Today’s workplace is an ever-evolving entity, and the input of a diverse array of employees is more valuable than ever before. The workforce is exceedingly multigenerational, with the potential for five generations at a time working side by side. For businesses to successfully navigate the complexities of multi-generational workforces, they will need insights and strategies that will help them foster collaboration between the youngest and the oldest workers.
Laurie Cure, Ph.D., has focused on multigenerational collaboration and workplace success with Innovative Connections, a unique leadership consulting experience that works with companies to help them unleash the power of human potential — at any age.
“I believe our personal and professional lives are one,” Cure told Medium. “When we can create integration in our values across both those spheres, it leads to greater satisfaction in both.
By tapping into value systems, Cure guides companies through the best ways to create collaborative workspaces, effective multigenerational teams, and ultimate success.
The cross-generational workplace
We currently have five generations actively working in the United States — Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers, and even some members of the Silent Generation, who are working into their late seventies and early eighties. This mosaic of age groups brings unique skills, perspectives, and values to the table. The confluence of these generations can create dynamic working environments and a mix of fresh ideas with time-tested experience but also raise challenges that can stump even the most progressive organizations.
“One of the defining characteristics of the current multigenerational workforce is the diverse range of work styles and communication preferences,” Cure explains. For example, while the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers, as well as some Gen X workers, prefer face-to-face interactions, Millennials and Gen Z are digital natives who may shy away from that form of communication, preferring emails or texts. Older generations may believe working in a traditional office setting is the most productive approach, while younger generations are all-in on remote work options. “These fundamental differences can often cause misunderstandings among team members,” explains Cure. “But they also present an opportunity for the organization to create a dynamic, inclusive, and adaptable workplace.”
Unlocking the power of collaboration
To help organizations tap into the power of cross-generational collaboration, Cure helps them create strategies to motivate team members of any generation and to prioritize action within the organization to reach goals. “Leaders can create conditions for teams to do remarkable things,” says Cure. Cure strongly believes that even employees from different generational cohorts can unite and share organizational values. “Strategic approaches need to foster inclusivity, mutual respect, and the opportunity for continuous learning,” says Cure.
Multigenerational teams are a benefit, not a hindrance, to organizational success. Unlocking their power starts with cultivating a culture of inclusion that recognizes the strengths of each generation. All employees should feel valued and respected from the outset, and companies should promote open communication and idea-sharing between the generations.
Part of what Cure and her team offer to organizations is a comprehensive plan for managing people that moves companies into the future. This includes how to best weave the talents of different generations together. “We help organizations create an experience that touches every part of the employee lifecycle,” says Cure. With workable strategies that consider generational differences and unique contributions, organizations can create a talented, motivated workforce more apt to stay with the company in the long run.
Another great aspect of multigenerational workforces is the opportunity to create mentorships. By facilitating knowledge sharing between the generations, the gaps in work style or values can be bridged. Cure believes strong leaders and mentors come from meeting one another in the messy middle. “There is a vulnerability we must find. We can’t be afraid to be wrong, we must fail fast and adjust, we must see people in a new light, and we must help others be with each other in supportive ways,” she told Medium.
Innovative Connections can also help companies with organizational design changes, which must consider the different contributions that multigenerational teams can provide. An organization is unlikely to thrive if they do not integrate a multigenerational workforce at all levels of the organization. An effort must be made to create an organizational environment that is inclusive, addresses the organization’s critical needs, and is sustainable even as older generations leave the workforce and younger generations enter.
Our workspaces are becoming more and more diverse with each passing year. Innovative Connections has built organizational and leadership strategies that aim to help companies harness the full potential of a multigenerational workforce.
With a practical approach to bridging generational gaps, Cure and her team emphasize the importance of mutual respect, value systems, safe environments, and relationship cultivation. The future of work will not be about shirking the old generation’s ways of working in favor of the new but merging all of the generational value systems to create a dynamic organizational framework. Through careful guidance, Innovative Connections is helping organizations navigate and excel in this multigenerational space, ultimately helping them develop a culture where everyone can contribute.