Unlocking the Genome of a Multigenerational Organization

Take a look at our full discussion on the WorkingSm@rt Journey Web Series - Multigenerational Workplace

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It has now been five years since the coronavirus changed the way we conduct work forever. Complexities and anxieties reigned supreme in the early days as organizational cultures were thrown into turmoil, as transformational change introduced realities no organization could have predicted. A flurry of activity ensued as organizations rushed to technology for the answer. Software and hardware were feverishly put into place to ensure that organizations could continue to function in an instant virtual reality.

Individuals found themselves in unsustainable working scenarios that drove high-level stress to uncontrollable anxieties. Team members and team leaders reeled back from the sheer magnitude of the change.

As we do, we rose to the occasion and created a fix to keep the wheels of commerce moving. The reality was that temporary solutions became de facto standards as the workloads remained at elevated levels and results needed to be achieved. As time went by, it became clear that the current reality was not sustainable and things had to change.

The pendulum begins to swing back as virtual working becomes traditional working, and organizations bring their employees back to the office, either part-time or full-time.

So, the question at hand is what is driving organizations to return to a more traditional work environment, and is it sustainable with the newer generations questioning the reason why?

To answer that question, let's look at the fundamental organizational genome of any entity that becomes organized to deliver on results.

The beginning point is the same whether that is a government body, a private sector organization or a society of individuals. It all centres around a shared common set of principles, processes, and tools that bring together a diverse group of individuals to a common goal.

At Priority Management International, we call this an "Esprit de Corps." It goes under a myriad of other names, but the name is less important than the intent of the statement. Let us break it down piece by piece to clarify our intent on the content.

What are principles, and how do they add value to an entity? At Priority Management International, we define principles as clear articulations of those things important to any organization and are the fundamental building blocks for decision-making, whether that be individual or team behaviour choices, or organizational choices on how and why it chooses to pursue certain goals or objectives.

In organizations, we are dealing with multiple generations who have been influenced by their social surroundings and the current norms. Through time, these norms transition and evolve, which results in tensions within the organization or teams as each generation defines its own unique conclusions on what is right.

In order to bring all generations together, the establishment and integration of shared common principles gives a common beginning point for discussion and ultimately leads to consistent decisions and direction.

Each member of the team brings with them their own personal set of principles, and they must choose to align with the team principles, share with the team a new paradigm to evolve the principles or choose to move on to an organization more closely aligned to their own principles. The now agreed-upon principles are the building blocks to the success of the organization and the effectiveness and efficiency of the teams.

With a now well-developed and integrated "Esprit de Corps" the organization can move on to the next critical issue for organizational success, namely the four foundational areas for team members to maximize success. These are as follows:

1. Self-Management

2. Working well with others

3. Asset and Resource Management

4. Task and Activity Management

Priority Management has been working with these areas over the last 20 years and has developed the eight skill sets in support of these areas.

1. Define your Purpose

2. Establish your Goals

3. Focus your Resources

4. Manage your Priorities

5. Measure the Success

6. Own the Performance

7. Influence the Participants

8. Continue the Improvements

These eight skill sets are measured through 23 core competencies and over 240 behaviours. This has enabled Priority Management to develop learning programs using international best practices and tool-based applications, ensuring progress is measurable and is coachable as the team members bring the newly developed skills into the workplace.

With the genome of multigenerational organizations unlocked, the organization can move forward with a clear map of success in today's competitive and complicated reality.

If you are interested in hearing more about this topic, please take a look at our full discussion on the WorkingSm@rt Journey Web Series - Multigenerational Workplace