Q&A: JBN Congress Speaker Lucy Barkas on Multi-Generational Workplaces
05 Apr 2022
Ahead of her talk at the JET Business Network’s annual Retail Jewellers’ Congress on Monday, June 13, 2022, speaker, Lucy Barkas answers our questions about building strong, multi-generational workforces in the jewellery sector.
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At the Retail Jewellers’ Congress, part of the second annual NAJ Summit 2022, Barkas will discuss workforce demographics and how they impact leadership, recruitment, engagement and team dynamics. With the most dominant generation now starting to exit businesses, the ‘Boomers’ are handing over control to the small-but-mighty ‘GenXers’ who themselves are outnumbered by ‘Millennials’. As each generation is driven by different wants, needs and values, Barkas’ talk will delve into building bridges between these groups in your business to ensure long-term success.
Why do you believe the topic of multi-generational workforces is so relevant right now and what will your talk at the Retail Jewellers’ Congress focus on?
I have worked with leaders for the past 10 years and noticed a real difference in attitudes, values and behaviours of both leaders and other colleagues, depending on age and generation. I wanted to explore this further, which led me to write the LeaderX book. What I discovered is that everyone is unique, yet we all have common traits influenced by our personalities and experiences.
The era that you grew up in shapes you and your attitudes and leads to great clashes in the workplace. My book was a call for the ‘Xennials’, the youngest GenXers and oldest Millennials to step into leadership urgently due to a leadership shortage as Boomers retire. However, by 2025, 56% of the workforce will be under 40, with different perspectives on what work is, how businesses should be led, and how they want to be treated.
What are some of the power dynamics issues that could affect working relationships between Boomers, Gen-X, Millennials and Gen-Z?
The Boomers were raised in a period of hierarchy, structure and institutions. They were raised to respect their elders and those in seniority. Yes, they were the original teenagers, but they are also quite traditional in their approach to what work is and how it is done. The GenXer is an 80s and 90s child who grew up in times of political and economic transformation. Scandals, global issues and an explosion of wealth and recessions created a sceptical group of free thinkers. They are the Peter Pan generation who want to work hard and play hard. They were nicknamed slackers by the Boomers, yet they influenced work-life balance, technology and fun in the workplace. With 30 years’ experience, they become frustrated when they are blocked from senior positions.
The millennials were raised in an era of positive psychology, collaboration and inclusion. This leads them to want harmony and a positive life, yet they are often overlooked in the workplace and underappreciated. Gen-Z are the new kids on the block, raised with TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat. They were raised to respect themselves first and are aware of inequalities, injustice and prejudice. They have been raised to speak up and speak out, the opposite of the traditional Boomers. Without understanding and appreciating the generations, we see name-calling, assumptions and dangerous bias creeping in.
You talk about bridging the divide between different generations - how difficult is this process and how can employers be successful?
In my experience, bridging the gap is not difficult. All it needs is a more inclusive and open-minded culture. When leaders resist inclusivity and try to mould the next generations into their way of working and behaving, conflict follows. Therefore, the most challenging aspect of bridging the generational gap is the mindset of the leadership team. The more they engage, learn, ask questions and form relationships with the younger generations, the more engaging workplaces they create.
When it comes to building great teams, we often hear the phrase 'business culture' or 'team culture' what does this mean to you and how can independent jewellers assess whether the environment they are leading is effective?
Culture is how things get done. You can have all the policies and rules in the world, but what is said, done and delivered daily is defined by your culture. For example, you might say you are a high-performance business, but if you don’t do regular performance conversations, give constructive feedback or focus on behaviours as much as results, you probably don’t have a high-performance culture.
A great clue to your culture is to observe how people walk into work every day. Are they genuinely happy and engaged or are they coming in with a frown? In meetings, is everyone contributing ideas, or are the managers doing most of the talking? Are you getting more staff bickering and gossiping, or is everyone focusing on doing a great job together? All of these are clues as to whether you have a healthy, aligned and purposeful culture or a top-down, autocratic culture.
What advice would you give to junior and perhaps relatively new managers in the independent jewellery sector who are ready to stand up and be heard?
Know your leaders. Most leaders say they want contribution and challenge, but how they respond will give clues to whether the younger generations feel safe to speak up. If they feel safe and leaders ask questions and encourage ideas and solutions, then my advice is lean in and contribute. Ask your leaders how they want ideas to be shared, perhaps a presentation, feedback, in the moment or in meetings. Know your audience and adapt. Also, if your manager listens, but decides to go against your suggestion, ask why. This gives them the opportunity to learn more about the business and its rationale.
Finally, can you share some further information about your own professional experiences and your business, 3WH?
After 16 years in the energy industry, rising up the corporate ladder very quickly, I learned how to build great teams and I made a few mistakes along the way too. I asked colleagues what they thought my success factors were and the answers included, coaching, inspiring, visioning, and people focused with a drive for results and action. This made me realise that my future was in coaching for results.
I founded 3WH in 2013 and work with all sectors to help leaders create teams and cultures that enable employees to thrive. When the leadership team transforms, the ripple effect quickly moves through the whole organisation and results come quickly. My focus is on inspiring leaders to be the leader they wish they had always had.
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Source: The NAJ