem for mental health reasons as well, and for productivity and all of that.

{{00:01:58}}
And yet people don't have patience for that.

{{00:02:00}}
They wanna be welcome, be it with tattoos, be it with blue hair, be it with their neuro diversity which doesn't show outside and they want to be included.

{{00:02:11}}
Sarah: And so what would you say to the leader of a company that's got those young people, but also has people perhaps towards the end of their working life who have different expectations and different needs.

{{00:02:19}}
How do you balance those two?

{{00:02:21}}
Katjia: So, first of all, I would say that even people towards the end of their working life have kind of the same expectations.

{{00:02:27}}
They just haven't known that they could ask for it.

{{00:02:31}}
And to be perfectly honest, I think everybody wants to feel they belong.

{{00:02:36}}
Everybody wants to be respected.

{{00:02:39}}
Now there are differences or a possible conflict because somebody from an older generation at more traditional background may not feel respected when somebody from a younger generation goes and calls him by first name or discusses on eye level, you know.

{{00:03:00}}
That may feel to that person: "I didn't do that when I was young".

{{00:03:05}}
And that is of course something which they have to learn to not judge by their standards, but to realize that's just how young people deal.

{{00:03:15}}
It may take some time.

{{00:03:17}}
There are ways how to overcome it saying, by the way, the other way around, you know, when somebody who's older, it's a bit more careful in expressing themselves.

{{00:03:25}}
Somebody from the younger generation may think them boring or non bold or what have you.

{{00:03:30}}
And they need to have some kind of empathy as well.

{{00:03:34}}
So the solution for these potential conflicts are: let the people get to know each other.

{{00:03:41}}
I mean, like have some baseline.

{{00:03:43}}
I mean, like we should always respect each other at the workplace, but make space as well for these exchanges, you know, don't be just about work and it's not about actually not being productive.

{{00:04:00}}
Relationships, these connections, which you build are good for productivity.

{{00:04:05}}
They're good for innovation.

{{00:04:07}}
So let people get to know each other, let people be curious about each other.

{{00:04:11}}
And then I think we can work and deal with the conflict into the different styles.

{{00:04:17}}
Sarah: What about...

{{00:04:18}}
if I'm, say, the leader of the company, I'm the CEO, and I have those different expectations.

{{00:04:22}}
So, I have someone from the younger generation who favors a much more open communication style, wants feedback in a certain way.

{{00:04:28}}
And I have someone from an older generation who has a different communication style.

{{00:04:31}}
How do I, as the leader, deal with both of those?

{{00:04:34}}
Katjia: You have to be a role model.

{{00:04:36}}
And that's always good.

{{00:04:38}}
And it goes beyond the CEO.

{{00:04:40}}
It goes for the whole C-suite and the board.

{{00:04:43}}
The tone from the top is powerful.

{{00:04:45}}
And what you as a leader can do is, for example, you can tell stories about your own experience.

{{00:04:51}}
You can reach out, have this discussions with the younger generation, try to understand them and then relate these stories in meetings, in town halls, whenever you engage with other people and say, you know what?

{{00:05:05}}
I had that really interesting discussion with this young techy, you know, and I'm know so much new about AI or whatever.

{{00:05:13}}
I recommend we all do that more, you know?

{{00:05:16}}
These kind of things are so little that it cost you nothing and they make a huge, huge difference.

{{00:05:22}}
Sarah: So that's about sort of company culture and the fact that that has on the workforce.

{{00:05:26}}
What about the board?

{{00:05:27}}
What place does that have?

{{00:05:29}}
Katjia: Well, the board actually, so far, has never had these topics on the agenda.

{{00:05:34}}
It came in, kind of a little bit, when we were talking about risk culture after, unfortunately, all of these scandals following the 2008 crash and turned...

{{00:05:45}}
so many other scandals coming after.

{{00:05:48}}
The problem is not a lot has changed then it's not just about risk culture or the tone from the top regarding execs, the tone from the top regarding how you lead, regarding what we stand for as a company, regarding what kind of talent we want to develop.

{{00:06:10}}
All of that needs to be on the agenda in the boardroom and it actually needs to be coming out of the boardroom.

{{00:06:18}}
The board is way too removed from everyday workers.

{{00:06:22}}
They don't even know them.

{{00:06:24}}
So maybe finding a way to get the board engaged more with the rest of the company and in particular the young talent will enable them to make their better decisions, too.

{{00:06:33}}
Sarah: How optimistic are you about sort of change?

{{00:06:36}}
Cause you talked a bit about how we have to be more open and more open to different people and emotional empathy.

{{00:06:42}}
Is that something that you see as coming in?

{{00:06:45}}
Katjia: Very optimistic because you know what?

{{00:06:47}}
They don't have a choice anymore.

{{00:06:49}}
So there will be companies who will lag behind.

{{00:06:53}}
But the war for talent is real.

{{00:06:55}}
I see companies doing, to some extent, crazy things to get talent, you know?

{{00:07:01}}
There is an industrial factory, the Kawazaki factory, in Nebraska USA who has a shift from nine to two around the schedule of school.

{{00:07:12}}
So things are changing in all kinds of industries.

{{00:07:16}}
And if that doesn't get on the boardroom agenda companies may face risks they cannot easily mitigate when it's too late.

Katjia: These relationships, these connections, which you build are good for productivity, they're good for innovation.

So let people get to know each other, let people be curious about each other.

And then I think we can work a deal with the conflict in the different styles.

Sarah: We're gonna talk a bit about leadership and specifically how you lead a multi-generational workforce.

So, the first question I guess, is, do you see differences between generations in terms of their needs and their values and their expectations of the company?

And they always were, you know, I mean like, every generation always looks back and thinks: Oh, I wish they wouldn't be like that and then suddenly we realize that's what our parents said.

So yes, there are differences both of the stage in life you're in differences of the culture around you, and a lot of the differences which I see now are actually very encouraging.

I wish we had the same kind of expectations to work, that I want to work for an impactful company, that I want to work for an ethical company, that I want to have fun and grow, and that I'm leaving when you don't give that to me.

So yeah, there are differences and they're good.

I mean, can you think of specific things that people value, the different generations value in their workplace?

And actually, I was saying, all people value it, but the younger generation may demand it.

And we shouldn't generalize, of course, across all of the younger generation, but more and more people of the younger generation really like to work in, for example, ESG jobs.

Or when they're work in a large companies they want to work in an environment that is so much more inclusive, you know, masking is a big problem.

It's a big problem for mental health reasons as well, and for productivity and all of that.

And yet people don't have patience for that.

They wanna be welcome, be it with tattoos, be it with blue hair, be it with their neuro diversity which doesn't show outside and they want to be included.

Sarah: And so what would you say to the leader of a company that's got those young people, but also has people perhaps towards the end of their working life who have different expectations and different needs.

Katjia: So, first of all, I would say that even people towards the end of their working life have kind of the same expectations.

They just haven't known that they could ask for it.

And to be perfectly honest, I think everybody wants to feel they belong.

Now there are differences or a possible conflict because somebody from an older generation at more traditional background may not feel respected when somebody from a younger generation goes and calls him by first name or discusses on eye level, you know.

That may feel to that person: "I didn't do that when I was young".

And that is of course something which they have to learn to not judge by their standards, but to realize that's just how young people deal.

There are ways how to overcome it saying, by the way, the other way around, you know, when somebody who's older, it's a bit more careful in expressing themselves.

Somebody from the younger generation may think them boring or non bold or what have you.

And they need to have some kind of empathy as well.

So the solution for these potential conflicts are: let the people get to know each other.

I mean, like we should always respect each other at the workplace, but make space as well for these exchanges, you know, don't be just about work and it's not about actually not being productive.

Relationships, these connections, which you build are good for productivity.

And then I think we can work and deal with the conflict into the different styles.

if I'm, say, the leader of the company, I'm the CEO, and I have those different expectations.

So, I have someone from the younger generation who favors a much more open communication style, wants feedback in a certain way.

And I have someone from an older generation who has a different communication style.

How do I, as the leader, deal with both of those?

It goes for the whole C-suite and the board.

And what you as a leader can do is, for example, you can tell stories about your own experience.

You can reach out, have this discussions with the younger generation, try to understand them and then relate these stories in meetings, in town halls, whenever you engage with other people and say, you know what?

I had that really interesting discussion with this young techy, you know, and I'm know so much new about AI or whatever.

I recommend we all do that more, you know?

These kind of things are so little that it cost you nothing and they make a huge, huge difference.

Sarah: So that's about sort of company culture and the fact that that has on the workforce.

Katjia: Well, the board actually, so far, has never had these topics on the agenda.

It came in, kind of a little bit, when we were talking about risk culture after, unfortunately, all of these scandals following the 2008 crash and turned...

The problem is not a lot has changed then it's not just about risk culture or the tone from the top regarding execs, the tone from the top regarding how you lead, regarding what we stand for as a company, regarding what kind of talent we want to develop.

All of that needs to be on the agenda in the boardroom and it actually needs to be coming out of the boardroom.

The board is way too removed from everyday workers.

So maybe finding a way to get the board engaged more with the rest of the company and in particular the young talent will enable them to make their better decisions, too.

Sarah: How optimistic are you about sort of change?

Cause you talked a bit about how we have to be more open and more open to different people and emotional empathy.

Is that something that you see as coming in?

Katjia: Very optimistic because you know what?

So there will be companies who will lag behind.

I see companies doing, to some extent, crazy things to get talent, you know?

There is an industrial factory, the Kawazaki factory, in Nebraska USA who has a shift from nine to two around the schedule of school.

So things are changing in all kinds of industries.

And if that doesn't get on the boardroom agenda companies may face risks they cannot easily mitigate when it's too late.

Expert Insight

Every leader wants their team to work seamlessly together. But what if your team spans different generations, each with their own needs and expectations? Katja Rieger helps businesses re-shape their working culture for better results, and here she explains how the right tone from the top can not only smooth over differences but also ensure generations learn from each other.

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Katja Rieger

Founder Ripple Effect and Non Executive Board Member 

Different values are always in place within a multigenerational team. Rieger explains how these differences might actually encourage the reshaping of work culture.

The generational gap

Younger generations demand a more inclusive and flexible working environment. See what these requirements are and how they can impact talent retention.

Values and demands

Rieger believes older and younger generations might have the same expectations. Discover how team integration can help increase productivity.

Balancing different expectations

The lens of 'risk culture' should no longer be used in boardrooms. Rieger explains how boards should get closer to the rest of the company, engage with their needs and relate to their experience. 

Changing the board's agenda

The war for talent is real. Rieger explains why companies have no choice but to change the boardroom agenda mentality to retain talent.