Successful Intergenerational Communication in the Workplace

Did you know that in 2024, Gen Z (the generation born between 1996 and 2010) will overtake Baby Boomers in the workplace?

We now have a workforce made up of...

• Baby Boomers

• Gen X

• Millennials

• and.... Gen Z

You might have noticed that this has led to some tensions as the values of yesteryear sometimes clash with those of today.

In fact, intergenerational differences have gone on since the beginning of time.

Culture, society, ways of thinking are constantly changing so it’s no good thinking ‘well in my day…’. Because what was acceptable in ‘your day’ may be totally different now.

Heraclitus wrote back in the Ancient Greek day

The ONLY thing constant was CHANGE.

So it’s nothing new,

So get used to it,

And embrace it.

So what can you do if you are terrified to speak or say anything for fear of putting a foot wrong?

Here are some ideas...

1. Have an open mind.
​

2. Accept that you don't know everything just because you are older. No one knows everything.
​

3. Listen to understand and not just to get your point across.
​

4. If in doubt, ask questions
​

5. Come clean about ignorance
​

6. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it

Remember, we are all part of the same species... Homo sapiens.

We’re human.

We are different in so many ways but ultimately we all have

A Mind

A Body

And a spirit

so first and foremost, speak human to human -

See the connections, not the differences.

Love all, serve all, help ever, hurt never. (Hindi saying)

Tracy