And of course, your precise relationship to the person matters, as well as your relative positioning and the degree of mutual liking, respect, and trust – the simpatico factor.
For example, say you want authorization to produce a video explaining your department’s work to show at an employee event. Perhaps your boss is someone who’s enthusiastic about video. Or you may report to someone who values relationships and wants to cultivate a positive environment. This boss would probably welcome a way to show staff members they are valued. Or she may be a person who likes innovation and the chance to be first in the neighborhood. To gain approval, it’s best to frame the story differently for the specific decision-maker. I’m not saying you should distort the facts or omit any: The story you tell must be true and fair. But the focus and emphasis can be adapted.
GENERATION GAPS: UNDERSTANDING AND LEVERAGING THEM
In almost every workplace employing more than a few people, generational differences present some major challenges. Sweeping generalizations based on when people were born may seem suspect, but we are all shaped by the culture and time period we grow up in. Our beliefs, communication and decision-making styles, interaction patterns, and expectations of each other can be at odds. Misunderstandings flourish. In response, consultants are at work explaining the groups to each other, marketers are researching the young people they must market to, and human resource specialists try to smooth cross-generational conflicts so their companies can function better.
Whatever age group you belong to, you will benefit from some empathy for the other cohorts. Supplement the following ideas with your own observations and you’ll discover ways to make subordinates and higher-ups happy without the risk of compromising your own values. Here are some tips to support sympathetic workplace relationships:
● Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) are highly competitive and define themselves by achievement. Many are workaholics. Although Boomers wanted to change the world and fought for change (civil rights, women’s role), on the whole they respect authority, loyalty, position, and hard work that creates upward progress. They would like today’s young people to advance the same way they did: earning rewards (and confidence) gradually over time.
Communication style: Good with confrontation and face-to-face; hold meetings often; like the telephone, email, and detailed information; get information from newspapers and television; many use Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
React badly to: Younger people’s perceived lack of respect, low commitment level, expectations of fast progress, constant need for mentoring, arrogance about their own superior technology skills, and careless writing!
React well to: A can-do attitude, willingness to work hard and overcome obstacles, respect for their achievements and knowledge, and well-planned and proofed messages.
● Generation X (born 1965 to 1980) is a relatively small generation literally caught in the middle. They are often middle managers and must translate between those they report to and those who report to them. They are hard-working, individualistic, committed to change, and seeking life balance. They value opportunities to build skills.
Communication style: Depend on email, preferably short and efficient; would prefer to skip meetings; comfortable with new technology and social media (especially Facebook) to varying degree, but without the full enthusiasm of younger people; refer to television and to a lesser extent, newspapers, for information.
React badly to: Autocratic, unappreciative managers; an air of entitlement from subordinates and subordinates’ need for constant attention, encouragement, and supervision, and unwillingness to go the extra mile and adapt to workplace needs; impatience; “unearned” confidence.
React well to: Resourcefulness, independence, sense of responsibility, attention to detail, willingness to take on “uninteresting” assignments, good communication.
● Millennials (also known as Generation Y) (born 1981 to 1996) belong to an especially large generation and face strong competition but fewer opportunities. They are highly social and communal-minded, preferring to work in teams and in close touch with everyone else inside and outside the office. They want responsibility – quickly – plus intensive mentoring. They expect to spend their careers job-hopping and experimenting with other income sources. They are non-materialistic and typically leave jobs quickly when unengaged, even without another in sight. Accord high value to active experience, inclusiveness, and tolerance.
Communication style: Digital all the way; prefer to interact through texting, instant messaging, and social media, especially Facebook; draw news and information from the Internet; use email only as required; unenthusiastic about telephone contact, meetings, and confrontation.
React badly to: Lack of respect; insufficient encouragement, appreciation, inclusion, and fast rewards; not being given reasons for assignments; not being accommodated in lifestyle preferences; being required to work with old technology.
React well to: Coaching, opportunities to learn and grow, sense of purpose, being valued, explanations, new experiences, constant communication, teaming, and insights into the big picture.
● Generation Z (also known as the Homeland Generation) (born 1997 to 2010) is an unknown element of the workplace as yet. Growing up with the experience of a Great Recession and the War on Terror, this most parent-protected group of all shows signs of being more conservative, fearful, pragmatic, and concerned with privacy. They are the first “true digital natives” and use their smartphones for all information, entertainment, and communication, but few phone calls. In social media, they prefer the ephemeral Snapchat and Instagram.
Perhaps defining your goal and audience so thoroughly sounds like unnecessary busy-work. But doing so helps immeasurably when you’re approaching someone with an idea, product, or service that you need him to buy into.
Suppose your department is planning to launch a major project that you want to lead. You could write a memo explaining how important the opportunity is to you, how much you can use the extra money, or how much you’ll appreciate being chosen for the new role. But unless your boss, Mark, is a totally selfless person without ambition or priorities of his own, why would he care about any of that?
You’re much better off highlighting your relevant skills and accomplishments. Your competitors for the leadership position may equal or even better such a rundown, so you must make your best case. Think beyond yourself to what matters most to Mark.
A quick profile of Mark reveals a few characteristics to work with:
❯❯ He likes to see good teamwork in people reporting to him.
❯❯ He’s a workaholic who is usually overcommitted.
❯❯ He likes to