How Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials & Homelanders can work well together

Today, a one-size-fits-all communication style does not work. In a multi-generational workplace, one of the most-asked questions is, ‘Why can’t we all agree?’

Business communicators grapple with the challenges of leading and dealing with various generations in their organizations regularly. Each generation has its own predilections, history, background, familiarities and experiences that have formed specific beliefs, behaviors and attitudes.

Today, a universal, one-size-fits-all communication style does not work. In a multi-generational workplace, the questions most often asked are, “Why can’t my team members see things, issues and circumstances the same way?” “Why can’t they just agree?” “Where do their comments come from?” “Why don’t they get it?” “How can they be so obsessed with something as petty as this?” “Are flip-flops acceptable in the office?” “Can I work from home?” “Why can’t I use Facebook at work?” “How long do I have to work here before I earn respect?”

The differing responses to these queries might lead to a breakdown in communications and eventually stereotyping. Members of different generations will start throwing around stereotypes, making jokes to and about each other that can turn hurtful. Each generation attempts to maneuver the other into seeing issues their own way.

There are four age groups or generations that most likely interface in an organization, and five steps for leading through generational differences: talk about the differences, focus on the “why” and not the “what,” agree as to how to accommodate, maximize the strength of each generation, and decide which option is best when flexing isn’t enough.

The Baby Boomers. Born between 1946 and 1964, this generation is the result of the incredible post-World War II birth rate, and grew up in the era of space exploration, counter cultures, television, the Vietnam war, the civil rights movement, and a spirit of optimism.

Generation X.  Born between 1965 and 1980, a period that witnessed high divorce rates, the introduction of the term “latchkey kids,” high recession rates, the onset of non-traditional families, the Cold War, skepticism as seen in a lack of faith in institutions like governments, corporations, religion, the end of the Vietnam War, and Martial Law in the Philippines.

The Millennials.  Born between 1981 and 2001, they saw the rise of technology, the Internet Age and overprotective parents. This generation witnessed the Gulf War, Desert Storm, the EDSA Revolt in the Philippines, 9/11, and have grown up with metal detectors, airport security, terrorism, a sense of entitlement and immediate gratification. Reality TV, recessions, social media, and the election of the first black American president also define this group. Jeff Fromm and Marissa Vidler, author of Millennials with Kids, wrote that Millennials are growing old.  Over 25 percent are now parents, and a new batch is poised to take over. They are the post-Millennials, also called Generation Z, Generation Edge, or Homelanders.

Generation Edge. They were born from 1999 onwards, a period marked by economic uncertainty, digital ubiquity, the Arab Spring, marijuana legalization and same-sex marriage. Carat, a Dentsu Aegis Network brand, defines them as digital intuitives who believe that technology is empowering, and are excited by what technology can do. They are doers and are motivated by making things happen, and view the world as theirs to save and change. Diversity is their new normal; they adhere to traditional values and aspirations, and are motivated by experience and meaning.

Generational myths

Millennials think they know it all and that they ought to be running the place; they are motivated by meaning more than money and have stunted social skills because they’re always on their computers or their phones.

Gen-Xers care more about work-life balance than getting ahead.

Baby Boomers and Traditionalists are resistant to change; people over 65 aren’t as productive; Baby Boomers are going to retire.

In a multi-generational organization, synergy is a constant challenge. Haydin Shaw, author of Sticking Points, wrote that the expected friction and disagreement among them occurs in 12 areas: communication, decision-making, dress code, giving and receiving feedback, fun at work, knowledge transfer, loyalty, meetings, policies, respect, training and work ethic. Collectively they are labeled “sticking points,” the aspects of business and life that are most likely to cause conflict and disagreement between generations.

Communication. Organizations must figure out the language of the other generations and try to speak it. Ask the different generations to help shape messages to better speak each generation’s language, identify the appropriate medium to touch lives in ways familiar to the people concerned, and increase individual and collective proficiency with the different communication preferences of the people you work with, live with, and serve.

Decision-making. Just as the sweep of history over the last 50 years has changed your phone, it has also changed how you get work done. Smart organizations updated their rotary-dial phones 30 years ago to make their operations more efficient. Smart organizations will update their decision-making for the same reason.

Dress code. Focus on why the generations see dress code differently, and let them help one another understand the messages that are being received, even if they never intended to send them. You need feedback or you’ll never understand how your behavior comes across to others.

Feedback. People want feedback but aren’t getting it. Managers feel guilt rather than excitement because they struggle to squeeze in time for feedback while they juggle the rest of their workloads.

Fun at work. A lot more is done if there is some joking around. Fun is serious today. All generations want fun: the sticking point is that they don’t agree on what kind of fun and how much fun is appropriate.

Knowledge transfer. There’s no reason your organization can’t get a knowledge-transfer process going today. It can be as simple as using your smartphone to record yourself demonstrating how to do something. Better yet, pop in and record somebody who wants to share something, and you’ll have the beginnings of a knowledge-transfer process.

Loyalty. The definition of loyalty is changing in the workplace. It should transform to a point where your team sticks together to look for ways to keep talented people of all generations around.

Meetings. There’s an old joke that says, “The meetings will continue until the group figures out why nothing is getting done.” So why not ask people on your team what would make meetings more effective? Maybe it’s time to put meetings on the agenda.

Policies. If you continue to manage policy development around generational sticking points from the top down, the teams will stay stuck. Policies can be powerful ways to pull the generations together if you let a cross-generational group lead the way.

Respect. There are hundreds of ways, large and small, to lead your team with respect. It is foundational. It doesn’t matter if you are the manager or are simply an associate. It doesn’t take big things to make a real difference when it comes to respect.

Training. You should increase time, energy and money on training, not only to attract and retain all four generations but also for the organization’s survival.

Work ethic. Leveraging differences helps the organization get the various generations working together in the places they come apart.

Viewing the sticking points as problems to be solved rather than as opportunities to be leveraged is a big mistake. When you understand why another generation thinks the way they do, you are much more likely to appreciate their differences and speak their language, and the generations are more likely to stick together.

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Email bongosorio@gmail.com for comments or questions.