Fantastic insights and article by Phyllis Weiss Haserot. She is terrific with amazing insights and knowledge.
My friend Phyllis Weiss-Haserot is the Cross-Generational
Voice and the president of Practice Development Counsel, a business
development and organizational effectiveness consulting and coaching firm she
founded over 20 years, A special focus is on the profitability of improving workplace
inter-generational relations as well as transitioning planning for baby boomer
senior partners/executives and their firms (www.nextgeneration-nextdestination.com ).
Phyllis is the author of The Rainmaking Machine" and “The Marketer’s Handbook of
Tips & Checklists” (both Thomson Reuters/West 2012). pwhaserot@pdcounsel.com. URL: www.pdcounsel.com
CROSS-GENERATIONAL
CONVERSATION WITH THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM by Phyllis Weiss
Haserot
A while ago I was thinking about stories to tell at a conference where our panel was discussing the issues and solutions at the intersection of generations and gender. Most of the attendees were women partners in firms or female senior in-house counsel. My perspective is not as a player in the midst of management and internal politics of theissues, but as a problem-solver seeing the bigger issues.
Immediately coming to mind was another conference months off at which I was asked to moderate a panel on relationship skills relating to the value equation of inside/outside counsel collaborations. Interestingly, surprising to me, the panel selected by the organizers is all women as are almost all the speakers besides the male conference co-chair.
Next racing through my mind was a
fundraising message I had received again that morning from a not-for-profit
organization with a mission to enhance the lives, personally and professionally,
of women over age 50, which restricts membership to that demographic.
What these three events have in common as I see it is that the focus, intentionally or not, will turn out to be Boomer and older half of Gen X cohort women talking primarily to themselves, preaching to the choir.
I’ve pointed out in each case the need to have all the stakeholders in the room, all with a voice, and all talking freely with each other. Where are the male leaders with the clout to lead change? Where are the younger people who need to be engaged, not only for their career development, but also to sustain the success of organizations? Are the more senior women, many of whom consider themselves a minority demographic – as they are in leadership roles – making assumptions without inviting the voice of others whose support they are only likely to have when the conversation feels comfortable for all genders and generations and other aspects of diversity,including diversity of thought?
I truly believe we need cross-generational conversation and cross-gender, cross-race and other diverse elements as the beginning of the solutions to many problems and to sustainable success for our businesses and our institutions.
The panels I put together to discuss inter-generational challenges are comprised of different generations, genders,ethnic, countries of origin and perhaps less obvious characteristics. There is always diversity of thought. The more we allow opportunity for diverse expressions, even outside one’s comfort zone, the more likely we are to grow comfortable. We don’t learn much when we are insular. There is comfort in
talking with similar thinking individuals and supporters but much less progress
than when being inclusive and inviting resisters and those unaware of issues
and possible biases to prominent seats at the table. Or perhaps developing
understanding relationships over a drink.
©
Phyllis Weiss Haserot, 2012. All rights reserved.
The generational chronology for easy reference: Generations are defined by the
similar formative influences – social, cultural, political, economic – that
existed as the individuals of particular birth cohorts were in adolescent-early
adult years. Given that premise, the age breakdowns for each of the four
generations currently in the workplace are approximately:
Traditionalists: born 1925-1942
Baby Boomers born 1943-1962
Generation X born 1963-1978
Generation Y/Millennials born 1979-1998