Nora is a Leadership development expert helping to cultivate a new generation of talents. Explore thoughts, opinions, and experience developing a new generation of leaders and ensuring knowledge transfer between these generations.
Q: Nora, you have been working with top talents and leaders from the Baby boomers generation, X, and the Millennials. How leaders ensure knowledge transfer between these generations?
These three generations are working together in our manufacturing plants all over Europe: the Baby boomers, X, and the Millennials. Each generation is unique. To lead all talents successfully starts with the proper and early identification of the emerging Talent. It's essential to identify and understand its #motivators and #drivers, #strengths, and #growth #opportunities. Leaders must provide continuous support to these talents regardless of which generation they come from, provide opportunities to grow, build on and develop strengths, close their gaps, motivate, and engage. It is essential to understand the specifics of each generation and teach managers and leaders how to lead these talents. Another vital element of ensuring strong cooperation between cross-generational talents is defining and understanding our #values since values are an inseparable part of our lives. They are what we believe in, the way we live and work, and, for me, a significant role in this plays #tolerance, #acceptance, #respect, #walk #the #talk, #positive energy, and #loyalty.
In line with these values, the experienced generations can smoothly transfer knowledge and experience to young talents. And at the same time, they receive new inspiration from the younger generations, and all together can create a perfect synergy.
Q: Engagement plays a critical part in achieving sustainability. Tell us about the engagement program you launched in your organization.
We needed a program to engage a particular group of highly skilled people in our manufacturing organization. The greatest challenge when creating the program was bringing something new that would attract and engage this group. We collaborated with existing challenges in the organization and transformed them into new opportunities for our group. That ensured growth opportunities for the people.
In the introductory phase of the program, communication played an essential role. It was necessary to explain to the group the program details and expectations. We create a platform to provide individual feedback to each program member. That brought added value for the people and their leaders and initiated new development opportunities.
Q: Can you share with us some of the program results?
We aimed to increase the engagement of our leaders and managers, having a direct impact on the manufacturing process in the plants. More than 180 leaders and around 50 managers have participated in the project. We increased the #engagement of leaders and also increased the number of manufacturing process #improvements. We also reduced #fluctuation and #absenteeism in our manufacturing plants and improved communication on multiple management levels. We implemented this project in several countries where we operate.
I need to mention that part of the program was also to develop "key talents" in our manufacturing plants. To better understand and measure their potential in line with the business, our competence models, #organizational #culture, and #values. This project was also highly appreciated by our Chairman & the CEO.
Q: How do you approach a new Millennial generation in your industry?
The Millennial generation will dominate the labor market in 10 years. This generation has been growing up with social networks, mobile applications, and all the new technologies. We need to consider this when developing talents in this generation. This generation has got different expectations than previous ones. They want to learn new things constantly, help to resolve significant challenges. They want to do it right now. It is essential to understand the #purpose of their job; they need to see they can #bring #value to #others.
Q: How should experienced Leaders help young future leaders to grow?
It is essential to identify future leaders objectively in line with the organizational values, develop their capabilities and skills, and engage them appropriately. Future leaders should understand and accept the responsibilities coming with their roles. They will have a significant impact on the business and its people. #Coaching, #mentoring, and #on-#the-#job training are the perfect tools to help these young leaders develop and grow. Experienced leaders must become mentors and coaches to the new generation of leaders, and these generations must work together as one team. I think this is the best way how to ensure smooth knowledge transfer between these generations.
Q: How do you approach attracting new talents?
#Attracting, #hiring, #developing, and #retaining talents is an integral part of Talent management. I prefer to hire talents within, develop them and provide opportunities for the grow. This approach can positively affect the #engagement and improve your people #loyalty and #retention. Naturally, hiring talents from the market is a standard process of acquiring new skills you need or bringing people on board with new perspectives to help to face particular challenges. Generally, I would prefer the balance between external and internal hiring. Internal promotions motivate people and allow their self-realization, and usually ignite professional and personal growth.
Q: Can someone learn to inspire others?
You can #inspire and #encourage people if you lead by example and walk the talk. A leader must learn how to gain people's trust, listen to their opinions, allow them to express freely, and learn how to care about people. Every leader should be an agent of change in today's constantly developing environment. A good leader must demonstrate #empathy and strong #communication skills.
Equally important is that leaders must know how to use data when leading others. Suppose you have relevant data about your people, such as #performance, #engagement, #motivation, personal characteristics, and others. In that case, you can #develop each of your people #individually, and you can help create exciting career opportunities for your people. Leaders should include diverse populations into development programs and ensure objective succession planning and performance evaluation framework. These actions can help leaders be #transparent and professional, and they may inspire others to do the same.
Q: What inspires you ?
Let me share a quote from Johann Gottfried Von Herder that inspires me:
"Without inspiration, the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks."
Thank you Nora.
About Mrs. Batova
Nora Batova is a regional Career and Development Leader at Faurecia, delivering talent development services to Central European countries, Germany and South Africa. Nora managed and co-piloted several business transformations on a local and regional level and deployed talent and leadership development frameworks. Nora holds a Master of Systems Engineering from the Technical University Kosice.
A series of MENITY Leaders Talk interviews.
Interview with Mrs. Batova by Mr. Janik, a partner at MENITY.
Pictures © MENITY.