(09/15/22)

By Dan Dennison, Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

Look around the room at any ACI conference, and while gratefully there are many fresh, new faces, there are also a large number of experienced, long-in-the-tooth communicators. Nothing inherently wrong with our demographic makeups, however the keynote address for the 2022 meeting in Nashville resonated greatly with those of us who are categorized as traditionalists, or baby boomers, or just plain old.

Dr. Chandra Alston was the keynote speaker for our 2022 conference.

Dr. Chandra Alston is the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She noted that the work human resources practitioners perform is very much like the work many of us do: we deal with wildlife, in their case the human type and in our cases the animals. She struck a refrain echoed in many leadership-training courses, and hopefully with human resources experts within our own organizations. My observations over the last decade of public service work show that many government organizations give scant attention to succession planning. Having spent 40-years in the private sector, I can say many businesses and companies also fail in this area.

Dr. Alston asked, “How can you who are soon exiting our workplaces get ready for the next generation of leaders?” Many senior workers are staying in the workplace because there is no one “trained-up” to replace them. “We need to start mentoring Generation X, Y and Z workers so we can go home and relax, take care of our families and our health. Whether we like it or not, we all face the declining principal of productivity and energy.”

In a talk peppered with personal observations and experiences, and a great deal of humor, Dr. Alston described the generational differences that drive each of the demographic categories. She detailed leadership approaches needed to help them reach their dreams and aspirations, to become highly productive and long-tenured employees, while developing their leadership potential.

Which generation are you?

Generation X Traits

• • Skeptical
  • Independent
  • Casual
  • Unwavering
  • Adaptable
  • Good work-life balance
  • Entrepreneurial spirit
  • Tech savvy

Working with Gen Xers

• • Provide autonomy
  • Give additional responsibility
  • Opportunities for advancement
  • Respect their time
  • Ensure healthy work-life balance

Dr. Alston is a Gen Xer and told her audience, “We don’t want to be micromanaged, yet we want more responsibility. We want to take over and lead. Have you taught us? Groom someone behind you, stop being hoarders of work, and give freely of yourself.”

In leading the members of the Gen X set, she encouraged, “Be specific for the individual outcomes, do not overpraise, and challenge them to find new solutions. Reward soon after a reward-worthy accomplishment. We’re confident and we’ve seen the outcomes. Challenge us to find new solutions. We prefer email over other modes of communication.”

Generation Y Traits

• • Tech/web savvy
  • Family oriented
  • Ambitious
  • Team players
  • Communicators
  • Crave attention
  • Prone to job hopping

Working with Gen Yers

• • Understand who they are
  • Provide opportunities to learn and grow
  • Seek personal engagement opportunities
  • Give them a chance to make a difference
  • Offer flexible work arrangements
  • Create opportunities for people to flourish and not job hop
  • Show authenticity and uniqueness

Dr. Alston commented that the Gen Y crowd appreciates opportunities to bond and to hear it like it is, but she cautioned, “Avoid references to the ‘good old days.’ Interact often, stir up a little fun, offer close coaching and guidance and give frequent feedback. Groom people in the way they want to be groomed and ask what they need for them to stay and grow.”

Generation Z Traits

• • Diversity is their norm
  • First digital natives
  • Pragmatic and financially minded
  • Mental health challenges
  • Shrewd consumers

Working with Gen Zers

• • Be patient, they need us
  • Highlight face-to-face communications
  • Making training and development a priority
  • Hire and recruit beginning in college
  • Effectively channel their competitive nature
  • Create high-intensity relationships
  • Promote diversity and inclusion
  • Prioritize mental health

“What do Gen X, Y and Z need in the workplace to avoid the current paradigm where one in five American workers has left a job due to poor workplace culture?” Dr. Alston asked. “We need to reframe our attitudes and perceptions on generations by promoting active dialogue, encouraging cross-generational teams, and driving accountability of knowledge sharing. Think before you act.”

She said we must have people in the pipeline, which is why succession planning is so critical, no matter where we work. Do the right things, with the right spirit, and always tell the truth and be affirming. “Listen, be willing to change your mind and admit wrong decisions. Be a person who wants to help and not trip up coworkers or subordinates. Be at the table with people,” Alston said.

She offered tips on developing new leaders who will provide, develop and support equity, transparency, flexibility and purpose.

• • Flexible and hybrid work schedules
  • Critical skills and competencies
  • Employee experience
  • Current and future leadership
  • Performance management
  • Recruiting

“Don’t go backwards. Y is the biggest generation in the workforce currently, and Gen X is next. We must appeal to these generations in recruiting and leadership development.”

• • Organizational flexibility and agility
  • Disruption is not optional
  • Building mindsets and capabilities
  • Balancing business foresight and operations
  • Foster ambidextrous organizational practice
  • Promote risk taking tolerance.
  • Make performance management about collaborative performance
  • Adapt rewards to promote desired behaviors

“Why is purpose important?” was the question Dr. Alston left with her ACI audience. She posited, “It is an antidote to uncertainty, boosts our capacity to make the greatest impact in the work we do, can help us overcome obstacles and improves our well-being.”