Dispel your own biases to lead multigenerational teams

When leading a multigenerational workforce, examine your assumptions and biases around things like age (Gen Z is lazy, and Boomers can't learn new tech) and communication styles, and get your team connecting across generational differences through group brainstorming activities to learn from each other, writes leadership specialist Indiana Lee. "Once you see some positive progress, be sure to follow up with recognition programs that help folks feel valued," Lee writes.

Put it into practice: If you need clarification on the values and communication styles of the generations represented in your teams, do some research by consulting Gallup polls and other studies that can shed light on your questions, Lee recommends. "These insights can help you understand the experience of workers from generations other than your own and may be helpful when planning for a meeting."

Managers may avoid giving feedback to their direct reports because they believe it will take a long time, the message will be poorly received or they must deliver it perfectly in one meeting, writes communication and presentation skills coach Deborah Grayson Riegel. Planning a series of meetings and making it a dialogue instead of a monologue can help managers deliver the right nuance that's needed and update any feedback in a future meeting, Grayson Riegel notes.

Put it into practice: One way to get better at giving feedback is to ask your team to provide you with feedback on your feedback, Grayson Riegel writes. Ask them to share one or two things that you could do differently during feedback sessions and understand the power difference may temper how they respond so you may need to ask more than once to show them you want honest feedback on your feedback style.

Just as an astronaut must make the most of their limited resources, so too leaders must do the same by limiting the number of hours they work, focusing on tasks that add value and dedicating time to them while delegating lower-value projects and adjusting their schedule as needed, writes business coach David Finkel. "This approach not only enhances your productivity but also helps you maintain a healthier work-life balance," Finkel notes.

Raccoons are difficult to study in a lab and even more difficult to study in the wild, but cognitive ecologist Lauren Stanton has been studying the wily creatures for a decade and has found that they are flexible problem-solvers. Raccoons will push away other animals to open a difficult latch or wait and push away another raccoon that has mastered a latch, and their problem-solving preferences offer insights into how they thrive in cities, according to a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

We are seeking speakers who are willing to share their experience transforming workflows, teams and enterprises with AI in an upcoming event where we will explore the future of work in the age of AI. This won't be a technical event, so keep your leadership hat on. We're looking for insights into how AI is transforming work today and (more importantly) tomorrow in an effort to arm leaders to make the most of the AI opportunity. Your perspective can address strategy, HR, change management, mitigating risk and more.

If this sounds like you, please send an email with your name, LinkedIn profile and a few sentences describing how AI is moving your team forward and the process you went through to get where you are today.

We've been watching a little bit of the Olympics over the weekend. Aside from the amazing (and controversial) opening ceremonies, what has struck me about the games is the sense of collegiality and sportsmanship that each of these athletes display.

We watched the swimming competition Sunday night and watched France's Leon Marchand win the gold medal (and set a new Olympic record) in the men's 400-meter individual medley. After the win, both silver medalist Tomoyuki Matsushita from Japan and bronze medalist Carson Foster from the US congratulated their rival. The same thing happened in the women's 100-meter butterfly when USA's Torri Huske beat out teammate Gretchen Walsh by 0.04 seconds. The two women smiled and hugged one another, even though Walsh, a world record holder, missed out on setting a new record.

Marchand broke the Olympic record for the 400-meter individual medley previously set by US Olympic champion Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Games. Marchand had already broken Phelps' world record for the event last summer, and was awarded the medal for his effort by Phelps himself.

This is one example of how leaders can pass the torch to a new generation with dignity, respect and grace. "Stepping out of something we love or have been part of for a long time can be very challenging. We want to let go, but it's difficult," writes leadership expert Craig Johns. "Our ability to trust the person receiving the torch and surrender our connection to it is critical."

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