5.2 Five Point Action Plan

Running head: MULTIGENERATIONAL ACTION PLAN 1

Multigenerational [STICKING POINT] Action Plan

[Student Name]

Trevecca Nazarene University

MOL 5800: Special Topics in Organizational Leadership

Dr. David Lomascolo

[DATE]

MULTIGENERATIONAL ACTION PLAN 2

Multigenerational [STICKING POINT] Action Plan

Armed with research on the benefits of training, how different generations relate to

training, and personal insight into the generational divides at Ryman Hospitality Properties, the

foundations can be laid for how to approach training across the spectrum of employee cohorts.

Shaw (2013) outlined the five-steps for leading a multigenerational workforce as a process where

leaders must acknowledge, appreciate, flex, leverage, and resolve in order to overcome

generational sticking points. This framework can be useful in crafting strategies that encourage

successful adoption and implementation of training programs and foster the skills and abilities

that are the results of such programs.

Acknowledge

The first step in the process is acknowledging the challenges associated with training at

RHP. It is important to recognize that “all generations want more skills and more training (Shaw,

2013, p.209), so RHP can first help increase morale and signal respect to team members within

any generation by stating an awareness of this desire, as well as the organizational commitment

to provide resources for the team. In doing so, the company will start to normalize a culture

committed to excellence in the form of ongoing growth opportunities, and will embolden its

team members to engage in conversations to ask for resources they need, reducing the

organization’s potential for training blind spots.

The second half of acknowledgement comes from recognizing that different generations

have varying opinions on which training methods are most effective. In order to understand these

differences, it is important for the organization to invite its employees to openly discuss their

preferences, stereotypes, and expectations of themselves, their coworkers, and the organization.

In doing so, RHP will be able to begin uncovering patterns, points of connection, and any unique

or minority preferences. It can also start to understand the benefits and challenges of each

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training method, helping assess the return on investment of different training opportunities and

think about the best use of their current training funds, as well as where future funding might be

best spent.

Appreciate

After acknowledgement, appreciation allows team members to understand the root causes

for training difficulties. Rather than focus on the actual differences that multigenerational teams

might experience, it is important to ask questions in an attempt to understand the reasoning and

rationale for those differences. Doing so creates opportunity to make sense of divergent

viewpoints and empathize across generational divides. As Shaw (2013) noted “whats divide;

whys unite” (p.33); asking why someone prefers a certain method can allow leaders to access

motivations and see any shared purposes among team members.

Creating appreciation in regard to training starts with understanding the values of each

generation. For example, older generations at RHP expressed the viewpoint that newer cohorts

spend too much time on their phones and other mobile devices. By talking with younger cohorts,

it becomes apparent that they are using these devices not to disconnect from their colleagues, but

to connect with a broader group of them that expands beyond their own daily work teams. This

allows for an understanding that while the older and younger generations have vastly different

approaches, they both value the ability to connect with their colleagues; this was also borne out

in training discussions where Traditionalists, Millennials, and Generation Z all expressed a

preference for in-person trainings around topics that might foster networking opportunities in the

music industry and related to customer service. Helping all cohorts appreciate a common purpose

can allow them to find a point of agreement rather than focus on the dissimilarities of their

preferred methods.

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Appreciation is also important when thinking about implementing new training programs.

As discussed earlier, RHP’s leadership currently focuses heavily on training styles that appeal to

Traditionalists and Baby Boomers. Asking why different employees desire training opportunities

can help leadership understand what topics and content delivery systems might be introduced or

expanded. For instance, the Gen X manager stated a preference for being able to provide

individualized training to team members, while the Millennial expressed frustration at the lack of

career building opportunities available to individual contributors. These two desires interlock

well, as RHP could investigate online training resources such as LinkedIn Learning that allow

the Millennial to develop career skills related to the current job role and prepare the team

member for the future, with an investment that would be low impact in terms of both budget and

time for the Gen X manager. Talking with employees about their perspectives can not only help

organizations see potential gaps, but may very well be the primary source of the best training

solutions.

Flex

Once there is an appreciation for the nuances that shape desired training outcomes and

preferred training methods, RHP can begin to flex, or accommodate the different generational

needs. For an organization of this size, this most likely means offering a variety of training

formats so that individuals can select the one that aligns with their preferences, schedule, and

available time. It is no longer necessary to choose between classroom or online formats; “offer

both and let your people choose which method works best for them” (Shaw, 2013, p. 212).

Giving team members the benefit of choice also creates a culture of respect for their time and

cognitive styles, so they may be more willing to endure the mandatory compliance skills training

and more appreciative of optional offerings provided that will benefit their current professional

role as well as their personal career aspirations.

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Practically speaking, flexing to incorporate various training methods doesn’t have to be at

great expense. For RHP, they may be able to create a curriculum on a topic, record a session for

webinar training, write down the instructions for reading, and offer several in-person sessions so

that employees can choose which learning option best suits them. The key component in these

instances will be creating an assessment of skills, either written or on-the-job, that checks team

members’ understanding of the key concepts or skills taught in training; assessments should be

clearly defined and have distinctions that easily identify the team members that understand the

skills and those who may need additional training.

Leverage

Leveraging involves not only using different training methods, but also thinking about

different learning styles and speaking to team members’ strengths when developing training

initiatives. Trainers might subconsciously assume that others perceive the world similarly to

them, and use methods that speak only to those who cognitively or generationally align with

themselves. Instead, RHP can improve any training by not only using different channels to

provide the information, but also using various learning techniques to help team members absorb

the information. For example, the three-day leadership training at RHP was seen by both the

Generation X and Baby Boomer staff members as a waste of time, without clear action plans

following training. Alternatively, the same information might be provided lecture-style in

smaller group settings over the course of several weeks as lunch and learns, mentors could be

selected to work one-on-one with managers, or a series of books could be provided to groups of

managers to read and discuss with one another. The variety of channels allows individuals to

choose learning options that appeal to their personal cognitive styles, regardless of generational

differences; where one person might be a social learner who excels in group settings, another

may be a solitary learner who prefers the focus that a book or web training affords. Individuals

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may be aural, visual, verbal, physical, or logical learners, and using a variety of dynamic learning

exercises ensures that each employee has the opportunity to learn in a manner that aligns with

their style. By providing the same information in a number of different formats, team members

are given the autonomy over their own learning to choose methods that best lead to their

processing of that information, and the responsibility to show that they can incorporate that

learning effectively into their work.

Resolve

Resolve is the last step of the leadership action plan; it deals with making a decision

about a set of alternatives when compromise is not possible. According to Shaw (2013), resolve

is rarely needed in regard to training, because flexing is typically enough. Instead, the biggest

recommendation regarding resolve would be that RHP resolve to help team members exit who

are absolutely unwilling to invest in training opportunities that will benefit their

multigenerational teams. If there are managers or trainers that are loath to walk through the first

four steps to create the best training programs possible, they are likely to have issues making

compromise in other areas that are also critical to business necessity, and as a result, they may

not be a good cultural fit for the organization. It is important to assist these team members in

seeing the benefits of acknowledging, appreciating, flexing, and leveraging; if they are unable to

do so, then they may be made aware of how the organization intends to resolve the issue so they

can revisit the steps. Resolve that includes separating an employee should certainly be a last

resort, but it is a crucial part of the process, as keeping these individuals as team members can

damage employee morale and be harmful to the overall organizational culture.

Outcomes of the Action Plan

Training a workplace with five generations can be daunting, but as Shaw (2013) pointed

out “we make training the different generations harder than it needs to be” (p.213). RHP can

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undoubtedly improve the quality of its labor force and its culture by observing the importance of

training, recognizing preferences for different training modes, incorporating a variety of content

delivery channels, accommodating different learning styles, and deciding that those who actively

thwart these initiatives are not a good fit for the organization. It appears that many team members

may find solidarity with one another in their learning styles and training preferences, regardless

of their generational affiliation. By focusing on these areas of agreement, RHP can provide

training choices and alternatives that will produce strong outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills,

and abilities among team members, fulfilling the business necessity of developing a workforce

that ensures their brands will continue to thrive.

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References

Shaw, H. (2013). Sticking Points: how to get 4 generations working together in the 12 places

they come apart. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale Momentum.