The topic of multigenerational power dynamics in the nonprofit and philanthropy sector is a growing one... there is a unique situation developing where four different generations are now present in many organizations across sectors.

With this intersection of different ideas, skill sets, expectations and backgrounds defined by age and generations the question arises—how can organizations balance the influx of new leaders who are eager for new opportunities and professional growth with older individuals who currently have and maintain an existing leadership presence?

At the recent Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) conference in Philadelphia, PA, this topic area seemed to dominate both the sessions and ad hoc discussions. One session I attended at EPIP in particular helped me to think more critically about the issue and its potential ramifications by identifying strategies for building strong multi-generational foundations. This session reported out on the “What Works” study conducted by the Building Movement Project and Idealist.org, which was funded by the American Express Foundation. The report tackles topics related to the unique multi-generational environment in which many of us now work.

The researchers looked across these generations and explored questions such as “what makes for a good workplace?” and “what facilitates an employee’s best work?” given this new dynamic.

Findings for Millennials included:

• Relationships Matter: especially with their direct supervisors
• Mission is critically important to employees: they feel as if their work should have a direct impact on this for the organizations
• Clear systems support good work among the team
• Explicit career paths are key: more now than ever people want to know that the challenges they are facing in the workspace are tied to their next step on the career ladder

Among the key findings were several surprising results that apply to all generations: 

• Feeling among the younger generation that they now have to make it through the “long haul,” there will not be any early retirement and in fact they may have to work past the standard retirement age
• New trend that Millennials will go between sectors (government, nonprofit, private) during their career paths

Ultimately, the study revealed that, “While it is true that generations differ in how they approach their work, there are remarkable similarities in what people want out of their work and workplaces.”

What multi-generational challenges do you face in your organization and how do you deal with them? Conversely, are there obstacles to not having a cross-section of generations in a work environment?

To learn more about these findings and much more, access the full report.