Is Flexibility in Leadership Important?

One of our church elders recently sent me this article. I found this information to be interesting and enlightening. These perspectives on the tendencies of different generations seem to apply to the work place but can be used in multiple settings to attract these different generations. 

What do Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials (Gen Y) have in common?

They all want flexibility.

This new mix of generations brings many advantages for businesses, from life experience and honed expertise to innovation and finesse at navigating technology. Organizations  must strive to attract new talent while retaining the knowledge and expertise of the time-honored generations. Flexibility is crucial for all generations as we continually define and redefine how, when, why and where people work.

Who are these generations? What are the benefits of having this generational span in organizations? And how does leadership attract, retain and motivate them simultaneously?

The Traditionalists (1900-1945, 75 million), known as the "radio age," are a massive generation that predates modern technology and networks. They possess invaluable information and historical perspectives, and their knowledge and expertise need to be captured before all have left the workforce.

Like Traditionalists, Boomers (1946-1964, 80 million), known as the "TV age," have a wealth of knowledge and expertise that is indispensable to the organization. They generally possess a "can do" attitude. Boomers are experienced in forging relationships and are seen as mentors in their organizations. From a management perspective, flexibility is something this generation is seeking as they want and need to remain in the workforce longer but would prefer reduced workloads and more control of when and where they work.

Gen X (1965-1981, 51 million), known as the "computer age," has a strong affinity for technology because they are coming of age in a time when technology is being used as a tool for personal and professional empowerment. They have a strong streak of individualism and use technology as a vehicle for self-expression. They have more faith in themselves than established institutions and are adept and comfortable with change. This generation is noted for introducing successful, large-scale, flexible work arrangements.

Millennials (Gen Y) (1982-1989, 78 million) and the beginnings of some new entrants of the Screenagers (1989-1994, 24.3 million), known as the "Internet, digital age," are the real "digital natives" and view technology as an inclusive tool for social networking and reaching out to communicate and collaborate. Technology is transparent to them. The barriers of time and space have different meaning for this generation. Content is what drives them. They prefer using technology to communicate, and this generation is the largest and most networked in world history.

From a leadership perspective, Gen X and Millennials are accustomed to using technology to enable a looser, more improvisational work style and feel that traditional work environments are restricting. They place high value on work/life balance. In fact, Millennials don't make a traditional distinction between work and personal life. Both generations use technology to work smarter and more efficiently while trying to minimize process. They leverage mobile technology to work anytime, anywhere, putting less emphasis on "being there" as an indication of commitment.

Overall, companies are challenged with the changing definition of work and work styles. It is in the organizations best interest to empower employees with the tools needed to work anytime, anywhere. Employees now work outside the company's offices more than ever before. And as flexible work styles and increased mobility become the norm, secure and easy-to-use remote access to business resources becomes non-negotiable.

Beth Gulas, President of WorkForce Management (bgulas@aol.com, www.workforcemgmt.com), helps organizations understand how to collaboratively bridge the generational gaps and realize greater business success.