The generational clash taking center stage in the workplace today is not a matter of young versus old. It’s about pitting traditional old-fashioned values, expectations and management practices against the new reality of constant change and fierce competition for both talent and market share.
When a disconnect exists between organizational values and culture and generational values and culture, miscommunication thrives, turf guardians rule, and growth and innovation die. The challenge for organizations is to understand the unique traits and perspectives of each generation and create a culture where age diversity is valued as an asset, not a liability.
To get generations working together you must create an open and open-minded workplace. The key to effectively working with employees of all ages is finding some common ground: What values are shared by every generation? What values are unique to generations? Then you must figure out how to link these diverse perspectives to your resort values and get everyone moving toward the same goals.
Finding Common Ground
The days of automatically giving respect to those at the top of an organization, folks with the most seniority or those who wear the name tags with important titles are long gone. Gen X and Y’s are not easily intimidated by authority and are quick to challenge the status quo. Developing unity requires aggressive tactics.
One example: To bridge the “experience” gap for young workers and teach them what works well and why, consider developing a coaching relationship with an older employee. Structure a job task so that seasoned employees can demonstrate knowledge and skills to younger employees. Also, when your younger employee brings you a new idea or suggests an innovative way of doing things, construct a pathway to bridge the idea into a workable plan. For example, perhaps your new line cook wants to create the Wednesday “special” to add to the menu. Does the idea have some merit? Can you challenge the cook to create the daily special using your current inventory of food items to keep costs within budget, and let then him focus on that?
One of the strongest motivating techniques is to give Gen X and Y’s room to do things creatively. A wise manager understands this as part of the way these folks operate, and uses it to advantage: Give direction, step back, give direction, and step back again. This is how younger generations develop leadership skills, and how all generations earn respect.
Finding common ground around commitment is also key to managing a diverse workforce. For older employees, commitment means going the extra mile, being dependable, placing a high value on respect and receiving recognition for their contributions. Younger workers see things differently. In return for their commitment, they may want flexible hours, a fun work environment and on-going learning opportunities. That’s the deal they want to make.
To achieve balance, managers must be open to suggestions and willing to make some deals. Ask younger employees what would make their job more fun, within the boundaries of safety and productivity. Provide a flexible schedule that speaks to their desire for a life outside of work, and in return, what they must do in exchange (like consistently being on time and wearing their name tag, shoveling the deck, etc.). For older employees, reinforce the value they bring to the resort through creative recognition programs where their work ethic can be respected and modeled.
The Rules of Attraction
Do your recruiting efforts reach out to a diverse culture? To be all things to all people is impossible, but you can cast a wide net. Here are interesting examples, taken off the Internet, of how some ski areas describe their work environment to entice people from all ages and backgrounds to come work for them.
- “Most people can only dream of living and working in such a beautiful part of the country. Not only will you be working in an exciting and fantastic place, you will be working with people from all over the world.”
- “Work. Ride. Play. Everybody. Just Chill. That’s what working at a ski resort is all about, right? We welcome employees who are hardworking and dependable, but who also know what it means to Just Chill.”
- “The Deal: Deliver the best, big mountain experience anywhere, while enjoying a lifestyle full of fun, adventure, opportunities and growth.”
- “Hard Work, Team Work, Fun Work. We want your experience with us to be memorable, personally rewarding, fun and challenging.”
- “What if your job was the best part of your day? Find your dream job here.”
For many resorts, recruiting to older employees means offering them an opportunity to utilize their experience and strong work ethic and to work in a spectacular mountain environment. For Gen X’ers it’s an opportunity to find an exciting “dream” job where they will be challenged, and where they can work with people from around the world. Connecting with Gen Y’s is offering them a fun job where they can learn new skills, while also being able to Just Chill.
The challenge for all resorts, of course, is to actually deliver on these promises.
Orientation: Bridge-Building Time
Resorts can use the orientation process as a mechanism to build bridges between the generations. One example is to identify the heroes at the resort. These are the stand-out employees who are respected, regardless of age. Allow them to share their own experiences where a good attitude and a cool head, along with a sense of humor, helped calm down a difficult guest or deal with some other challenging issue.
To connect with the younger set, try enlisting the aid of cool Gen Y employees to help conduct your orientations. Gen Y trainers have several advantages: they can speak in a language their peers can relate to (can you picture a Boomer using the word “Sick!” to appear cool?) and they can explain the “why” of policies and guest service standards (“Yeah, I’m all about self-expression, too. This policy is in place is because…”). Younger workers may have challenging attitudes, but they ask good questions, and freely speak up when they do not see the value of a rule or practice. Use orientation as an opportunity to flush out any concerns or confusion and to lay out a clear set of expectations.
Another way to leverage the strengths of the different generations is to facilitate a “generational diversity” session for your supervisors. The purpose is to dispel common generational stereotypes, to share insights and perspectives on the changing workplace and workforce, and to identify the value each generation brings to the workplace.
This process provides a new lens through which to understand and connect with employees of all ages, and to generate ideas on how to collaborate and solve problems. It also provides a platform for creating on-going training materials that address the generational issues for your orientations, and to get everyone focused on the same outcomes.
The reality of four generations working side-by-side presents some unique perspectives that can be a powerful driver for change. Younger workers bring fresh insights and boundless energy. Older workers bring the gifts of vast experience and professional knowledge. Resorts that build bridges between these generational groups will be positioned to exceed both employee and customer expectations and create a culture that is vibrant and profitable.
This is the second of a three-part series on integrating the generations in a unified work force.
