How associations can tackle generational differences in workforce leadership and communication styles
- Within association organizations, changing generational workforce demographics mean leaders should get more comfortable embracing new leadership styles or risk harming morale and struggling with organizational challenges.
- Take caution before assuming that generational differences are written in black and white, rather than just trends that may or may not reflect any one individual person, although younger generations do seem to value a more holistic and connection-driven approach.
- To meet the needs of their current workforce, association leaders should embrace humility, communication and a flexible, adaptive leadership style that focuses on how the leader can serve the team rather than the other way around.
Association leadership must adapt to a changing workforce. Faced with shifting generational demographics within association organizations, leaders need to reassess how they manage and communicate with their teams or risk a drop in performance and morale.
However, this topic is more complex and nuanced than you might think. Evolving norms around leadership and communication don’t just reflect a binary divide between older professionals versus their younger colleagues, but a mash-up of changing cultural expectations, contrasts in personalities that exist among people of all ages and a climate of broad political and economic uncertainty that has many people feeling on edge.
Keep reading to learn more about how association leaders can adjust their leadership styles to meet this moment.
Right now, associations are struggling internally with the human element
Today, association leaders face a host of organizational challenges. Generational turnover and shifting workforce demographics are creating friction. And leaders are also navigating the rise of hybrid and remote work, as well as the pressure to incorporate new digital tech like AI that seems to evolve by the day.
From an internal, organizational leadership perspective, here are the top issues many associations are dealing with right now:
- Generational turnover: As baby boomers retire and Gen X (along with cusp millennials) takes over leadership roles, millennials and Gen Z now make up an increasingly large percentage of the rank and file workforce (mirroring a similar shift among association members). Evolving cultural norms can create differences in expectations and attitudes among many workers of each group.
- Hybrid and remote work: In January 2020, associations were primarily in-office organizations. The pandemic changed that, with many organizations embracing a hybrid model or bringing on more team members who work remotely. This has given associations access to a larger talent pool and boosted job satisfaction for many employees, but has also left some teams feeling disconnected and can make it harder for leaders to see if someone is struggling or overworked.
- Contrasting communication and work styles: There is a growing understanding within organizations that different people have different work and communication styles. These differences have always existed, but are more widely talked about now than in decades past and have more to do with personality or how someone was raised than being in a certain age bracket.
- Rapid technological change: The rise of AI and automation technology has left many associations feeling the pressure to incorporate both into their everyday workflows — even as some within the organization may be slower to accept it.
- Tensions with boards: Association boards may take a more traditional approach than the organizations they oversee. This can create tension and conflict within an association’s governance structure.
- Broad uncertainty: Politically, culturally and economically, this is an era of uncertainty and heightened emotions. Expectations that people leave the rest of their lives behind when they show up to work may no longer be as accepted or even appropriate as in past times.
Generational differences can create workforce leadership challenges, but also opportunities
Generational differences can play a role in many of the workforce challenges associations are navigating today. And it’s tempting to talk about those differences in black and white terms: Gen X is like this, millennials are like that, and Gen Z is shaking everybody up.
But this is far too much of a generalization. Generational trends do exist, but every generation is also made up of tens of millions of individual people, each of whom embodies different experiences, work styles and life circumstances.
For example, within an organization, one member of a younger generation may relate better to an older mentor than a younger peer. Or a Gen Xer could be excited to try AI, while a Gen Z might harbor serious misgivings about the technology.
Keep this in mind as you think about how to lead teams made up of people from several different age brackets.
One trend worth noting: Respect for authority versus more informal and connection-driven
Broadly speaking, it is worth noting that older generations tend to be more comfortable with a formal hierarchy than younger generations are. Many Gen Xers and older millennials are used to a workplace culture where the boss leads, and the team follows, while younger millennials and Gen Z are often less formal and more comfortable in an environment that emphasizes connection to the mission and the rest of the team.
This is not a bad thing. Both of these leadership styles have their place, and like so many other workplace differences, can often be complementary, with a less formal style actually helping to bolster resilience within your organization by strengthening the interpersonal relationships between leaders and team members.
However, many leaders used to one particular style may need to adapt a more flexible mindset to successfully connect with a wider range of people.
How can association leaders evolve their leadership styles to account for generational differences and changing norms?
As your association moves to confront the challenges of today, a more adaptable version of leadership can help you bridge gaps within your team and strengthen your organization’s performance. Here are four action steps to consider:
1. Embrace humility
Humility is one of the most valuable qualities that a leader can have — especially when confronting change. If you’re willing to evolve and allow yourself to embrace how much you don’t know, you can overcome a great deal.
Are you open to new ideas? Do you allow yourself to consider new voices or perspectives? These are good questions to ask yourself here.
2. Don’t put people in boxes
Nobody is just one thing, so don’t pigeonhole your team by putting people into boxes. Look at each person not as solid, but as someone continuing to grow and change, just as you are.
This doesn’t mean ignoring different people’s strengths and talents, but giving everyone the space to be more than you think they are.
3. Adapt to the needs of your team
As a leader, don’t just expect your team to adjust to your style. Instead, consider how you can also adjust to meet the needs of your team.
Here, you’ll benefit from caring about the whole person, not just whoever shows up at work. For example, during your 1:1 meetings with those you manage, you may find that a willingness to give your reports space to talk about non-work issues can actually strengthen your relationship and also help them feel more connected to the job at hand.
4. Focus on communication and change management
During an era of change, communication and thoughtful change management are essential. Talk to your team honestly about the challenges and opportunities ahead. But also remember that communication is a two-way street.
Think about ways you can expand beyond just the classic, command and control model of leadership into something more flexible. Listening to your team is as useful as talking — often more so. Create focus groups, open door policies and other channels to help you hear what your team is saying, measure your culture and make changes when needed.
How Wipfli can help
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