Leading Multi-Generational Teams at Walmart

Leading Multi-Generational Teams at Walmart

Generations Currently Working at Walmart

Walmart stores employ a diverse workforce to facilitate innovation through the exchange of different ideas and opinions. One of the areas in the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts is age diversity. The current workforce currently working at our store includes millennials, Generation X, and Generation Z employees.

Recommendations and Action Plans To Ensure Effective Team Operation

According to Srinivasan (2012), organizations use older generations to impart knowledge, skills, and competencies to new generations for improved organizational performance. Therefore, all generations need to collaborate. One recommendation and action plan I could apply to ensure my team operates effectively to achieve its goals is involving everyone in decision-making. Every team member needs to know that their opinion is valued to avoid instances where some team members feel that they are better than others. The second recommendation and action plan is setting clear goals for the team to establish a shared sense of direction and ensure that every team member knows what is expected of them.

Challenges Faced When Leading a Team with Members from All Four Generations and Overcoming These Challenges

According to Shaheen & Zeba (2020), working with multi-generational teams creates conflicts linked to communication, different expectations, and negative stereotypes. One of the challenges faced when leading a team containing members from all four generations currently is conflict among team members because of differences in experience and perspectives. This challenge can be overcome by ensuring everyone’s opinion is considered in decision-making and giving feedback through open communication channels. The second challenge is communication issues because every generation has different communication styles and interpretations of tone and message. This challenge can be addressed by creating a communication plan that addresses each generation’s communication needs, such as the use of online and offline communication channels. The ideal communication channel would include emails, memos, instant messages, video calls, and phone calls.

References

Shaheen, M., & Zeba, F. (2020). Cross-generational engagement strategies. Management Practices for Engaging a Diverse Workforce, 157–182. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780367808419-6

Srinivasan, V. (2012). Multi generations in the workforce: Building Collaboration. IIMB Management Review, 24(1), 3–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iimb.2012.01.009

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You have learned that clear role definitions and performance expectations are needed before leaders can analyze their workforce to identify gaps. This is important when considering a Walmart associate’s suitability to fill an open position, regardless of where that position is located within the organization’s hierarchy. Generational differences are also an important element to consider.

Leading Multi-Generational Teams at Walmart

Instructions

In 275 words, double-spaced, use this week’s course content and conduct additional research on leadership styles that are effective across generations to answer the following:

How many generations do you see currently working in your store? List examples, but do not use real names.

Based on your research, what recommendations and action plans could you apply to ensure your team operates effectively to achieve its goals?

Thinking about your own generation, what challenges would you face when leading a team containing members from all four generations currently in the workforce?

What would you do to overcome those challenges to lead/coach team members effectively?