How to Become a Gentelligent Administrator

Taking on a new role as an administrator is both exciting and daunting. You are full of ideas about how you can make a difference: create a culture of shared purpose, collaboration, and big wins for the university. But what happens when you encounter the challenges of having up to five different generations in your department? Everyone wants to prepare students for successful futures—but each generation has a different idea of how to do this.

But team building hits a roadblock when judgmental comments start to fly:

• “New hires don’t have enough experience to weigh in with an opinion. Why should we listen to them?”
• “Times have changed, but they haven’t. Why don’t they retire?”
• “Where do we fit in? No one mentions our contributions. Are we invisible? How long must we wait to matter?”
• “What is it with these entitled kids? They don’t have the work ethic we did.”
• “This professor is not respecting my pronouns. If you don’t do something now. I’m going to...”

Do you really want to spend your first year playing referee?

What if you built a new way of thinking that sees a multigenerational workforce not as a problem, but as a strength?

What is generational Identity? After race and gender, age is the primary thing we notice when we meet someone. It is one layer of our identity—it doesn’t tell us everything we need to know about a person, but it does provide a lens for understanding different behaviors or attitudes. However, generational differences can actually be complementary, and when properly harnessed, can help solve complex problems. Doesn’t this sound like a resource you could use in the collaboration you need for your big wins?

Okay, so what does it take to build Generational IQ?

Become fluent in Gentelligence?.

Required Reading: Gerhardt, Megan, PhD, Nachemson-Ekwall, Josephine, and Foggel, Brandon. (2021). Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce. Rowman & Littlefield.

I have been authorized by Dr. Gerhardt to teach Gentelligence, so here is what I recommend:

Options:

1. DIY—Buy the book and follow directions. Dr. Megan Gerhardt is an excellent professor (my mentor!), and if you like to learn at your own pace, this is the way to go
2. Join a Group! In six sessions, we learn the four practices of Gentelligence: 1) Challenging Assumptions, 2) Adjusting the Lens, 3) Building Trust, and 4) Expanding the Pie. We’ll workshop situations you may find familiar as a way to build competencies in Gentelligent leadership. If you like learning with and from the experiences of others, this option is for you.
3. One-on-one Coaching. Let’s design a training that fits your department’s specific needs. I can help you conduct Gentelligence training for staff and students. This is for you.

Research shows that ignoring generational differences contributes to: lower rates of engagement, morale, productivity, employee satisfaction, and retention. It can be expensive.

Research also shows that developing a Gentelligent culture leads to increased levels of organizational commitment and job satisfaction, greater well-being, decreased stress, and lower turnover. That all sounds good to me!

I remember my first year of teaching, and the challenges that came with just getting my bearings. Administration is the same way; your first year as an administrator is challenging enough. Let’s remove at least one barrier to a successful first year (and future years!). And you never know—maybe we won’t just remove a barrier. Maybe your gentelligence will be the key that unlocks some really big wins.

Connect with me and let’s chat about your big wins. The future—and those of your students—is bright.

More Soon,

Mary