Bridging the gap

The American work force includes people from four different generations working side by side. But are they working together?

Or do conflicts exist between the generations that hamper productivity and stoke employee discontent?

For managers who supervise employees of different generations, it is important to be aware of and understand the different attitudes and expectations of an intergenerational work force, as different generations bring different traits to their work and relate differently to organizations and leadership.

Despite the obvious difficulties in assigning a set of values or personality characteristics to an entire generation, managers who learn different strategies for coaching, motivating and developing employees from different generations will be able to:

1) Bridge competing values.

2) Demonstrate leadership by bringing generations together for a common purpose.

3) Prevent misunderstandings that may develop between generations.

4) Reduce turnover by creating a work environment conducive for all generations.

Knowing the values and expectations of different generations in the work force can help managers learn to better communicate with employees by recognizing generational differences.

Communication

Effective communication and training that is tailored to generational preferences are becoming the most important ways to maintain a harmonious workplace.

Conflict, however subtle, can arise because the perspectives and values of each generation differ.

These generational perspectives and preferences require organizations to use a variety of management practices to reach out to employees and keep them engaged.

Communicating important information in more than one way increases the number of people who are receiving the information in the format in which they are the most comfortable.

More than one communication medium increases the probability that employees will be exposed to the information multiple times and this will help to ensure that it is understood.

Effective communication among different generations also can help ensure that critical institutional knowledge can be transferred to younger workers as older employees retire.

Mentoring is often an overlooked practice but is often an effective means of bridging generational differences inside the workplace through knowledge transfer and cross-training.

Older employees have the opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise, while younger employees reciprocate by helping "senior" team members learn new skills and increase their networking opportunities.

Similar 'motivators'

While the differences in population size, diversity, education and economic conditions do affect generations in unique ways, recent published research indicates that younger and older generations actually share many similar "motivators" for joining and staying with their organizations.

By focusing on the key needs and values for all generations of workers rather than on stereotypes around personality characteristics, managers are gaining a better understanding of many of the most important differences among generations and what they mean for organizations, society and national competitiveness.

Mila Stahl is vice president and principal of the Human Resources Group, a Madison human resources consulting and recruiting firm.