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Generation Z poised to enter the workforce full time in just a few short years and other changing workplace demographics, the stage is set for disaster for those companies still lagging in their management practices. Even with these realities staring them in the face, though, many companies still resist change. Why? Because change is hard – even when (and sometimes especially if) it's absolutely necessary. But market‐leading organizations recognize the importance of change and achieve success in part because of their ability to adapt rapidly to the changing needs of their customers and clients. Those companies embrace change because doing so lets them create new opportunities ahead of their competitors.

      Enacting change at your organization means updating your leadership tactics, which in turn means letting go of old habits and instead thinking about motivation and engagement in a new light – a task that isn't easy to accomplish in even the most relaxed and low‐stakes situations, let alone when engaging in something as difficult (and somewhat esoteric) as managing employees. Unfortunately, managing employees is even more complicated by the fact that according to Gallup only “one in 10 people possess the inherent talent to manage” – and companies fail to pick good managers a staggering 82 percent of the time.8 When this is combined with the added challenge of having four generations in the workplace, the odds increase that companies will experience high turnover or low employee engagement (both of which can hugely affect an organization's bottom line) – and managing becomes a lot more complicated.

      THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE MANAGER

      Managing employees has always been tough for newbie and veteran managers alike. If you're like most managers, you didn't start your career in management but got promoted to a supervisory role based on your superior contributions as an employee. Consequently, you may find yourself with direct reports who may or may not be at your skill level (and may even be more skilled than you). As a manager, you're expected to motivate them to complete their tasks on time and to your quality specifications, but you have to be careful that this motivation doesn't cross the line into micromanagement. Easy, right? Not quite.

      Getting work done through the efforts of others is incredibly different – and far more challenging – than doing it yourself, and few new managers are fully prepared for that shift when they're promoted. And help in dealing with that shift is in short supply: in a 2011 CareerBuilder survey, for example, nearly 60 percent of respondents said they “didn't receive any management training.”9 When that lack of training meets the various (and sometimes conflicting) expectations of employees in a multigenerational workplace, the result is a potent mix of management challenges! Baby Boomers want respect for their experience, Generation Xers want autonomy and money, and Millennials want a team environment coupled with more frequent recognition. Even when the generations agree on certain issues (such as a shared desire to increase work‐life balance through more flexible work schedules), addressing them can still present plenty of challenges for managers.10

      Finding ways to accommodate employees' needs in order to motivate and engage them (and actually accomplish the work for which their managers are ultimately responsible!) has become a critical part of management in recent years – and one that not only differs greatly from management's role in the past but a task that can be tough to accomplish, particularly in companies without policies that support their employees' needs.

      As you progress on your own management journey (whether you're just starting on this path or have been on it for a while and seek to expand your existing skills), keep in mind that being an effective manager in the new workplace will require much more adaptation from you than from your employees. Throughout my 20 years in management, I've found that the challenge of managing and motivating others doesn't diminish over time. Even as you become more experienced, typical company turnover as well as changing career trajectories mean that you're constantly dealing with new people. Some of your reports will be promoted outside your group, be reassigned to other departments, or move to other organizations, for example – or perhaps you will be the one who is promoted, is reassigned, or changes organizations. Every time you think you've put together a cohesive team, the group will change (either by addition or by subtraction), and you'll have to start the process anew.

      Even though it's important to recognize that each generation has different expectations, it's equally important to recognize the dangers of stereotyping someone based on his or her age. When managing individuals, always keep in mind that they have unique needs that are determined by their particular life circumstances and personal goals. So even as you consider how generational influences may manifest in the office, remember that successfully managing anyone to achieve his or her best will require you to treat the person primarily as an individual and not exclusively as part of a generational cohort.

      For example, during my eight‐year tenure with Oxygen Media, I managed a total of 55 employees who were spread across various departments and whose ages spanned 40 years. It would have been easy for me to categorize them based on their ages (and, based on those, my assumptions about their needs). In practice, though, I found that each individual sought different kinds of fulfillment in his or her work. Each employee also had different expectations of me as the manager, and everyone needed me to motivate him or her in different ways. For example, one of my direct reports needed to be left alone for the first hour of the day so she could ascertain her priorities – and give time for her espresso to kick in – whereas another preferred to start his work day with a brief meeting with me. One of my main responsibilities as a manager was to figure out what each individual needed to do his or her job well and then do my best to provide it.

      In fact, over the course of my entire work life, I've found that individual motivation is always the main influence on employee behavior. This has been true right from the beginning, when I first started my career as an engineer at Allison Gas Turbine, an aircraft engine manufacturing facility in Indianapolis. The ages of the 52‐member all‐male maintenance crew I managed ranged from 15 years older than me to 44 years older than me. The six‐decade age span was a bit daunting at first, but I soon realized that in spite of the vast age differences, we all had the work in common, and the key was to understand how each individual sought fulfillment in that work. Some employees needed my approval before proceeding on even the most mundane tasks, for example, and others preferred not to see me at all until the job was done. Some employees fought for overtime, and others avoided it like the plague. Each man cared about different things and held different expectations of me.

      At first I thought I was going to lose my mind trying to navigate all the different personalities! Eventually this job – my first management assignment – taught me a very valuable lesson that I've carried with me ever since: figuring out what makes each person perform at his or her best is one of the most satisfying experiences a manager can have in corporate America.

      When managing others, you are directly responsible for helping each person perform better, and succeeding at that task can give you a pretty powerful and wonderful feeling. So as you contemplate what it takes to manage and lead others, keep in mind that you'll need to adapt your style to meet the individual needs of your employees. And if you're older than – or younger than – your employees, keep your eye on the goal (helping them do their best work) and not on your age differences.

      If you're a Millennial who's in a management position, for example, not knowing how to ask someone older than you to do something is no excuse for bypassing or ignoring senior employees who possess information critical to the company. By that same token, if you're an older manager, you need to recognize that Millennials are essential to the future growth and very existence of every company and that being able to keep them engaged and excited to work with you is of paramount importance. By stepping up your management game, you'll have a better shot at keeping the brightest and best employees – whatever their ages – working for you.

      THE CHANGING ROLE OF HR

      Managing in the new workplace reality is hard on everyone but especially for those in HR who are charged with overseeing a company's human capital programs. During the recent recession, companies had the upper hand when it came to talent: because there were more people looking for jobs than there were available

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