5Today’s corporate culture has employees of all backgrounds, but the diversity isn’t just limited to cultural and/or gender differences. In fact, the greatest differences lie, not in the cultures or genders of your employees, but in the age of your employees.

So, do you need team leadership coaching in this area? Absolutely!

Here’s a list of tips & tricks for motivating multigenerational teams:

Motivation

Everyone has something that motivates them, and those motivations are not all the same. Pay attention to what motivates them, and cater to those different motivations. For example, someone from an older generation might be motivated to work to cover the expense of their son/daughter being in college, whereas that son/daughter might be motivated to work to cover the expense of the books for the college classes that Mom/Dad is paying for with that same job. When you look at the same work experience through those very different eyes, you can see what motivates them…and what doesn’t.

Avoid stereotyping.

While there can be general rules applied across a generational swath, bear in mind that there will be exceptions to the rule. For example, just because someone is from “Generation Y,” does not mean that they fall into the “entitled hipster” mal mot. That “entitled hipster” may, in reality, be a married man with a disabled wife and three children to support, so his motivation may be completely different from that of his contemporaries. Do not assume or generalize when dealing with employees. You are trying to motivate them, not discourage them or make them think that you are out of touch with your employees.

Communication, Communication, Communication

Most of all, bear in mind that communication is key. The best way to figure out what motivates your employees, regardless of their generation, is to TALK to them. Sit down and get to know them on a personal level. Your employees will be more prone to discuss aspects of work that they believe can be better if they feel like they can trust you.

I’m a John Maxwell certified leadership trainer and coach focusing on one simple concept: transform to transcend. Contact me today to see how I can help you become the best leader you can be!