Closing the Generation Gap at Work

If you have ever worked with a Baby Boomer, a Generation X’er, and a millennial in the same workplace, you understand the vast differences in communication style that each of them have. Workers over the age of 40 have been accustomed to relating to coworkers more verbally or face-to-face, while the younger generation is more comfortable communicating from a distance via text messages and email.

It’s not hard to see how these differences in communication styles can cause gaps in understanding, and consequently gaps in cooperation. Sometimes it can even escalate to chaos, belittling, or blaming each other for inadequate comprehension. It can create a very bad employee situation that has to be solved in order to keep a normal working environment.

Many employees decline to confront their co-workers and may even resort to a more passive aggressive approach, which can foster a cold non-cooperative atmosphere. Other employees, on the other hand, can be more confrontational and more willing to be aggressive in getting the answers to their questions.

The soft-skills of human social dynamics and communication have been untaught and largely overlooked in the education process. Consequently, the younger generation, who may be very educated, finds a strange new world as they work alongside an older generation that has the hard-skills they need for the job but are unwilling to share the information. Both sides may lack patience for the growth necessary. Baby boomers may feel sweat equity is needed for millennials to get the respect they seek. The younger generation may feel the older co-worker is too slow and isn’t open to new ideas. A stalemate can occur and cooperation breaks down.

The younger generation, who may be very educated, finds a strange new world as they work alongside an older generation that has the hard-skills they need for the job but are unwilling to share the information

Technology shares part of the blame for the generation gap in today’s workplace. However, while it does contribute to today’s social isolation and poor communication, it also contributes to the solution. Through technology, we have created pathways for information to be easily shared between generations in an inoffensive and non-threatening process.

The Sweet Spot Survey takes just 10 minutes to complete and has been developed to connect people by helping them better understand themselves, as well as their coworkers. 

As a person begins to apply and live out the Sweet Spot “effect” in the workplace, greater understanding and acceptance happens. Respect for each other, greater productivity, harmony, and job satisfaction have new opportunities to exist.

Each of us has potential that may have been locked up or undiscovered. By knowing your purpose, you have an opportunity to reach your highest potential. Great progress comes through understanding and recognizing each person’s unique design and how it affects life and work.

When a person operates in their sweet spot, the effect is visible and positive.