Driving Innovation by Encouraging Creativity with Your Multi-Generational Workforce

Innovation is a lot like golf. You must work on your drive if you want to have any kind of a good round.

Just like innovated leadership and a round of golf - you're on your own. You're making decisions you alone are accountable for. You must work with a complex set of variables — and you're working towards an outcome that sometimes seems nearly impossible to reach. 

How many times have you watched a drive sail off right into a water hazard? How many times can a proposed solution to a new challenge fail or, worse, seem to completely backfire?

I see two popular reactions to this type of situation. People either get frustrated or they get creative.

Encouraging a Culture of Creativity in a Multi-Generational Workforce

Getting creative is they type of mindset we're looking at today: an attitude of innovation. Creating it isn't as straightforward as we might like, but it's possible with some dedication, tenacity, and practice.

In a multigenerational organization, you'd think all the diversity would automatically encourage innovation. Younger workers would learn from older ones, and experienced team members would adopt new technology quickly to remain competitive with new trainees.

Diversity can be this type of asset, but it's rarely automatic. There's usually some work for you to do first as a leader. 

The Value of Each Perspective to the Overall Vision

Managing a multigenerational workforce means managing many different perspectives. These perspectives are sometimes so different that the individuals have a hard time coming together.

You'll see this disconnect more often in an innovative, dynamic setting than you will in a stable, steady work environment. Getting creative often requires people to prioritize their own sets of values, ideas, and opinions — and the differences come out.

As a leader, you know everyone on your team has something to contribute. Your job is to get everyone else to realize that. 

Sharing One Vision Throughout Your Organization

The most straightforward way to get people to recognize the value of other individuals — and other generations — is to share a common vision of success.

Your team should come together when your organization's excellent world is at the forefront of everyone's mind. They stop thinking about their differences and start working together on their common goals.

To overcome that generational thinking, your guiding vision needs to be big, clear, and something that everybody in the organization can really own. Creating, communicating, and living a vision like that takes a lot of work from you as a leader, but it's well worth the effort.

Setting Up Mentor Relationships to Communicate Ideas and Build Skills

After everyone is on board, it's time to foster the communication that will keep your innovative environment going strong. I find that mentorship relationships work especially well across many different types of organizations.

Mentoring is more than just learning skills. It's also an opportunity for everyone involved to strengthen their cultural ties — learning how to pursue your vision together.

When people from different generations understand each other — when they trust in each other’s commitment to a shared vision — it's much easier for them to see the value everyone brings. That acceptance creates an atmosphere in which innovative, creative ideas are celebrated.

When decisions for your business don’t go as planned, how do you respond?