Assumption Audit

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Assumption Audit

Megan W. Gerhardt, Josephine Nachemson-Ekwall, and Brandon Fogel just published a great article in HBR on “Harnessing the Power of Age Diversity: Generational identity should be a source of learning, not division.”

It’s a great read about ending what some call the last “acceptable” form of discrimination: Ageist Workplaces.

We’ve known for some time the power that can be derived from diverse thinking, yet think about the challenges we’re facing:

• Five generations in the workforce with different values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations.
• Great Resignation vs. Great Regret – a reflection of people trying to define a good life, success, and fulfillment in the age of tremendous uncertainty.
• Continued confusion from leaders on how to create a Culture by Design versus the Culture by Default.
• A lack of understand of what is the standard and value of performance – i.e., Results (save money/make money) and Behaviors (be nice and get along with others).

Our biggest problem amidst the opportunity that comes from all these challenges?

We are forgetting what a privilege it is to work – to serve others. The perspective?for older workers might actually inspire others, and they’re also the ones who know that everything is a cycle. Employers will be in the driver’s seat again. There will be a more recessions. Amidst all this, leaders are failing to help people find purpose and meaning in their work so they can answer, for themselves two fundamental questions:

• What’s a good life? Am I living one?
• For whose good do I serve? Who are the people I most want to help?

A big part of our confusion is not understanding what we value – that is, what we hold dear – and in what order those priorities exist as decision-making criteria.

The other thing we’re doing that contributes to our team dysfunction and individual unhappiness is the many assumptions we make about “others.” As an example, the authors cite “the lack of trust between older and younger workers often yields a culture of competition and resentment that leads to real productivity losses.”

To help us all regain a sense of decency (and productivity in our work), the authors suggest an “Assumption Audit” whereby team members “spend a week on high alert for age-based assumptions in their daily work.” ?A well-facilitated discussion after a week is likely to produce insights to improve the environment by making thoughtful changes that improves team communication, creativity, and decision-making.

It's all about leaders having the humility to accept that their own values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations bias them from seeing the challenge of a multigenerational workforce as an opportunity to gain a distinct competitive advantage.

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Recent podcasts – Two Of Our Best Yet!

A Loss Is Not A Failure Unless You Make It An Excuse

Don Yeager is an award-winning Keynote Speaker, Business Leadership Coach, eleven-time New York Times best-selling author, and longtime Associate Editor for @Sports Illustrated. He is one of America’s most provocative thought leaders. From first-hand experiences, Don shares lessons on achieving greatness based on working with some of the greatest sports legends in the world. Listen in for some fascinating stories from many of your heroes on how they are intentional, curious, and hate to lose!

The Leadership Podcast Introspective - 300 episodes in 6 years!

Your hosts of The Leadership Podcast look back on 300 episodes in 6 years!?The tagline is “We Study Leaders,” and we share what we’ve learned from the array of amazing guests. Listen in to learn the number one trait all the guests share; hear what they’ve learned about human nature, teams, tribalism, and how music seems to be a thing many leaders leverage as inspiration. Also, don’t miss our take on the human aspect of many leaders’ stories. Lastly, we share our gratitude for your listenership!?

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Jan Rutherford is an executive coach, keynote speaker, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor. An author, former Green Beret, and founder of?Self-Reliant Leadership??- he also leads Crucible? wilderness expeditions with executives and veterans.

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