Five Generations in the Workplace

Generation Gap: How do you manage the five-generation workforce? Workplace expert Heather Lisle joins us to discuss the benefits of the generation gap. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We have a pretty diverse age wise group here at
iHeart West Michigan. This is West Michigan's morning News. Steve
Kelly and Brett Pakita don't say what, and we're on
on Wood Radio. I'm a proud boomer here on the
program that sets the standard for workplace excellence. So let's
just get it out in the open.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Oh, that's the standard.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Heather Lyle joins this workplace expert who trains leaders from
coast to coast. So there's no news to you, Heather.
When we look at the challenges, I mean we all
speak different languages almost They're like five generations that could
be represented, and that presents a challenge.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
It can present a challenge, although I really do like
to challenge the employers that I work with to fit
the narrative a little bit, think about it just a
little bit differently. We have more of a communications challenge
than anything. First of all, I mean it totally depends
every generation. You're right, they value different things and we've

(00:59):
got to communicate with it very differently based on what
they value. And that's going to be the same with
any conversation with any person that you run into for
that matter too. It's you've got to dig a little
deeper and figure out what do they value and how
do I meet them where they are?

Speaker 1 (01:13):
I find that if I have a problem with communicating
with a much younger worker, that I rolling in a
good grumble helps me feel better, but appears to be
putting a wall up between us. What's wrong with them?

Speaker 2 (01:30):
What's wrong with them? Okay? So again, I really do
feel like a lot of this boils down to, Okay,
how can we meet people where they are when we're
having a conversation. You know, I'm a gen xer, and
you know, I feel like that's probably the greatest generation,
right But at the end of the day, I've always
felt like an old soul, and when I was a
kid growing up, I always tended to want to hang

(01:53):
around the adults and you know, hang around, you know,
people who were a little bit older than me, and
because I felt like I kid quote unquote see their
language better than I could my own generation. But it's
just what I have learned and realized with all of
these companies that I've worked with all over the country
is that it's not just a generational problem. It's really

(02:14):
more of this understanding, knowing your audience, who is sitting
in front of you. What do you they need in
order to feel seeing her to understood because of the
you know, our baby boomers they value wisdom, you know,
they feel like they bring the wisdom and the legacy
to the table, whereas the younger generation are like, hey,
we're you know, we're the innovative, cool kids on the block.
You need to know who we are as well too,

(02:37):
So s the narrative. Who are you talking to? What
do they need out of the conversation?

Speaker 3 (02:41):
Heather? My question is this is it good when you
have that many different generations to have set up mentorship
or to let it go?

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Oh absolutely, or to got it happen?

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Because here's my question. Steve and I all kiddy aside.
I've seen Steve do this with Adam and other people
that we've had. I try to do it with some
of our sports guys because I'm more in the sports
realm that are younger that we bring on staff and
start at maybe the board op level or producer or
whatever is, take them aside and see what their aspirations
are and then try to help them. People don't always
to see that, And my question is is that is

(03:12):
that something that should just happen, Or is it good
to set up maybe teams where you're like, hey, you're
his mentor her mentor.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, you know, I've actually worked with companies who, you know,
when it comes to mentorship, they're building mentorship in both directions.
You know. Again, like what I said, you know, maybe
vembors tend to value experience and that legacy wism, whereas
the general you know, gen z, the younger folks tend
to value innovation and cultural relevance. And when we can
intentionally put people together to learn from each other. I mean,

(03:43):
I don't know about you, but it's always good to
have as someone younger on the team who can help
you be able to solve a software problem or a
touch issue that you might be having because they just
quote unquote have a knack for figuring it out. Okay,
well have it go both ways. You know, be intentional
about how you're setting up those teams, because let me
tell you, baby boomers need to help as little too.

Speaker 3 (04:05):
Absolutely there it is Listen, even though Steve doesn't ask
for it, he does.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
The microwave of and is blink and twelve. I'll call
one of those kids.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
I cancel button.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Steve heather Lyle workplace expert, thank you so much for
your time again today.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
All right, thanks guys, have a good one