Culture toolkit — line management
It is becoming increasingly likely that line managers will be managing multigenerational teams. But how do you do that successfully?
Line managers are the heart of culture
Senior leaders may set goals and initiate change, but line managers have an essential role in delivering their vision. For most employees it is through their line manager that they experience the culture of an organisation.
As a line manager, part of your role is to establish the culture in your team. How do you expect people to behave and interact? How do you make them feel valued? How do you offer support when they need it? How might they perceive you?
If you are a line manager it is increasingly likely that you will be managing a multigenerational team, with a diverse range of backgrounds. All of these need to be considered in the wider context of how they might compound with each other and areas of discrimination. E.g., being aware of negative experiences an older worker may face that maybe compounded if the older worker is also from a racialised community.
Managing a diverse team brings lots of opportunities; a breadth of experience and different perspectives is always useful. But it can also bring challenges, because there will be differences in team member needs, preferences and past experiences.
As well as good management skills, you will need emotional and cultural intelligence and competence. This short video will tell you more and give some practical advice.
A key action is to normalise conversations related to age at work. You need to feel comfortable having discussions with workers of 50, 60 and beyond about what they need and want from work. You also need to establish a culture where everyone feels comfortable in these conversations.
Make sure you are familiar with your employer’s position and policies, and then our conversation guides can help.
Social events
When running work or social events, for example away days, make sure that they are inclusive for all. Don’t build them around physical challenges that might be difficult for those with health conditions, and don’t assume that everyone wants to socialise late into the night.
Resources
These resources will work for managing all teams and provide general good practice tips. Use them alongside the learning from the rest of this toolkit, and consider how you use them when thinking about the experience and integration of older workers.