Five Good Ideas about bridging the age and culture gap for the new workplace

In this session, originally recorded on March 28, 2019, we look at how to bridge the age and culture gap for the new workplace with our speakers Agapi Gessesse and Nation Cheong.

For the full transcript, visit https://maytree.com/five-good-ideas/five-good-ideas-about-bridging-the-age-and-culture-gap-for-the-new-workplace/

There is a big shift in the workplace underway right now: younger generations are replacing the large number of current leaders who are retiring. And as this group of young people navigates their way into the sector, they also have to deal with the many myths and stereotypes that seem to follow them everywhere they go. Nation Cheong and Agapi Gessesse attempted to dismantle these myths and share their ideas on how to engage, include, and support young people so that they become authentic, strong, resilient, and accountable leaders for the future.

Five Good Ideas

1. Acknowledge and reflect values, urgency, and confusion

2. Start with career mapping to set a path for your younger workers

3. Inspire buy-in and loyalty by having a clear learning agenda and intentional opportunities to apply personal assets and skills

4. Create coaching and mentorship opportunities with a broad network of experienced workers

5. Cultivate and encourage entrepreneurship through training – balancing autonomy with developing new competencies

Resources

1. ONN Report Leading Our Future

2. Mowat report Shaping the Future

3. The Deloitte Millennial Survey 2018

4. Blog post by Giselle Kovary, founder of NGEN Performance (a Canadian organization that does research on generations in the workplace with Canadian data) talking about the differences between millennials and GenZ

5. HRPA (Human Resources Professionals Canada) open source document Workforce of the Future: Emergence of Gen Z

About Agapi Gessesse

Agapi is Executive Director of CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, an organization dedicated to addressing economic issues affecting Black youth. She is passionate about CEE’s mission-driven and evidence-based work. Agapi also served as Executive Director of POV 3rd Street, an organization that helps marginalized youth break into the media industry through training, mentorship, job placement, and professional development opportunities. Through prior work as a fundraising professional, social enterprise manager, and coordinator of youth leadership programs, Agapi has established a record of accomplishment in operations management, program implementation and evaluation, financial stewardship, partner development, and community engagement. Her experience includes positions with United Way of Greater Toronto and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

About Nation Cheong

Nation Cheong is a respected partnership builder, strategic thinker, community animator, artist, musician and teacher who has dedicated his professional and personal time to community development strategies with a focus on supporting young people in communities across the GTA. Nation served the Regent Park community for eight years focusing on youth and housing strategies. He went on to become Director of Community Engagement and Grants at the Youth Challenge Fund (YCF). In his current role he oversees the development of United Way’s Indigenous Collaboration Framework, stakeholder mobilization across the GTA, and the implementation of United Way’s inclusive employment strategies.