How To Manage A Multi-Generational Team Without Losing Your Mind - WEBINAR REPLAY 2024

I don't know if you remember a story.

I think I shared this with you when I was listening to this topic over in the US and I had a lady talking about multi-generational workplace.

I put up my hand and I said the question I had was, You know, I want people to be phoning people instead of SMSing because the younger people are SMSing and, you know, why aren't they picking up the phone call and should I be forcing the younger person to be calling or do I be relaxed and let them SMS if that's their preferred? Like as a manager...

what am I meant to do? And I remember at the same time, the guy next to me put his hand up.

Now, this guy was in his 20s.

He put his hand up and he said, oh, my God, before you answer that question, can I ask you a question? And his question was, I've got an old person that I'm managing.

He goes, and all they want to do is call and phone the client site all day and it's taking too much time.

I just want them to send an SMS.

And gosh, that imprinted in my mind because...

It was like both of us had this problem in the complete reverse and it just went to show me like that was the answer that the lady had said, which was fantastic because she said, as a manager, you know, you want that person to go from A to D.

So in...

My mind, you go, because I'm of the older generation, I want you to go A, B, C, D, where younger generation don't care how you get to D, just get to D.

So if you want to try C first, which is your SMS, but if that doesn't work, have the understanding that you've got to go back to B, which is the phone call, and then you still get the same result where the older generation might be more likely to phone, follow up with an SMS.

Hmm.

I mean, you can

just tell the younger generation, listen, you can SMS, but if you don't hear, you've got to phone to still get the same result.

It was such an eye-opener for me to

hear

that.

And I just love that comparison.

Oh, yeah.

And I think that's just such a real life example of just not the challenges that we're dealing with, but the differences in preferences.

I mean, for me, the best invention ever was voice notes.

Because I'm texting.

So the fact that I can just go on and just record my voice but not have to make a phone call, it's that sweet spot in the middle.