Four generations are active in the U.S. workforce, with birth dates spanning about half a century (the Baby Boomer generation began in 1946, and Generation Z in 1997). It requires an extraordinary level of insight to manage the unique challenges posed by 50 years of different work styles, cultural references, communication techniques and technology.
3 Generational Differences in the Office
- Protocol: Older generations can be more formal, while younger ones are more casual.
- Communication: A period at the end of a sentence can rile one group.
- Cultural references: One generation’s Chappell Roan is another’s Jefferson Airplane.
Consider this: Baby Boomers who work for you might have attended Woodstock, while most of your Gen Z employees weren’t born before Woodstock ‘99. In between are Generation Xers and Millennials, who have unique cultural milestones — the age of the computer for Xers, 9/11 and its aftermath for Millennials.
While some commonalities connect the styles and ethos of each generation, every generation is different, and that can be challenging to reconcile in a workplace. How do you build trust between the hierarchical, security- and stability-loving Boomers and the anti-authoritarian Gen Xers? How do you get a self-reliant, direct Generation X manager to understand and appreciate the values-driven, socially responsible Generation Z worker and get Gen Zer to show up from nine to five?
The issues faced in a workplace where age and experience are expansive and not always correlated can be addressed with easy-to-implement solutions and thinking.
Office Protocol
The workplace has gotten a lot more casual. There was a time when everyone stood when their bosses entered the office and stayed until after the boss left, no matter what the hour. It’s unlikely that managers nostalgic for suits, ties and propriety will see those days return.
However, the absence of these actions doesn’t mean that respect for supervisors and office protocol has gone out the window. It’s important to bridge the gap with clearly communicated company values and some leadership soul searching. Why, for instance, is it important to a leader that employees stay late or dress formally? Is it because of your bias? Or is it because you’re concerned about your employees’ performance?
If it’s important for employees to be at their desks, clear leadership-level communication of these expectations and an explanation of why it matters is critical. Otherwise, employees will take cues from each other or just figure whatever they’re doing is fine.
Pop Culture
Rare is the person who is fluent in over five decades of popular culture. So what happens when a reference to Chappell Roan – or Jefferson Airplane – opens a meeting, and you don’t get the reference and are too embarrassed to ask for clarification?
Sometimes, cultural references just fall flat, timely or not. Beyond that awkward moment, what’s important is that references are respectful and within the employee code of conduct. There’s a difference between a seemingly hilarious joke about Petticoat Junction and a cringe-inducing and painful reference to language or terminology that is simply no longer acceptable or entertainment that is past its prime (John Hughes may have gotten Gen X through its teen years, but references to Sixteen Candles are not appropriate in Slack).
It’s important to have fun in the workplace, but it’s also important to recognize that some humor is best left at home.
What can help is building out mentorship programs dedicated to addressing the age gaps: Mentorship focused on skills, shared experiences and values, and raising awareness helps find commonalities between workers instead of emphasizing differences.
Additionally, creating cultural events and education around the whole person behind the employee — everything from trivia nights where coworkers work together to achieve a shared goal to create a playlist of the week, where an employee shares their favorite songs — can help bridge those divides and create understanding.
Communication Styles
A few years ago, there was some uproar over what it means to use a period in a text. Yes, a period. Older generations think they’re ending a sentence properly, and younger generations take it as an act of hostility.
Stories like this can make even attempting to communicate across age gaps feel comically hopeless. But there are ways to overcome this in a big-picture way. You might be unable to keep someone from feeling offended by a period or a lack of capitalization in an email or DM.
Still, you can encourage employees to communicate with each other. Guide them to speak clearly with each other to bridge some of these divides while also reminding them that the workplace is not a playground. Addressing these issues as they happen will keep a sense of misunderstanding from invading the workplace.
Additionally, foster a workplace with formal communication style. This will aid clarity among employees about what they are doing — and why — and help avoid spending unnecessary hours discussing perceived microaggressions and misunderstandings.
There’s one throughline in all of these insights: Communication. Set a standard for what is appropriate and what isn’t in your workplace and have clearly stated values, goals and expectations for your business and each of your employees.
Almost everyone comes to work each day with the best intentions, yet we all have blind spots. Understanding these generational differences can help organizations create more inclusive work environments and tailor their management approaches to better engage employees across all age groups.
