The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace

by Lindsey Pollak

Overview

A Wall Street Journal and Financial Times book of the month

Millennials have become the largest generation in the U.S. workforce, and Generation Z workers are right behind them. Leaders and organizations must embrace the new ways of working that appeal to the digital-first generations, while continuing to appeal to Baby Boomers and Generation X, who will likely remain in the workforce for decades to come.

Within any organization, team, meeting, or marketing opportunity, you will likely find any combination of generations, each with their own attitudes, expectations, and professional styles. To lead and succeed in business today, you must adjust to how Millennials work, continue to accommodate experienced colleagues and pay attention to the next generations coming up. The Remix shows you how to adapt and win through proven strategies that serve all generations’ needs. The result is a workplace that blends the best of each generation’s ideas and practices to design a smarter, more inclusive work environment for everyone.

As a leading expert on the multigenerational workplace, Lindsey Pollak combines the most recent data with her own original research, as well as detailed case studies from Fortune 500 companies and other top organizations. Pollak outlines the ways businesses, executives, mid-level managers, employees, and entrepreneurs can tackle situations that may arise when diverse styles clash and provides clear strategies to turn generational diversity into business opportunity.

Generational change is impacting all industries, all types of organizations, and all leaders. The Remix is an essential guide for anyone looking to navigate today’s multigenerational workplace, which is more diverse and varied than ever before.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062880215
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	685,707
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Lindsey Pollak is the leading expert on succeeding in today's multigenerational workplace, and the New York Times bestselling author of Becoming the Boss: New Rules for the Next Generation of Leaders, Getting from College to Career: Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World, and The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace. She was named in the 2020 Thinkers50 Radar List of global management thinkers whose work is shaping the future of how organizations are managed and led. Her speaking audiences and consulting clients have included over 250 corporations, law firms, conferences, and universities, including Aetna, Citi, Estee Lauder, GE, Google, JP Morgan, LinkedIn, PwC, Yale, Harvard, Wharton and Stanford. She has been featured on the Today show, CNN, and NPR, and in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. She is a graduate of Yale University.

Table of Contents

Introduction: From the Reorg to the Remix ix

1 Frog Stew 1

2 Rules for Remixers 29

3 The Talent Remix 49

4 The Leadership Remix 73

5 The People Management Remix 87

6 The Communication Remix 111

7 The Training and Development Remix 137

8 The Mentoring and Networking Remix 163

9 The Workspace Remix 185

10 The Culture Remix 211

Conclusion: Your Personal Career Remix 231

Acknowledgments 245

Notes 247

Recommended Reading 265

Index 269

Editorial Reviews

05/27/2019

While most companies are aware of the need for a multigenerational workforce, it’s a struggle to maintain one—but it doesn’t have to be, says public speaker Pollak (Getting from College to Career) in this helpful business manual. Pollak, herself a Gen-Xer, observes that generational gaps in attitude are often part of the problem. To allow all age cohorts, from Traditionalists (the generation before Baby Boomers), to Gen Z, to coexist, Pollak suggests a concept from music, the remix: a constructive approach to mixing attributes from different styles. Describing and debunking the characteristics—real and imagined—of each generation, she guides readers through the crucial topics of accommodating changing views toward company loyalty, shifting from a hierarchical to a coaching model of management, and implementing multigenerational mentoring. Her examples of the remix at work include the “Baby Boomer banking industry veteran gave up his corner office to ‘hot-desk’ at a different spot every day to better interact with more colleagues,” and the “24-year-old cosmetics industry employee who... signed up for a reverse mentoring program that matched her with a company executive.” The topic of generation gaps at the office may seem somewhat overexposed, but readers looking for a cogent, respectful take will find a solid choice here. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary. (May)

Publishers Weekly

In an era when five different generations now work shoulder to shoulder in open offices, it’s not just individual professionals who must cultivate adaptivity and a commitment to continuous learning. As Lindsey Pollak suggests in this instructive and highly engaging book, companies must do so as well—especially if they want to fully utilize the talents of their increasingly diverse workforces.” — Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn and coauthor of Blitzscaling and The Start-Up of You

“Today’s leaders need to get the best out of everyone, not just those who think and work like they do. The Remix, with Pollak’s fresh insights and practical tips, will help you blend the best of each generation and design a smarter, better, more inclusive work experience for everyone.” — Liz Wiseman, bestselling author of Multipliers and Rookie Smarts

“The Remix is an essential guide to making the multigenerational workforce a competitive advantage. Pollak moves us past the stereotypes and toward mutual understanding, inclusion, and teamwork. Through research, strategies, and case studies, The Remix helps leaders, their teams, and organizations thrive in today’s workplace while preparing for tomorrow’s.” — Dan Schawbel, bestselling author of Back to Human and Promote Yourself

“Eighty-year-old lifeguards! Seventeen-year-old brand advisers! Like much of the workplace, everything we traditionally believed about ‘who does what and when’ is changing rapidly. As one of the original generational communications experts, Lindsey Pollak has written the must-have guide for remixing your diverse workforce into the secret sauce that will guarantee your company’s competitiveness in the years to come.” — Alexandra Levit, author of They Don’t Teach Corporate in College and New Job, New You

“The Remix offers perceptive analysis, pragmatic advice, and a lively read throughout. Lindsey Pollak provides a unique and smart perspective on how all generations can and must get along in order to create, and excel in, a thriving workplace together.” — Whitney Johnson, author of Build an A Team and Disrupt Yourself

“In this smart book, Lindsey Pollak celebrates generational perspectives while avoiding stereotypes. A must-read for anyone trying to help diverse teams win at work and life.” — Laura Vanderkam, author of I Know How She Does It and Off the Clock

“It’s nearly impossible to succeed as an entrepreneur today—or in any career for that matter—if you don’t recognize the reality of today’s multigenerational workforce. In The Remix, Lindsey Pollak provides a cutting-edge blueprint to help you adapt and lead, whether you’re just starting out or are well established.” — Dorie Clark, author of Entrepreneurial You and Stand Out, and adjunct professor, Duke University Fuqua School of Business

“The Remix isn’t just another business book. It is a timely, engaging and actionable guide that should live on the bookshelves and e-readers of all business leaders who want to take an active role in designing the multigenerational future of work.” — Kate White, former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and author of The Gutsy Girl handbook: Your Manifesto for Success

“The Remix is for managers or aspiring managers, this provides a fresh, coherent perspective on embracing a multigenerational workplace without relying on stereotypes and inaccurate or harmful assumptions about what workers want.” — Library Journal

“Readers looking for a cogent, respectful take will find a solid choice here.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Today’s leaders need to get the best out of everyone, not just those who think and work like they do. The Remix, with Pollak’s fresh insights and practical tips, will help you blend the best of each generation and design a smarter, better, more inclusive work experience for everyone.

Liz Wiseman

It’s nearly impossible to succeed as an entrepreneur today—or in any career for that matter—if you don’t recognize the reality of today’s multigenerational workforce. In The Remix, Lindsey Pollak provides a cutting-edge blueprint to help you adapt and lead, whether you’re just starting out or are well established.

Dorie Clark

The Remix offers perceptive analysis, pragmatic advice, and a lively read throughout. Lindsey Pollak provides a unique and smart perspective on how all generations can and must get along in order to create, and excel in, a thriving workplace together.

Whitney Johnson

The Remix is an essential guide to making the multigenerational workforce a competitive advantage. Pollak moves us past the stereotypes and toward mutual understanding, inclusion, and teamwork. Through research, strategies, and case studies, The Remix helps leaders, their teams, and organizations thrive in today’s workplace while preparing for tomorrow’s.

Dan Schawbel

Eighty-year-old lifeguards! Seventeen-year-old brand advisers! Like much of the workplace, everything we traditionally believed about ‘who does what and when’ is changing rapidly. As one of the original generational communications experts, Lindsey Pollak has written the must-have guide for remixing your diverse workforce into the secret sauce that will guarantee your company’s competitiveness in the years to come.

Alexandra Levit

In an era when five different generations now work shoulder to shoulder in open offices, it’s not just individual professionals who must cultivate adaptivity and a commitment to continuous learning. As Lindsey Pollak suggests in this instructive and highly engaging book, companies must do so as well—especially if they want to fully utilize the talents of their increasingly diverse workforces.

Reid Hoffman

In this smart book, Lindsey Pollak celebrates generational perspectives while avoiding stereotypes. A must-read for anyone trying to help diverse teams win at work and life.

Laura Vanderkam

The Remix isn’t just another business book. It is a timely, engaging and actionable guide that should live on the bookshelves and e-readers of all business leaders who want to take an active role in designing the multigenerational future of work.

Kate White

05/01/2019

Work environments have shifted radically over the past several decades, and there has been no shortage of think pieces about younger workers challenging traditional workplace norms. Pollak approaches generational differences in the workplace with a more nuanced and positive attitude than most, discussing how managers can successfully navigate issues such as telework, casual dress codes, and open offices in multigenerational teams. Citing research and personal anecdotes from her work as a consultant, the author provides concrete ideas for those seeking to redesign their businesses to suit the modern workforce. Each chapter offers both practical and radical solutions, many based on real-world scenarios related to leadership, mentorship, communication, employee benefits, and other important topics. "Key Takeaways" at the end of each well-structured section make the book easy to follow and to reference later on. VERDICT For managers or aspiring managers, this provides a fresh, coherent perspective on embracing a multigenerational workplace without relying on stereotypes and inaccurate or harmful assumptions about what workers want.—Sarah Schroeder, Univ. of Washington Bothell

Library Journal