Working with a Multi-Generational Board of Trustees

I was recently asked the following question after a generational team-building seminar:

On my Board of Trustees, there are a few distinguished /influential members who were born before the Baby Boomer generation.  Do you have any resources as to approaches we can take, to get them to buy in to decisions?

The generation before the Baby Boomers are known as Traditionalists or the Silent Generation. The dominant events that shaped this generation were WWII, the Great Depression and FDR. Consequently, this generation was taught to be frugal and ‘make do’ with what they had. They were taught to avoid risks and be safe while ‘dad was at war’. They also learned to live with extended family and take responsibility for their siblings. This is a generation that depended on the government to help them through difficult times, so they learned to be patriotic and civic-minded.

Consequently, they tend to be conservative, disciplined, loyal, patriotic and risk-averse. They also tend to respect authority and trust the system.

For your Traditionalist board members, you will need to approach them in a pragmatic, systematic way. They are not consensus driven. They survived a difficult life during the Depression and WWII; they are extremely proud of their independence and “rugged-ness”. They need to see the practical value of something before they buy into it. If not, they will resist the idea, either overtly or covertly.

Finally, on an anecdotal note (there is no statistical date on this), they are a generation that feels overlooked, due to their life-cycle phase. They gave a great deal to society (WWII, Korea, etc) and have made due with far less than any other generation. Yet they are not often recognized for their sense of duty and service. Tap into this; get them to tell stories of the difference they made in the past. This will help them feel recognized and trust you more. Then it’ll be easier to build the rapport and bonds needed for board decisions.

Does this make sense to you? If so, try it and let me know how it goes! Email me at anne@anneloehr.com with your questions. I’ll be happy to answer any queries you may have.