When I facilitate wellness and engagement discussions, generational issues in the workplace are the most common questions I get asked. This HBR article reminds us that although generational differences are real, we tend to exaggerate them. If we make broad generalizations based on the age demographic of a co-worker, we could miss the opportunity to see their unique attributes and to have a meaningful professional relationship with them. “If you have a problem with an entire generation, thats your problem and your prejudice. If you have a problem with one employee who happens to be of a different generation than you, then you have a problem with one employee, period.”
The Key to Preventing Generational Tension Is Remembering That Everyone Wants to Feel Valued
Executive Summary Generational differences are real, but we tend to make too much of them. If the way you are managing the older or younger members of your team is overtly or subliminally signaling that you don’t value them, you will surely see the symptoms of hurt feelings: resistance, disengagement, anger, or insubordination.
