Page 20 - BusinessWest September 2, 2024

“The younger generation is prioritizing work- life balance, mental health, and their personal lives over what they’re giving to the community, what they’re putting into work.”
berships because of that. And it’s causing everyone in associ- ations to reconsider their offerings: ‘what do you want? What can we do to change the offerings to keep you as a member, as a part of this community?’”
Though it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons, she sus- pects people feel life is more hectic and stressful post-COV- ID, and don’t necessarily want to commit time to a two-hour board meeting at the end of the day.
“The younger generation is prioritizing work-life balance, mental health, and their personal lives over what they’re giv- ing to the community, what they’re putting into work,” she told BusinessWest. “They’re protecting and advocating for themselves and their own interests rather than looking at it from a community perspective.”
Let’s Talk
When it comes to managing multiple generations, Ebner said, EANE has been asked to develop some unique train- ings, like etiquette training, and how to come back to the office and dress properly. “You know, the yoga pants usually aren’t allowed in the office; flip-flops are a big no-no.
“And we’re getting asked to go back to the basics for some organizations — how to have a conversation with someone when you’re sitting in a room with them. We’re all very bold on the phone, by email, via Zoom. But we’re not in a room with someone watching body language. We need to relearn some of these skills, like how to have a respectful conver- sation. Being polite is something we’re kind of retraining people on.”
Speaking of communication, teaching the different gen- erations how to talk to one another is critical as well — and can strengthen workplace culture.
“Different generations will naturally bring different per- spectives to the table, which is especially important when building a workforce that reflects the markets and commu- nities that we serve,” Ryan said. “This is why we’re always working to create an environment where all feel seen, heard,
valued, and respected.”
One innovative initiative is MassMutual’s reverse men-
toring program, where members of its Young Professionals Business Resource Group mentor senior executives, she added. It’s a concept that’s been discussed at EANE as well.
“We have some employers that are doing reverse mentor- ing,” Ebner said. “They’re pairing a Z with a Boomer or an X-er, and they’re having them work together on projects. So, instead of the Boomer mentoring just one way to the newer employee, who’s just coming into the work world, it’s kind of a collaborative back and forth, where the Z is also teaching the Boomer a few tricks. It’s very positive.”
That doesn’t diminish the importance of the traditional mentorship model, of course.
“I have somebody on my team who’s been there for 30 years in association management,” Costello said. “I’m her manager, but she comes into the office and teaches me something every day. I turn to her in confidence. I say, ‘I trust you. Obviously, you’ve done this for 30 years. You have a dif- ferent perspective.’
“You want everyone on the team to question everyone else — to question everything, in a good way,” she added. “Does this make sense? Is there a better way to do this? Why are we doing this? Why are we still doing this?”
The alternative is a non-communicative culture than can quickly turn toxic, where everyone is putting up walls, Costello noted.
“When no one wants to hear somebody else’s perspec- tive, that’s emotionally draining; no one enjoys it, and no one stands to benefit from it on either side. We have a really strong focus on our culture and that full-circle communica- tion, giving and receiving feedback, no matter who we are, no matter what position we’re in or what project we’re work- ing on.”
Ebner agreed that communica- tion is crucial in
Generations
Continued on page 39
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