"I don't think generations really have problems with each other. The reality is that we often don't understand each other"
Today’s workplace now has up to five generations working side by side – in some cases even at board level. But how often does multi-generational conflict arise, and how do we address it?
According to XYZ@Work CEO and founder Rachele Focardi, generational diversity is a “phenomenal asset.” 96% of baby boomers, 93% of gen X, 93% of millennials and 83% of gen Z agree that generational diversity is important – however, 27% of HR professionals say their organisation is not committed to it.
“There is no team that can cover as many blind spots in decision making than a multigenerational team,” Focardi told an Indeed virtual executive roundtable, hosted by HRD. “But unfortunately, if not handled with care, it can create a volatile environment, conflicting expectations and obstacles in communication.”
According to Focardi, different generations have vastly different expectations of the workplace, of leadership, of career progression and day to day interactions. To address the challenges posed by multigenerational teams, it’s important to first understand how each generation thinks, and what social, political and economic context created their thinking.
She noted that one example is the idea of ‘respect.’ Raised by authoritarians, baby boomers equate respect with deference – but millennials had a very different relationship with their parents, where respect went both ways and meant speaking your mind.
“When millennials see someone who looks like their parents, they’ll tell them what they think, that their idea needs improvement, etc,” Focardi says.
“Very often the older generations see that as disrespect, but the younger generations don’t know that. From their perspective, they’re saying “I respect you enough to tell you how it is, to believe that together we can make a difference.”
In the workplace, Focardi notes that millennials led to the rise of ‘flatter’ organisational structures where everyone was empowered to share their opinion. And with gen Z expected to account for 40% of the workforce by 2040, employers now have to make room for young people who are primarily values-driven, and who want to change the world and hit the ground running.
“Older employees who see these ‘young kids’ coming into the organisations, sharing their ideas and perspectives might be put off, as it might have taken them 10-20 years before their opinion was taken into account,” Forcardi explains. “This creates some of the workplace conflicts that we’re still seeing.
“But I don’t think generations really have problems with each other. The reality is that we often don’t understand each other, and we don’t understand the contexts that shape us.”
To make a multi-generational team work, Forcardi says the first step is sourcing different ideas and points of view – and importantly, to make sure the generations understand each other before going into any initiatives.
Once that’s put in place, you can start building multigenerational teams – even if they’re small – and get them to work together in a ‘flat’ structure without a hierarchy.
“Encourage them to really rely on each other’s expertise and solve problems together,” Focardi says.
“You can also try two-way mentoring. That way, you can recognise that you both have valuable things to contribute and you can teach these things to each other concurrently.”
Focardi notes that when different generations do work together, it’s usually a very enriching experience, and few want to go back to operating in their silos. In fact, almost 100% of baby boomers, gen X and millennials said they enjoy working with the younger generations, and only 5% of baby boomers said they would prefer to work with their own age group.
For productivity and innovation, nothing beats having so many different ideas and perspectives in one room. But Focardi highlights that change won’t happen just because it’s mandated from above, or exclusively as a result of pressure from below.
“Multi-generational teams can be invincible,” she says. “You just need to make sure that you have both parts working together collaboratively to drive that change.”
