Managing Generations: Do Your Employees Suffer From Workplace Tension?

Many workplaces have unusual amounts of tension these days. Tough economic times, when coworkers have been laid off, customers complain of shortened service hours, and many workers are carrying the weight of several positions, anxiety within employee ranks runs high. And, there are four different generations working together in many companies. As a manager, what can you do to relieve high levels of workplace tension?

The tried and true methods for keeping the workforce happy and performing are still applicable; increase communications, find ways to show you care, and say "Please", "Thank you", and I appreciate you" just as much or more than usual. Giving recognition for exemplary work always helps and those who give their best effort are hoping to be noticed for it. I am willing to bet that most employees today are hoping to be noticed for something they do. To go to the heart of what really makes each of us feel good, validation is supreme.

What is validation?

Validation is recognition of the unique characteristics of individuals that are absolutely true. Unless the uniqueness is real, validation will lack authenticity and may backfire.

Validation is not a trivial comment about how good someone looks today or a change in hair style. It requires insight to the uniqueness of people which is learned best by heightened sensitivity for what is important to and about them. It is confirmation of what a person already knows to be true about him or herself yet, have not heard verbalized or been recognized for. It may also be a quality that you see in a person that they do not yet know about themselves, like a characteristic of a person's generation. Generally, it is something that they will recognize as true.

When validation happens it makes someone feel valued as a person, or feel that his or her ideas or opinions are worthwhile. Where invalidation is to make something worthless; validation is to confirm worth, "the goodness, usefulness, or importance of somebody, irrespective of financial value or wealth". It adds significance for individuals to the routines and rituals of life.

How can you as a manager begin to validate?

If you are not in the habit of validating, here are 3 steps that cost very little and produce big returns for relieving tension in the workplace.

#1. Develop a greater awareness of your employees. Get to know each of them better.

#2. Set your intention to validate at least one person in your life and one employee every day.

#3. Catch employees doing something good and comment on the characteristic they demonstrated that got desired results or, lift them up by giving an authentic, personalized validation that results in a smile.

And, you can test this yourself by asking a friend or member of your family to say validating things about you and see if you smile and feel relieved of tension.