When you see a gray-haired, three-piece-suited executive talking to a twentysomething with multiple body piercings, it may seem that the generation gap in the workplace is bigger than ever. But people of all ages essentially want the same things—even if they look or behave differently.
The organization I work for, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), conducted a seven-year study that examined the various generations and generational issues in today's workplace. The study involved more than 3,200 leaders from all walks of life. CCL discovered that many of the assumptions made about each generation were exaggerated or untrue. Instead, the so-called generation gap is, in large part, the result of miscommunication and misunderstanding.
Keep in mind these 10 key findings from our study when communicating with all generations:
1. All generations have similar values.
Many people talk about the enormous differences in values between older and younger workers, as if these differences were an established fact. But the CCL study found that the generations are similar in their values and priorities. Family is valued most frequently by people of all generations. Other values found to be important to all workers include integrity, achievement, love, competence, happiness, self-respect, wisdom, balance and responsibility.
2. Everyone wants respect.
We often hear that younger people are disrespectful of older employees and of those in authority. We also hear complaints that older people show no respect for younger talent and ideas. The reality is that everyone wants respect, but the generations just don't define it in the same way. In the CCL study, older individuals defined respectful behavior as people "giv[ing] my opinions the weight I believe they deserve" and "do[ing] what I tell [them] to do." Younger respondents characterized respectful actions as listening to them and paying attention to what they have to say.
3. Trust matters.
Multigenerational workers have similar views of their organizations and upper management: They don't trust them very much. Employees have the most trust in people they work with directly. However, they have less trust in their organizations as a whole and even less faith in upper management.
4. People want leaders who are credible and trustworthy.
What do different generations expect from their leaders? People of all generations want their leaders to be credible, to listen well, and to be farsighted, encouraging and trustworthy.
5. Organizational politics is a problem—no matter how old or young you are.
Workers from all generations are concerned about the effects of organizational politics on their careers. They want to be recognized for the work they are doing and have access to the resources they need to do their jobs.
6. No one really likes change.
The stereotype is that older people dislike workplace change while younger people welcome it. Wrong. People of all generations are uncomfortable with change—the key is whether they see company change as a benefit or hindrance to them and their careers.
7. Loyalty depends on the context, not on the generation.
Our research shows that younger generations are no more likely to job-hop than older generations were at the same age. In addition, people of all generations don't necessarily think that being loyal in the "old sense" is good for their careers. In the 1950s and 1960s people were much more likely to expect to spend their working lives with one organization than people are today. At that time people were "loyal" to their organizations in that they tended to stay with one organization and move up through the ranks. It might take time to move up within an organization, but people weren't concerned about being laid off because companies weren't downsizing, outsourcing or merging as they are in today's business reality. There was an implicit agreement that if you (the employee) did your job and kept your nose clean, then you would have a job for life.
But it's the context that's important, not the age. For example, people who are closer to retirement are more likely to want to stay with the same organization for the rest of their working life, and people in higher positions in an organization tend to work more hours than those lower in the organization.
8. It's as easy to retain a young person as an older one—if you do the right things.
It should come as no surprise that almost everyone feels overworked and underpaid. And just about everyone has the same views on how a company can keep them: Provide opportunities for advancement, encourage learning and development, show respect and recognition, and increase pay.
9. Everyone wants to learn.
All generations want to learn and have the training necessary to do their current job well. They are also interested in what they need to learn to get to the next level in their organization. The following five developmental areas made it onto every generation's list: leadership, skills training in their field of expertise, problem solving and decision making, team building and communication skills.
10. Almost everyone wants a coach.
We've heard that younger people are constantly asking for feedback and can't get enough of it. We've also heard that older people don't want any feedback at all. According to CCL's research, everyone wants to know how he or she is doing and wants to learn how to do better.
These 10 points reveal that the generation gap in today's workplace isn't as large as people might believe. You may see younger and older people disagreeing in the workplace, but conflicts that arise from generational differences are dwarfed by those that stem from other sources. Remembering that we all have the same goals in mind will make communicating much easier.
