Six Ways Leaders Can Build Collaborative and Resilient Multi-Generational Hybrid and Remote Teams

Written by?Jenny Fernandez, Kathryn Landis,?and?Dr. Julie Lee

“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it,” said novelist, journalist, and essayist, George Orwell. Today’s workplace is the most diverse ever. Most teams are now comprised of four generations: Baby Boomers II, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Age and years of experience are not the only distinguishing factors, as each generation embodies unique views and expectations related to the meaning of work, workplace relationships, utilization of technology, and employer expectations.

Creating a collaborative and resilient multi-generational team can be challenging when members bring a different set of expectations ranging from communication style, feedback, collaboration, and recognition.

?Here are six strategies for leaders to create multi-generational teams that are collaborative and resilient in remote or hybrid environments.?

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1. Invite dialogue about multi-generational team and hybrid/remote work?

As many teams have transitioned to hybrid/remote work following the pandemic, team members have less or no face-to-face time to work together. In fact, for some Gen Z professionals, hybrid/remote may be the only work modality they know. Depending on their generation and life circumstances, members may feel differently about it. As many as 40% of college students and recent graduates prefer to work in-person full-time. Yet, Millennials, well-versed in technology, largely believe their performance improved working at home and are resistant to returning to in-person work. Older workers such as Gen X, who now comprise the majority of organizational leadership, value in-person face time and Baby Boomers, close to retirement, are largely neutral.

Generational gaps and differences are likely felt more strongly in the “new normal” and may be impacting the cohesion of the team. Research shows that multigenerational teams experience conflicts around where and how to leverage technology, communication norms, and decision-making processes. Yet, most teams do not discuss the impact of these differences and consider the issue to be “undiscussable” or “unsolvable”.

Instead of ignoring or avoiding the generational differences, opportunities must be created for teams to have a dialogue. Managers should use different communication modalities (i.e., online anonymous surveys, team discussions or one-on-one conversations remote and in-person) to assess how the team is functioning and how members assess the team dynamics. Offering various communication platforms allows members of all generations to leverage a preferred method to share their opinion candidly. Open discussions are the first step to acknowledging and identifying opportunities to improve team collaboration in a multigenerational team.

2. Evaluate the use of technology in terms of team communication and decision making process.

Generation Z are digital natives and, along with younger millennials, are likely to prefer online, informal communication. They also want to have a voice at work and want to be part of the culture-setting and decision-making process. Members of Gen X and Boomers likely prefer in-person or formal communication that the traditional business practice has favored. Thus, there may be a gap in the preference of communication modality between generations.

In hybrid/remote work, members across generations must rely on technology to communicate, collaborate and reach decisions. Yet, some teams have not discussed directly how and when to use online communication or tools (such as Slack). Sometimes, the lack of clarity in communication tools or expectations can lead to technology overuse, communication-creep into non-work hours, or unnecessary anxiety about being always-on. Creating communication boundaries, notification expectations, and working communication norms will go a long way to alleviate challenges and potential burnout as home offices have removed all physical boundaries from “being” at work.

3. Prioritize building collaborative work relationships

Different generations bring varying expectations about what constitutes effective relationships with team members and how to build them. Research shows that Gen Z and young millennials value a sense of community and connection at work, yet many of them entered the workforce with no in-person professional experience. Yet, senior millennials, Gen X and Boomers are adapting to the new work norms with an established social network from the pre-Covid era. In the hybrid/remote work world, it's more challenging to have “informal” water cooler talks, work lunches or impromptu after work activities to build relationships. Yet, we know that connection, trust, and friendship are essential to a team's effectiveness and elevate the sense of engagement.

Thus, managers must prioritize and proactively create concrete opportunities for team members to get to know each other as individuals, outside of meeting times. Incentivize one-on-one relationship building or a small group collaboration with the goal of building relationships across generations and make connections that are meaningful and purposeful. This is not only needed due to hybrid/remote working but also the lack of shared experiences resulting from generational divides.

4. Set the team norms about work/life boundaries and work schedule

With distinct historical and economic contexts, each generation has different expectations about work and life. Two salient issues that impact members are work-life boundaries and how decisions are made. Gen X are largely used to working off “business hours'' and expect to continue to do so while younger members may prefer clear boundaries between work and personal life. Lack of clarity about the work life boundaries may lead to confusion or lack of engagement. Thus, it is important for managers to discuss, create team consensus and set a clear set of norms around these issues so that there is transparency, team alignment, and a sense of “fairness” to further engagement from all members of the team.

5. Create opportunities for mentoring across generations, including “reverse” mentoring?

Author, motivational speaker, and success coach, Bob Proctor said: “A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” Each generation has an unique set of perspectives and values and each individual brings their own professional and personal expertise and experiences to the team. When affirmed, diversity of perspectives and views strengthen creativity and innovation in a team. Mentoring is an effective way through which team members can learn from one another, regardless of their seniority or professional positions. In addition to the traditional definition, we know that reverse mentoring, when a member with less experience or who is “younger” mentors an “older” or a more senior member, provides significant benefits to both parties.

Dr. Ruth Gotian, Chief Learning Officer and assistant professor of education in anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine and author of The Success Factor shares, "Over a decade ago, a mentee revolutionized the way I considered recruiting students. While standing for ten hours a day in a booth at a conference is one, albeit limited, way of reaching people, there was the possibility of reaching people I would never have the opportunity to meet. Hello Twitter! I was introduced to this idea by someone a generation younger than me and the impact has had ripple effects."

Managers can facilitate cross-generational mentoring by intentionally and purposefully pairing team members from cross-generations to mentor one another.?

6. Cultivate a team identity and a shared experience that transcends the generational differences

A team develops and evolves over time and through their shared experiences, successes, and even failures. These can create a shared history, learnings and commitment. It is important for a team to have a sense of identity, mission, purpose and norms and it is even more important for multigenerational and hybrid/remote teams since members do not have any/or ample face to face time together. Managers can facilitate the development of a team identity and values and experience by creating a team “rituals”, celebrations (team success and/or personal), as well as acknowledging the challenges and failures the team face together.?

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Multi-generations collaborating in the workplace is not new, yet the generational differences have indeed deepened. This coupled with the acceleration of remote and hybrid working has created a larger divide across the generations. The future of work demands new ways of working to bridge generational differences as what worked will likely no longer work to address distinct generational needs in the workplace.?

While each generation believes itself to be unique, our shared humanity brings us together. There is opportunity to forge strong professional relationships that cut across generational boundaries. Managers who are able to create common ground, forge cross-generational working norms, and model behaviors that foster collaborative cultures will win. At the end of the day, what creates a strong team culture is open communication, trust, mutual respect, and understanding of each other’s motivations and expectations. With these values in place, the team can start building a culture and climate that fosters collaboration, creativity, and innovation.

Jenny Fernandez?is a chief marketing officer and executive coach who brings over 20 years of experience leading, launching, and growing brands, from multi-million-dollar businesses within Mondelez International (Oreo, Trident Gum), Kraft Foods (Ritz, Triscuit, and Wheat Thins breakthrough Innovation), and Accenture to high-growth, mid-sized organizations such as Merlin Entertainments, and Loacker USA.

As an executive and team coach, advisor to senior executives, and award-winning leader of Fortune 500 companies, Kathryn Landis has spent 18 years in B2B marketing and sales with a proven track record driving results from large global companies to fast-growing startups. She is the CEO of Kathryn Landis Consulting, a global executive and team coaching firm that helps leaders make a lasting positive impact, empower and inspire teams, and become the best version of themselves in work and life.

Dr. Julie Lee?is the Director of Technology and Mental Health for Harvard Alumni for Mental Health. Dr. Lee's work in digital behavioral health strategy has greatly benefited Fortune 500 companies and technology startups as a clinical psychologist and higher education leader with experience in Gen Z and Millennial mental health.

These esteemed faculty members currently teach Integrated Marketing for the?Integrated Marketing & Communications Department?in the Division of Programs in Business at?NYU School of Professional Studies.

A New Curriculum for the CMO and CCO?and their teams is needed?that is both Human-Centered and Data-Driven, balancing the?spreadsheet?and the?story, or the?poetry?and the?plumbing, or the?math?and the?meaning?of an integrated approach to marketing and communications.?And this education needs to be rooted in a sense of personal and professional purpose and authenticity and founded on a platform of lifelong learning. At NYU’s School of Professional Studies, we have recently recommitted ourselves to some guiding principles about the role that a globally-recognized academic institution and an applied professional education can deliver:

• We believe that Marketing and Communication leaders have a unique role to play in?driving growth?for an organization.
• We believe that the success of a leader is driven not just by?what?they do and?how?they do it, but is also built on a foundation of?purpose.
• We believe that successful growth leaders have the biggest?impact?when they are?human-centered?and?data-driven.
• We believe that the best way to educate executive growth leaders is through an?application-based curriculum?taught by leaders and scholars of business who have successfully led and advised top brands themselves.
• We believe the strength of a program is catalyzed by the?strength of the cohort of students?with a lifelong network of peers, learning and support.

We believe the best programs are designed to meet?continuously changing market needs—to help executives lead business transformation, drive innovation and achieve?long-term, sustainable growth.

In Fall 2023, NYU’s School of Professional Studies will welcome the first cohort in its?Executive Master's in Marketing and Strategic Communications?designed to address the needs of professionals in marketing and PR on the path to C-Suite leadership.?Leading marketers like Antonio Lucio, the former Global CMO of Facebook, and public relations and corporate relations professionals like Kathryn Metcalfe, CCO at CVS Health have already been moved to praise the effort.?

We are delighted to be pioneering a new form of education and engagement for our industry, next spring.

To learn more about the program, please visit?sps.nyu.edu/execms.

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