Lead Your Team  Managing Tackling the Challenges of the Multigenerational Workforce By Nicole Fallon Taylor, Business News Daily Managing Editor June 16, 2014 02:54 pm EST  354  68  122  15  7 MORE  With three or four generations working side-by-side in most of ces, some dif culties are bound to arise. / Credit: Multigenerational team image via Shutterstock Workplaces have always had multiple generations working side by side. There's the fresh-faced younger generation of newcomers, the established middle generation that holds most of the management roles and the older generation of senior executives who are 30 or 40 years into their careers. Each of these distinct age  http://aax-us-east.amazon-adsystem.com/x/c/QnmJAM71DjGWiPU8Fdu_7ZQAAAFV61Dk9AEAAAxOAbAHuHA/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IZQ7TQ/ref=dra_a_sm_bb_ho_xx_P3150_100?tag=dradisplay-20&ascsubtag=58689c18f19420e3f38431a2d974eb55_S http://aax-us-east.amazon-adsystem.com/x/c/QnmJAM71DjGWiPU8Fdu_7ZQAAAFV61Dk9AEAAAxOAbAHuHA/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IZQ7TQ/ref=dra_a_sm_bb_ho_xx_P3150_100?tag=dradisplay-20&ascsubtag=58689c18f19420e3f38431a2d974eb55_S http://www.amazon.com/gp/dra/info/ref=dra_a_sm_bb_ho_xx_P3150_100?pn=1&pg=dra&pp=sm%2Cv%2CB004IZQ7TQ%2CATVPDKIKX0DER%2CB0162TBZL0%2CmJMJDfzdF5sAOJugFZrRv2Uqvgs&adv=ATVPDKIKX0DER&uh_it=58689c18f19420e3f38431a2d974eb55_S http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/lead-your-team http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/lead-your-team#managing http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/ http://www.shutterstock.com/ groups comes with their own generational differences, which can cause some friction among colleagues and bosses. The modern workplace is no different than those of years past, with Generation Y, Generation X and baby boomers all coexisting in the same of ce. But as more boomers work past retirement age, and tech-savvy millennials continue to graduate and enter the workforce, the stark differences in the values, communication styles and work habits of each generation are becoming increasingly pronounced. With post-millennials— known to some as Generation Z — quickly approaching college age, the next generation will be joining the ranks of working professionals within the next few years — meaning that a four-generation of ce will soon become the new norm. Leaders must be ready to take on the challenge of integrating newer workers while still respecting the seniority and experience of older ones. [Is There a Generational Divide in Your Of ce?] Report this Advertisement "As new generations join the workforce, there is a period of adaptation that's required on both ends," said Rich Milgram, CEO of career network Beyond.com. "New talent needs to respect and assimilate, while established talent needs to adjust and remain exible. Companies should challenge their employees to rise above [generational differences], think outside their comfort zone and tackle problems together." How can leaders make a multigenerational workplace more productive, ef ci ...

1. Tackling the Challenges of the Multigenerational Workforce
By Nicole Fallon Taylor, Business News Daily Managing Editor
June 16, 2014 02:54 pm EST
With three or four generations working side-by-side in most of
ces, some dif culties are bound to arise. / Credit:
Multigenerational team image via Shutterstock
Workplaces have always had multiple generations working side
by side. There's the fresh-faced younger
generation of newcomers, the established middle generation that
holds most of the management roles and
the older generation of senior executives who are 30 or 40 years
into their careers. Each of these distinct age
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adsystem.com/x/c/QnmJAM71DjGWiPU8Fdu_7ZQAAAFV61Dk
9AEAAAxOAbAHuHA/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004IZQ7T
Q/ref=dra_a_sm_bb_ho_xx_P3150_100?tag=dradisplay-
20&ascsubtag=58689c18f19420e3f38431a2d974eb55_S
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groups comes with their own generational differences, which
can cause some friction among colleagues and
bosses.
The modern workplace is no different than those of years past,
with Generation Y, Generation X and baby
boomers all coexisting in the same of ce. But as more boomers
work past retirement age, and tech-savvy
millennials continue to graduate and enter the workforce, the
stark differences in the values, communication
styles and work habits of each generation are becoming
increasingly pronounced.
With post-millennials— known to some as Generation Z —
quickly approaching college age, the next
generation will be joining the ranks of working professionals
within the next few years — meaning that a
four-generation of ce will soon become the new norm. Leaders
must be ready to take on the challenge of
integrating newer workers while still respecting the seniority
and experience of older ones. [Is There a
Generational Divide in Your Of ce?]
Report this Advertisement
"As new generations join the workforce, there is a period of

3. adaptation that's required on both ends," said Rich
Milgram, CEO of career network Beyond.com. "New talent
needs to respect and assimilate, while established
talent needs to adjust and remain exible. Companies should
challenge their employees to rise above
[generational differences], think outside their comfort zone and
tackle problems together."
How can leaders make a multigenerational workplace more
productive, ef cient and harmonious? Here are
the biggest challenges that have come out of the modern work
environment, and how to deal with them
head-on.
1. Communication style
The difference in preferred communication styles between older
and younger generations has almost become
a cliché. Generation Y sends text messages, tweets and instant
messages to communicate, while baby
boomers and older Gen Xers tend to prefer phone calls and
emails. Throw in the fact that younger workers
tend to use abbreviations, informal language and colloquialisms,
and you've got a recipe for serious
communication breakdowns.
"In some instances older workers have been accustomed to
communicating, particularly to senior
management, with much more formality," said Dana Brownlee,
founder of training and management
consulting rm Professionalism Matters. "They may equate this
formality in communication with
respect. When they're not [given] the same formality [in
communications], they may misinterpret this as a lack
of respect."

4. Brownlee recommended that leaders and employees make a
concerted effort to communicate with their
colleagues in the ways each person prefers. Bringing staff
members of different generations together for
face-to-face team-building exercises and ice breakers can help
break down some of the barriers that can
occur with digital communications, she said.
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work.html
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tools.html
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2. Negative stereotypes
Lazy. Entitled. Tech obsessed. Over eager. These are just a few
of the terms that come to mind for many older
workers when they think of millennials, and this generation is
well aware of the stereotypical ideas they're up
against. But Milgram pointed out that Gen Y isn't alone: baby
boomers may be perceived by younger workers
as dif cult to train and stubbornly set in their ways.
"Overcoming existing stereotypes is hard," Milgram told
Business News Daily. "It takes a conscious effort to
distinguish your own talents and not let preconceived notions do
that for you. Workers need to match their
vision of success with the work ethic that it will take to get
there — meaning a willingness to go beyond
what's expected."
Leaders can help the situation by actively looking for and
intervening when there's a dysfunction in the

5. workplace caused by misunderstandings and generational
judgments, said Joyce Maroney, director of the
Workforce Institute at workforce management solutions
provider Kronos.
"Older workers' experience is valuable, but can also become an
obstacle if they rely on "been there, done
that" attitudes that preclude new ideas," Maroney
said. "Younger workers' enthusiasm and willingness to try
new things need to be encouraged, but also channeled. They
may not have the perspective to understand all
the costs and risks associated with the opportunities they wish
to pursue."
3. Cultural expectations
As the typical workplace evolves to keep up with changing
technologies and mobile work trends, a
consequent shift in cultural expectations has also occurred. This
can be an especially jarring transition for
older workers, who are used to having performance measured by
the number of hours spent at their desk.
"For many younger managers, time spent in the of ce is not as
vital as the results you produce," said career
expert Kerry Hannon in an article she wrote for AARP.
"Yourwell-honed work ethic of being an early bird at
your desk might not impress. Teleworking tends to be looked on
more favorably, especially if you can get
more work done by not cooling your heels in rush-hour
commutes."
On the other end, Generation Y values and expects a healthy
work-life balance.
"Younger workers are more likely to come from families where

6. both parents were working, and therefore
place a greater premium on work-life balance," Maroney said.
"Their older co-workers may have expected to
sacri ce a lot of their personal time to the job. Having seen
parents lose their jobs despite their loyalty,
[millennials] are looking for jobs where they can have a life
outside of work."
For leaders, a good way to approach this issue is to allow
individuals to work in the style that's best for them
and acknowledge the efforts of each team member, regardless of
their work style.
"Everyone wants recognition for the work they do, access to the
resources they need and feedback that is
delivered in an appropriate way," said Paige Graham, a core
faculty member at the University of the Rockies.
"Honor each person's contribution to the group and
acknowledge each individual's need for af rmation."
For real progress to occur in the multigenerational workforce,
exibility and openness on the part of every
age group is critical.
"Each generation brings their own set of skills and cultural
norms," Milgram said. "A successful of ce should
http://www.kronos.com/
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4597-mobile-work-boosts-
productivity.html
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be a melting pot of different generations, personalities and

7. talent, all coming together toward a common
goal. That is the only way a company will ensure they are
bringing fresh perspectives to oftentimes common
problems."
Originally published on Business News Daily.
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Nicole Fallon Taylor
Nicole received her Bachelor's degree in Media, Culture and
Communication from New York University. She began
freelancing for
Business News Daily in 2010 and joined the team as a staff
writer three years later. She currently serves as the managing
editor.
Reach her by email, or follow her on Twitter.
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