Managing Across the Generation Gap

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While we've probably all heard certain stereotypes about the various generations, how do they translate into the day-to-day workplace dynamics?

The reality is that younger people are buying companies and managing departments, and they often find themselves supervising older people. One of the big areas of conflict is over communications. Younger generations communicate with e-mail, text messages, or instant messaging. Older generations want to speak face-to-face, or at least over the telephone. That can create problems where older employees are expecting personal feedback from a younger boss, while the boss thinks the e-mail she sent should cover all the bases.

Compromise helps. Older employees should send frequent e-mail updates to their younger bosses, and those bosses should remember to walk down the hall and spend a few minutes speaking to their employees every day.

What about expectations on issues where we often hear about conflicts, like dress codes and keeping regular business hours?

Baby boomers are used to coming in early, staying late, and working weekends when the company needs them. In contrast, your Gen Y employees may show up at 10 o'clock in the morning. The Gen Xers may want to work from home, or have time off to spend with their families. All the groups want the company to succeed, they want customers to be happy, and they want to contribute to that success. But the path they see to getting to that result is different.

We encourage people in the younger generation, particularly entrepreneurs, to set the example for their employees. It still surprises a lot of people if the CEO shows up for work in a T-shirt and jeans. They need to recognize that their clothes and their language does make a big first impression that impacts their credibility.

There's also a lot of stereotyping that happens around this issue, however. There are lots of Gen Y individuals who don't fit the stereotype of having multiple body piercings and wild-colored hair. They look just as professional as anyone else, and they resent being put into that stereotypical category.

What advice do you give older employees, perhaps people working as consultants or semi-retired, in dealing with younger bosses and business owners?

It's okay to be confident about your experience, but don't expect to go in to a company owned by someone younger and immediately be in charge. Don't hover like a parent over a younger boss, or a younger colleague. Sometimes older generations sweep in and want to show "the kids" the ropes—even if those kids are in charge. The younger generations want to be respected and they want others to recognize that they have value to add to the company. Or else they wouldn't be there.

What about the younger generations? How do you advise them to behave with older colleagues or employees?

They need to realize that it turns off older people if they use too much slang and too much computer language. They should not stereotype older people as inflexible, too tired, and too old to change. The reality is that they can change if you involve them in the change and engage their experience to help you and your company get through it. Older people want to be respected because they can still work, they are reliable and they are productive.

The bottom line for everyone is this: Everyone wants respect: older people for the experience and knowledge they can share; younger people for their technology skills and adaptability.

Karen E. Klein is a Los Angeles-based writer who covers entrepreneurship and small-business issues.