THE GENERATION GAME For the first time in history, there are five generations in the workplace. As populations age, we may want – and might need – to work for longer. The problem is we have been having the wrong conversation about the different generations at play; here, Rebecca Robins helps to debunk some of the negative stereotypes A n MBA is a commitment to yourself, to your potential in the world. It is a sign and signal of going above and beyond. Moreover, it is a commitment to others, in the people for whom you are responsible, for whom you are setting a North Star. It is a commitment to the organisations that you may go on to lead and whose guardianship you hold during that tenure.
Inspire the mindset of collaborative leadership The case studies and conversations featured in my book are all leading examples of collaborative leadership connected to collective intelligence within their organisations. They are intentional in problem solving and in maximising opportunity for all generations. Rather than let ‘collaboration’ languish as an organisational value on a wall, or in an annual report, they are building the all-crucial collaborative muscle in their organisation to power the creativity, innovation and growth for future decades. LVMH is a good example of a large organisation that has leveraged its multigenerational diversity to drive innovation. LVMH DARE (disrupt, act and risk to be an entrepreneur) is a platform for collaboration, creativity and innovation across the entire organisation. The platform came into being as a result of an individual who was looking to their next career move within the LVMH Group and who saw the opportunity to create more knowledge sharing across the organisation. The platform enables collaboration that can solve problems and seek out opportunities in the business, which are hardwired to the UN’s sustainable development goals. In a group structure of over 75 verticals of individual brands, LVMH DARE has been successful as a platform that connects the organisation horizontally and diagonally. As an ‘always-on’ platform, it succeeds in bringing people together across the organisation over a shared purpose – connecting them across brands, cultures, disciplines, roles, levels of experience – and generations. Shape our organisations for the next decade Are the organisations and businesses that we are leading, or will go on to lead, fit for purpose? As workforces age, the shape and nature of career pathways will need to evolve. Do we have a structure designed to attract, motivate and retain all generations? Are we thinking intentionally about everyone – from the younger to the older members of our workforce – and portfolio approaches to their skillsets? Speaking with confectionery conglomerate Mars in the chapter on family businesses, we discussed in depth the intentional work that they are doing to transfer knowledge across the organisation. There is intentionality in how they are connecting, how they think and plan in decades and generations, as well as in how they are investing across generations. The Pentland Group, which has a portfolio of brands in lifestyle and sport, is an inspiring example of that investment across generations –
That sense of responsibility and guardianship takes on new relevance and resonance, as we are at an inflection point. Einstein predicted that technological progress must be guided by ethical considerations and a focus on human well-being. In the context of our times where volatility and ambiguity have become the new constant, this is the moment where we need to decide how and where we want to have agency and how we inspire that in others. In the intensity and complexity of the force factors in the world at large, there are many things over which we feel that we have little control. With crises in financial instability, climate change and geopolitics, along with the acceleration of AI and the potential and uncertainty that it holds, the reality is that we don’t have much time and the biggest risk will be not acting on the agency that we have. As MBA faculty and alumni, this is about resolving to take action at this crucial inflection point. Inspired by my book’s title, Five Generations at Work , here are five things that we can act on:
36 Ambition • ISSUE 1 • 2025
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