Bridging Generational Gaps at Work using StrengthsFinder

In this series we’re exploring how to build a high performing team using StrengthsFinder*. Last time we looked at how it can help increase inclusion and diversity in teams; this time, how to bridge generational gaps.

Steve is everyone’s favourite manager. He’s been leading the same team in a manufacturing company for 20 years. Steve knows everything about his team members, from their hobbies to their family life. He’s famous for giving honest feedback that makes people think, and he always manages to make them laugh too.

Steve has been coaching and mentoring his team for years, and many of them stick around because they love working with him.

But now, Steve is retiring, and the company thinks they’ve found the perfect replacement: Janna. She’s been a supervisor at the plant for five years, and she’s known for being careful and reliable. Janna’s team has been doing really well under her leadership, and she’s come up with some great ideas to save money and make things safer.

The only issue? Janna is nothing like Steve. They have different styles of leading, different personalities, and Janna is much younger than Steve. People wonder how Janna, who is a millennial, will fit in with the older, more experienced team members. Even Steve has his doubts about the change.

• Clifton Strengths is also known as StrengthsFinder and is owned by the Gallup Foundation.

Being honest about changes in style and generations

The shift from baby boomers like Steve to younger leaders like Janna is happening a lot these days. As older workers retire, younger ones are stepping up. This change is challenging for many companies, especially those used to one type of leadership.

More and more, millennials are becoming managers. They make up almost 40% of the workforce. But interestingly, not all of them feel confident about knowing their team’s strengths. In fact, only about 4 in 10 strongly agree that they know what their team is good at.

When there’s a change in leadership, it’s important to address people’s worries and fears. Using strengths-based methods can really help:

Clifton Strengths* looks to the future. When folks think about what they’re good at, they focus more on how they can make things better, rather than what could go wrong.

Clifton Strengths is for everyone. No matter their age, everyone has strengths that help the team. This approach shifts the focus from differences to what makes each person valuable.

Clifton Strengths is personal. During change, people want to feel seen and respected. Talking about strengths shows that each person matters.

Strengths talks are positive. Conversations about Clifton Strengths help folks see differences as strengths, not weaknesses.

Not Bad, Just Different Strengths

When Steve, Janna, and Jenny from leadership met with the team, there was doubt in the air. But Jenny started by highlighting Steve’s strengths: Woo, Significance, Restorative, Relator, and Maximizer. The team shared stories of how Steve used these strengths, showing how much they valued him.

Then, Jenny talked about Steve’s weaker strengths: Achiever, Adaptability, Arranger, Command, and Competition. The team joked about these, but they knew they didn’t matter much because Steve was good at so many other things.

Next, Jenny talked about Janna’s strengths: Consistency, Relator, Discipline, Achiever, and Restorative. Surprisingly, Janna had some of the same strengths as Steve, just in different ways. The team realized they had similar strengths too, and they started sharing how they liked to work.

By the end, the team was excited. They weren’t worried about what Janna couldn’t do, but about how they could all work together with her strengths.

Steve was happy too. “I’m glad to see the team I built is in good hands,” he said. “Janna is going to do great.”

In the 5th part of this series we’ll explore how to increase your team’s influencing and impacting skills using StrengthsFinder.

Interested in learning more?

If you’d like to discuss how Clifton Strengths Finder can help your team/s respond to change more positively please contact me for a chat.

Kate Jennings