Worcester Business Journal

20 Worcester Business Journal | April 17, 2017 | wbjournal.com A s children, we were asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" We would enthusiastically answer with often-outlandish responses; hav- ing no true concept of aptitude, logis- tics. or failure. We simply wanted to be whatever our hearts desired. If we wanted to be astronauts, elite athletes or the next Paul McCartney, adults encouraged our interests in astrono- my, athletics and the arts to ensure a diverse education; we had no limita- tions, but the expectation was that as we matured, we would temper our ideas to something more practical. As we grew older, we Millenials chose not to be limited by the status quo and developed our own rules. There was less interest in ownership with an added focus placed upon inclusivity and accessibility. The tech- nological innovation we've experi- enced during our formative years has influenced a different set of behaviors than many of our predecessors; we are a generation coming of age in a time of immediacy, and we expect things to move, and change, seam- lessly. We intend to impact our com- munities through grassroots move- ments, creative placemaking and the innovation economy. Most importantly, we cannot per- form these tasks without the support of the Baby Boomer generation, which can take many forms in our communi- ty, but when coupled with innovative ideas, can catapult the city to new heights. One can look at initiatives like Working 4 Worcester, the Nine Dot Gallery, Action! Worcester, and POW! WOW! Worcester to see examples of what is possible when the stalwart col- laborate with the vanguard. The vali- dation it provides allows the emerging professional to properly navigate mat- ters, and see further as they stand atop the shoulders of giants, while allowing the established professional an oppor- tunity to find value where it doesn't currently exist and launch future suc- cesses. The entrepreneurial spirit can drive both generations. Not all ideas are good ideas, and not all investments can be great ones, but each generation needs to understand the value that others bring to the table: Baby Boomers: • Don't just entertain the creativity of Millennials, embrace and support it • Serve as mentors, supporters and cheerleaders for new ideals • Consider some form of angel investment • Embrace change Millennials: • Create unique opportunities • Educate those around you on technological advancements and inventive concepts • Remove the sense of entitlement • Respect history All: • Find creative ways to collaborate across differences • Balance long-term sustainable ideals and trendy short-term investments • Incorporate institutional knowledge into innovative frameworks • Develop mutual mentoring relationships All parties must be willing to give with magnanimity, developing a shared network, narrative and resourc- es to not limit the possibilities in the City of Worcester and beyond. 10 T H I NG S I know about... . . . E n c o u r a g i n g v o l u n t e e r i s m By Kola A. Akindele Akindele is senior director for community and govern- ment relations at UMass Medical School in Worces- ter. Reach him at Kolawole. Akindele@umassmed.edu. K N O W H O W Bridging the gap between Boomers and Millennials T he practice of sharing leadership is showing benefits in the world of business, as a time saver, for one. Different than co-leadership — where two or three individuals equally share all responsibilities and have a hand in every area — leadership shar- ing is about offering employees auton- omy, giving away power and having a checklist of accountability to be sure leadership sharing and its value is maximized whenever possible. Autonomy is not equal responsibility. Shared leadership is spreading respon- sibility across multiple people, Greg Chung-Yan, a professor at University of Windsor in Ontario tells Business News Daily. "It's not the same as giv- ing equal responsibility or the same responsibility to more than one per- son," he said. "It's about making sure managers have an open door, and that those who take a risk and share an idea or alert managers to a problem don't get punished for it." Give away — yes, give away — power. A shared-leadership model frees up senior executives to strengthen their most talented team members by put- ting them in areas of work that will further strengthen their skills in given areas, "and thus develop a suc- cessful, well-rounded and somewhat 'flattened' company versus a more hierarchically structured company," Marshall Goldsmith writes in a Harvard Business Review article. "Consider yourself a resource rather than the manager." Check yourself. Jim Bouchard offers a handy checklist on leadership sharing at credit-union industry website CUInsight.com. When you see a new company idea, ask yourself, "Who can I share this with? How much authority can I share? How much autonomy can I allow? How much control do I really need? How much of this can I really do by myself?" These considerations will get you on the road toward a lead- ership-sharing model. BY SUSAN SHALHOUB Special to the Worcester Business Journal 10 1: L e a d e r s h i p s h a r i n g 10. Improves your community: A thriving community is good for business and strong civic engagement contributes to the vibrancy and success of that community. 9. Builds brand awareness: Employees in the community, volunteering with the corporate logo on their backs, create positive brand perception and exposure. 8. Source of employee satisfaction and loyalty: Volunteering fulfills our intrinsic desire to serve, so companies encouraging volunteerism enjoy increased employee satisfaction and retention. 7. Recruitment of younger workers: Millennials want more than a paycheck; studies have shown many are willing to forego a percentage of their salary to work for a socially responsible company. 6. Team building: Volunteer projects help develop camaraderie, improve communication and potentially break down silos, ultimately resulting in good working relationships. 5. Healthy employees: Various studies cite the positive effect of volunteerism on one's physical and mental health. It can help employees stay fit, reduce stress, and prevent depression. 4. Learn new skills: Volunteer work such as board membership can help build or enhance professional and leadership skills transferrable to the workplace. 3. Impacts bottom line: The end result of the benefits listed above is a more engaged employee base, resulting in increased productivity and profitability. 2. Enhances corporate reputation: Having a strong presence in the community through volunteerism demonstrates an organization is a good neighbor and its priorities extend beyond economic self-interest. 1. Makes a difference: The most important reason to encourage volunteerism is the difference it makes in the lives of individuals and families. BY CHE ANDERSON & JOHN VO Special to the Worcester Business Journal W W W Che Anderson (left) is a project manager for the City of Worcester. John Vo is the owner of the Nine Dot Gallery in Worcester.

• Cover