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Generational Harmony in the Workplace — It is Possible!

by Gretchen Neels

For the first time in history, four generations are working together, side by side, in corporate America. For a long time, it was the Traditionalists (born before 1945) who worked with Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), and got along pretty well within a very structured and hierarchical setting. Then came Generation X (born between 1965 and 1979), who managed to change the rules. Gen Xers introduced the idea of work/life balance, asked managers for more feedback on their job performance, and had absolutely no qualms whatsoever about leaving their employers when their positions no longer suited them. With time, these three generations managed to co-exist, and learned to appreciate their differences. Ah, the good old days.

Now, employers are trying to regain their balance as Millennials (born in 1980 onward), join the workplace. This group is easily identified by their need for praise and feedback, their love of all things electronic, and their high levels of energy and enthusiasm.

The challenge for most businesses in the 21^st century is how to get these four distinct groups of people to work together with some semblance of harmony. Here are eight steps you can take right now to close the generation gap in your office:

1. Share information on the four generations with others in your office. Simple awareness that not everyone thinks alike can be a powerful first step.

2. Be mindful of how others are treated in the company. Everyday courtesies such as “please”, “thank you”, “you’re welcome”, “good morning” and “it’s nice to see you” can really have a very positive impact. Lead by example.

3. Gen Xers and Millennials need to be very conscious of being polite to Traditionalists and Boomers. While “hey man” and “dude” work within certain circles, leave them out of the workplace, as slang is often misunderstood or worse, taken as disrespectful, and too familiar.

4. Form a focus group consisting of one or two representatives from each generation, and use them as a sounding board for new ideas and to track your organization’s progress. Ask them how things are going, and then really listen.

5. If you have a mentoring program in place, be sure participants are aware of basic differences in their approaches to work – it will make for some great team building!

6. Re-align your recruiting strategy – one size does not fit all. That goes for your company’s retention efforts as well.

7. Perhaps your benefits package needs another look – and while you’re at it, what is the company’s policy on telecommuting, job sharing and part-time employment? Flexibility is the key to keeping good people from each generation.

8. Subscribe to the Cultural Detective^® mailing list so that you will receive notice when Cultural Detective^®: Generational Harmony is available, and use it in your organization!