Working to Be a Leader

…20…30…40…50…60…70…80…

Where are you on this continuum?  How do you view those of different ages in the workplace?

“How ALL AGES can get along in the Multigenerational Workplace” was the topic of a panel presentation I moderated at the March meeting of the New York City Chapter of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA).  As they do each year, EAPA-NYC invites the EAPA-Women’s Issues Committee to present a program during Women’s History Month.

As Co-Chair of EAPA-Women, I worked with my Co-Chair Lynda Johnson to invite panelists who would share their professional perspectives and personal experiences with the audience.  In addition to Lynda, EAPA Coordinator, NYC Region, Hudson and Westchester, NY State Department of Motor Vehicles, other panelists were Margaret H. Reiff, MSW, LCSW, Executive Director/CEO, Jarvie Commonweal Service, a social service agency helping older people live, not merely exist; and Kalpana Parekh, LCSW, EAP Clinician, Trainer & Executive Coach, Corporate Counseling Associates (left to right in the photo below).

EAPA is an professional group made up of individuals and organizations dedicated to maximizing workplace effectiveness through prevention, identification, and resolution of productivity issues.

The questions I asked the panelists—and the audience—during our presentation focused on four areas:

1)  Communicating, not categorizing.  The workplace can include workers who range in age from their teens to over 80-years-old.  Older employees are staying in their jobs longer for economic and personal reasons.  There is growing tension between the younger worker and the older worker as they compete for scarce jobs during this recession.   Employers need to focus less on age and more on the talent each individual brings to the workplace and how the company can best utilize these skills.  Communications among the generations should focus on what one brings to the workplace more than assuming how an individual will perform because of their age.

2)  Respecting “We’re not your mother!”  In some workplaces, women are expected to perform certain roles in the office beyond what they have been hired to do.  Many older women have voiced concern that they are set up to play the “mother” in the office and, for instance, clean up after younger workers who won’t clean up after themselves in the office kitchen.  Panelists suggested clear company guidelines and accountability to resolve issues in this area.

3) Transforming from threat to collaborator.  Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman wrote in their book, When Generations Collide:  Who they are.  Why they clash.  How to solve the generational puzzle at work, that there are flashpoints among the generations on career goals.  That is, Traditionalists (born before 1943) want to “Build a Legacy.” Boomers (born 1943-1960) want to “Build a Stellar Career.” Gen Xers (born 1961-1980) want to “Build a Portable Career.”   And Millennials or Gen Yers (born between 1980 and 2002) want to “Build a Parallel Career.”  Employers might look upon younger employees as not making enough of a commitment; yet their skills to use certain online technologies and make quick adjustments to new processes make them valuable assets to their company.  Older employees bring experience and wisdom gained within the workplace; transferring that knowledge to younger workers is needed.

4) Managing sexual attractions across generations.  Romance between employees is not new.  Panelists agreed that company guidelines can assist employees understand the expectations and implications for these situations.  One important guideline suggested was workplace-appropriate attire at all times.  Workplace-appropriate attire would not include women wearing spaghetti strap or low cut tops, men wearing tank tops, etc.

Claire Raines in her book, Connecting Generations:  The sourcebook for a new workplace, suggests that employers and employees need to shift our perspective from the Golden Rule of “Do unto others as you would have them doing unto you,” to the Titanium Rule, “Do unto others, keeping their preferences in mind.”

The panelists agreed that it is important the recognize the unique traits that an individual brings to the workplace and as well as the common reasons that they are working within an age diverse workplace.

“Blood Type:  RAGU is a hilarious and poignant exploration of the Sicilian immigrant experience based on the life of writer and performer Frank Ingrasciotta.  This one-man show features more than 20 characters, who live, love, and laugh as they struggle to thrive in a new culture, while nurturing the traditions of the old.  It’s not drama…it’s just family!”

That’s the what you’ll read on postcard announcing the run of the show at The Actor’s Playhouse, an off-Broadway theatre here in New York City.  And you could possibly have read a review of the work, “Mapping a Family’s Domestic Battleground” (New York Times, March 9, 2009).

It’s the perseverance of the performer Frank Ingrasciotta that I want to write about here.  Why?  Perseverance is what we all need during the worst economy since the Great Depression.  Holding onto whatever dream, ambition, or goal you have requires faith in yourself, relentless work, and perseverance to realize the result you seek. 

Frank and I met in a performance class twelve years ago.  The performance piece he was working on was called “Blood Type:  Ragu.”  He kept on working on it because he knew that it was a good slice of life which others could identify with and understand.  He also kept working on it because it mattered a lot to him to bring his unique experience and artistic intellect to audiences.

Frank and I kept in touch after our class ended.  I saw him perform his work in a loft in SoHo, in a small theatre in NoHo, in an even smaller theatre in Bay Shore on Long Island, and to what could barely be called a theatre since there were only a few rows of folding chairs in a teeny space on 42nd Street.

I didn’t go to these performances alone.  I went with friends, different friends each time to expose them to the work of this dedicated actor, producer, and director.

Frank came to my one-woman show that I wrote, produced, and performed in 1999 at the 76th Street Theatre Lab.  That was the end of my “stage” career.  Frank kept on performing though, finding the right combination of laughter, humor, pathos, and hope to develop the show he wanted others to see.

If I remember correctly, a producer was in the audience at that teeny space on 42nd Street.  He liked the show.  Liked it enough to book a run at the Actor’s Playhouse.  Liked it enough to work with Frank to help made his performance perseverance pay off in acknowledging his great talent.

Although your performance may be in a corporate setting and not an off-Broadway stage, you can still learn the value from following-through on what is really important to your life.  Just think of “Blood Type: Ragu” and its journey to a large audience.

On Thursday, March 12, 2009, I was invited to be the moderator for a panel discussion during the Third Annual “Pearls of Wisdom:  Women’s Leadership Conference” held at Baruch College, the nation’s most diverse campus.

 Caroline Lee, President of the Collegiate Association of Women in Business (right), led a wonderful and energetic team of undergraduate students including Sufia Farha (left) in organizing and putting on this event.  Sufia and I met last year when I also moderated the panel.

The keynote presenter was Mariela Dabbah, author of Latinos in College and other books on career advancement, job search, and education.  The focus of her talk was on ways to navigate the American system in order to succeed in this economy.  An energetic speaker, she engaged the audience to speak up and ask questions—and to continue to do so in the workplace.

Panelists included Karen Nethersole, Esq., CEO and Founder of Full Circle NY; Deborah Papson, Executive Director of the Investment Bank Risk Managment Team for JPMorgan; Susan Schulz, Special Projects Editor of Hearst Magazine; and Theresa Torres, Director for Diversity and Employee Experience for Verizon Communications.

Although the panelists had reviewed the questions beforehand, they indulged my request to go “off script” and answer specific questions for the audience of what looked like over 100 women and men. 

One of those questions was:  “What are three skills that college students should develop to be relevant in the new economy?”  All the panelists had terrific ideas.  Here’s a list of some of them:  1)  Know exactly what you want when you go into an interview; 2) persevere and don’t give up; 3) be open to learning; 4) knowledge is a great equalizer; 5) with reduced staffing, team work becomes more important and allows individuals to be in the spotlight; and 6) our current economic circumstances can create great opportunities if you have the right attitude.

Theresa suggested that individuals have disciplined passion to pursue what you love and enjoy doing.

It was great to have the opportunity to hear these and other “pearls of wisdom.” 

One more note:  there were more men in attendance this year than last.  During a reception after the program, I asked a student, “Why?” She said basically because the school environment is so diverse.  When students enter as freshmen, they are immediately in a “United Nations” of cultures, races, and ethnicities.  That carries over to gender and the ability to work together on class projects, events, and other activities.  This generation of students at Baruch seems to be on the right track to be great leaders!