Empowering Your People- Multigenerational Leadership

What if there was a simple way to make your multigenerational employees more engaged, more productive, and more loyal to the organization? Some might be tempted to think the key to leading a better team of workers lies in buckling down and putting pressure on them. But there may be an even more effective leadership method that is just as easy to execute: empowering your people.

Empowering your team means trusting them to make decisions; encouraging independence; and building confidence. You can reap many benefits when you take this leadership approach, especially when you are in charge of a multigenerational team. An empowered worker is one who is more satisfied with their job; one who feels valued; one who feels responsible for doing good work to support the organization that has placed its trust in them. Whether an employee is a Baby Boomer or a member of Generation X, Y, or Z, empowering them can make a significant difference in the quality of their performance.

Here are 3 ways you can empower your multigenerational team:

1. Ask them to solve problems.

Being comfortable with delegating tasks is an essential aspect of effective leadership. But empowering your team goes beyond simply distributing tasks. Trust your people to play a role in problem-solving. Not only will you get some valuable and unique insight; you will also plant seeds of loyalty. When an individual feels trusted and valued enough to help solve problems, they feel more invested in the organization as a whole.

Gen X and Millennial workers, who place a high value on respect and approachability in a leader, will particularly appreciate this method of showing your trust in them. 

2. Allow independence.

Micromanagement is the enemy of empowerment in the workplace. Being the best leader you can be means letting go of the impulse to control your team’s workflow. Different flows work best for different individuals. Allowing your employees to determine how they will execute their tasks will lead to a happier and more productive team.

Encouraging Gen Z employees to meet their goals in their own way can be especially valuable to a leader. Gen Z individuals are accustomed to being resourceful enough to navigate unfamiliar territory with ease. If you give them a chance, your Gen Z team members may show you new and innovative approaches to completing tasks and meeting goals.

3. Give positive and meaningful feedback.

 Good feedback turns out to be critical to boosting an employee’s performance at work. Gallup polls have shown that feedback that is frequent and constructive motivates workers and helps them to feel valued. While it is important to let an employee know when they have done something wrong or when their performance can be improved, it is also important to give them positive feedback when they are doing well. Workers who receive positive feedback rather than just negative feedback are more likely to be engaged in their work.

Baby boomers–hard workers who take authority seriously–may respond especially well to positive and constructive feedback. Recognizing good work in a member of this generation could just earn you a devoted team member for life.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can be a powerful and effective leader, LEAP Leadership Training is here for you. So, what can you do today to start empowering your multigenerational team?