In today’s dynamic corporate environment, businesses invest significant money and effort to deploy effective employee management systems. Corporate trainers and HR professionals across the globe adopt several techniques and methodologies to keep their workforces productive and collaborative in their workplaces. However, multigenerational work environments produce a new set of challenges for organizations, requiring leadership to acquire tools and techniques to tackle them.
Linda Wilson, a coach, mentor and speaker, has overcome difficult times—including undergoing three open-heart surgeries and dealing with depression—with resilience and willpower. Using insights she gained from these life experiences, she helps others overcome challenges in their own lives through her platform Loving Life’s Journey. Realizing the significance of the multigenerational workplace issue, Wilson has embarked on a mission to help organizations navigate the challenges posed by multigenerational workforces.
In a recent survey, only 6% of respondents agreed that their leaders are equipped to lead multigenerational workforces. This reveals a gap that prevails in the corporate world when it comes to managing multigenerational workforces. With expertise in emotional intelligence, emotional support and ethical influence, Wilson equips corporate leaders with the skills necessary to overcome obstacles and manage such workforces.
Differences between employees in terms of their age, values systems, experience, ethics and more can create conflicts in the workplace, including challenges in communication, collaboration and common purpose. These challenges can impact the overall success and productivity of an organization. Wilson believes that acknowledging the differences between employees in multigenerational workplaces is of paramount importance. According to her, identifying differences will help organizations develop specific strategies for specific problems.
“What I do primarily when I work with organizations is to enable them to appreciate the differences of their multigenerational workforce. I encourage them to create groups including members of all age groups. It brings different capabilities and energy levels to the group, enhancing the overall organizational effectiveness. This combined strength and energy compensate for the individual challenges, ensuring a balance in terms of productivity and effectiveness of the organization,” Wilson says.
With her background in emotional intelligence, Wilson helps people learn the skill of being emotionally aware. She believes this awareness among employees will help them overcome most of the challenges posed by their generational differences. It’s about being aware of the different personalities and how best to communicate and work effectively with them. This awareness helps people stay emotionally stable at the workplace and empathetic to colleagues.
“Respecting each other in the workplace is very important to cultivate a collaborative work culture. Accepting each other’s differences is the best way to earn respect. Instead of just hearing what people are saying, we need to listen and absorb what they say. This is the best approach toward attaining a cohesive organizational outcome,” Wilson says.
Driven by the passion for helping others to overcome obstacles in their professional and personal lives, Wilson says she is committed to continuing her mission.
