3 Ways to Lead Change In a Fast Paced, Technological & Multigenerational Workplace

Things are moving faster than ever before, new policies, restructures, new CEO’s, new management all of these changes require us to be able to lead change quickly and effectively. This means being super adaptable- leaders who are the most adaptable are those who will be the most successful in the next decade. There are 3 Ways to lead change in today’s fast paced, technological & multigenerational workplace:

#1- Lead your self to lead fast change. When things speed up you must have tools to slow down. Everything must be balanced. As a leader we are responsible for staying calm, focused and centered. We have to have personal strategies in place to do this. Whether you detox from all technology on weekends or on a vacation or you meditate daily – the key is having a way to decompress in order to work at your best.

#2- Adapt to the technology- recently I read an article in IT magazine that organizations are struggling with BYOD- bring your own devices to work. IT departments are frantically working to keep up to the demands of an employee base who do not want to be told what type of device they can use at work. As a leader we need to be familiar and aware of the multiple technologies that are being used by our team members. The technology gap is where team members know more than their leaders when it comes to technology. It is a leaders responsibility to learn as much as they can about technology in order to lead their teams effectively.

#3- Understand the generational values & attitudes. When talking about the generations it is not about putting people in boxes based on age. Rather it is an awareness that the generational attitudes are a reality in today’s workplace. If as a leader we ignore this reality then we are attempting lead from a one dimensional viewpoint. The greatest leaders are those with the greatest awareness or understanding of different perspectives. The ability to adapt to individual attitudes and connect based on understanding the diverse values  can increase retention of great people, increase motivation and improve innovation.

To be a leader today is to be willing to adapt to the current realities and prepare for future realities. The best leaders are constantly growing, developing and adapting to the ever changing workplace.