By Sarah Newton

There is no doubt that the work force has become so much more diverse in every way. From the amount of different generations, the retirement age higher than ever and the gap between young and old and their beliefs of and use of technology have created some big canyons that employers have a challenge crossing. So it is great to see a book addressing this.

According to Bob Weinstein, from Troy Media, the book “Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters – Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work” offers the following six tips on dealing with generational conflict:

1. Understand work styles. Traditionalists and baby boomers don’t like to be micromanaged, while Gen Y and Linksters (born after 1995) crave specific, detailed instructions about how to do things and are used to hovering authorities.

Yes, yes and double yes, however let me add something here to make this clearer. While traditionalists and boomers don’t like to be micromanaged, they like to know the process, how things are done and then get on with it. Gen Y and Linksters want to know the end result and the structure but they want to make up their own process and check in on the way. So the older employees want to know the how of it and the younger the why of it.

2. Consider generational values. Each generation is protecting a distinct set of values and conflict may threaten these values. For example, baby boomers value teamwork, cooperation, and buy-in, while Gen X prefers to make a unilateral decision and move on, preferably solo.

And let’s add that Gen Y and the linksters value open, honest teams that collaborate and share together and let’s not forget that they like options.

3. Share perceptions. When employees of two or more generations are involved in a workplace conflict, they can learn a great deal by sharing their perceptions. A traditionalist may find the lack of formality and manners of Gen Y offensive, while Gen Y may feel “dissed” when this older employee fails to respect his or her opinions and input.

What I have found to be really helpful here is to have the distinct groups create picture boards of things they value as a generation. They are a visual reminder for everyone and show the difference in a clear way. Also, a fun activity that does not make anyone wrong for how they see things or what they value.

4. Find a generationally appropriate fix. You can’t change people’s life experiences, but you can work with the set of workplace attitudes and expectations that result. A knowledgeable boomer who is frustrated by the lack of experience shown by a member of Gen Y can, coupled with his or her sense of entitlement, be turned into a mentor.

And can I add here that in my experience if you want a problem solving with a creative solution, go to the younger staff. In studies, people immersed in digital technology as a way of life are 10% better at solving problems than their older counterparts. Don’t assume that the decisions and solutions must come from the elders. Gen Y and beyond are the most creative generation we have seen for a long time. Use the skills of each generation to its best.

5. Find commonality. Traditional and Gen Y employees tend to value security and stability. Traditional and boomers resist change, but both crave training and development. Gen X and Gen Y employees place a high value on workplace flexibility and work-life balance. Boomers and linksters are most comfortable with diversity and alternative lifestyles. Gen Y and linksters are technologically adept and committed to socially responsible policies.

Absolutely! Point this out and also their difference. Help them figure out as a team how they can use their strengths as generations. Make them aware of the generation cycle and each generation’s jobs within that, so they can see where they fit in the bigger picture.

6. Learn from each other. Each generation has valuable lessons to teach the next. Traditional and boomers have a wealth of knowledge and tricks of the trade that younger workers need. Generation X employees are widely known for their fairness and mediation abilities. Generation Y workers are technology wizards. And linksters hold clues to future workplace, marketing, and business trends.

Yes, and take this one step further, see if you can have Skills Exchange Days. A day where someone from one generation teaches another a skill they have. What fun that would be!

Read more: How five generations can work together

OK, I can hold my containment no longer and I have to shout from the rooftops. I am so excited about the coalition agreement made in UK politics between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, mostly because I am so excited to have Nick Clegg in a senior position. While I did not really favour Cameron, I must say that throughout this whole process, he and his party have handled the situation with grace, humility and a spirit of collaboration which we, as a generation, have never seen. But mostly what excites me is a shift from baby boomer leaders to Generation X leaders.

Baby boomers are notorius for having a great vision and assuming that we will all follow suit. They want to help and can mollycoddle; look what they did to their Gen Y children, they were the original helicopter parents! Generation X on the other hand are so much more individualistic and as such, more likely (as we have seen) to preach personal responsibility, which I believe will fill the gap I see so often in our youth.

For these of you who are not aware or familiar with Generational Theory, Generation X is commonly abbreviated to Gen X, the generation born after the baby boom ended, with earliest birth dates used by researchers ranging from 1961 to the latest 1981. In Generation Theory, generations are split into four cycles, describing their job in the world, so to speak.

Now, Gordon Brown was in the Baby Boom generation and here is what Howe and Strauss say about that generation.

Prophets are values-driven, moralistic, focused on self, and willing to fight to the death for what they believe in- and they can convince other people to join them in the fight. They grow up as the increasingly indulged children of a High, come of age as the young crusaders of an Awakening, enter midlife as moralistic leaders during an Unravelling and are the wise, elder leaders of the next Crisis. The Boomers are an example of a Prophet generation.

Have we not seen Gordon Brown do all of these as he tried to cling onto government? As I said before, Boomers can have a tendency to tell us what is right or wrong and convince them that they are doing things in our interests.

However, enter Generation X, a whole different ball game – known as the nomads, here is what Generation Theory says about them.

Nomads are ratty, tough, unwanted, diverse, adventurous, and cynical about institutions. They grow up as the under protected children of an Awakening, come of age as the alienated young adults of an Unravelling, become the pragmatic, midlife leaders of a Crisis and age into tough, post-crisis elders during a High. Generation X and the Lost Generation are examples of Nomad generations.

As a Gen X myself, I would certainly say that that is true. The explosion of youth culture and punks really does align with what we know of Gen X – they are the rebels. Is it no surprise that they went against the institution and formed a coalition?

So we can expect our government to be tough, cynical and pragmatic and Gen X do become leaders in midlife, so it is all looking good for us as we move forward. However this tough individualistic style is something the millennial/Gen Y have not yet seen. For our little Gen Z coming up behind, it will be an approach they are very familiar with, seeing it in their parents, but for their older counterparts a shock may be in store.

Here is what Generation Theory says about Gen Y, who are considered the hero generation.

Heroes are conventional, powerful, and institutionally driven, with a profound trust in authority. They grow up as the increasingly protected children of an Unravelling, come of age as the Heroic, team-working youth of a Crisis, become energetic and hubristic mid-lifers during a High and become the powerful elders who are attacked in the next Awakening. The G.I. Generation that fought World War II is an example of a Hero generation. Millennial are expected to emerge as the next generation of this example.

So, we have young adults who grew up protected, being governed by people that grew up very unprotected, institutionally driven youth with a trust in authority being governed by a mistrusting pair who are cynical about institutions. On the surface it looks like a mis-match. However, as Gen X finally get their day, I feel can learn a lot from them.

Firstly, I want to say that as most Gen X had such difficult childhoods, feeling very unwanted by society, that they believe in the potential and power of the youth that they missed out on. Therefore, I believe they will approach them in a very helpful way.

What our new PM and his deputy will teach the youth.

1. I think they will teach them to toughen up. So far they have had it easy, looked after and loved well by their parents, who step in to help. I think Gen X will teach them to stand on their own two feet a bit more and will encourage them to go out into the big wide world unaided.

2. The youth will learn what relatiism is, something that up to now they may not have encountered. A generation that were brought up being told they could do anything, they will soon learn to take a realistic view at things. Our new government will be pragmatic and real and will I think tame the lofty heights and fantasy worlds that Gen Y sometimes live in.

3. Gen X are extremely individualistic; they learnt from a early age to take care of themselves, taking personal responsibility. Gen X parents will never take the blame for a mistake their child has made and this government will not take the blame for youth not taking responsibility for their own actions.

4. Gen X are not known for their result-focused attitudes, so it may be that we see some reform of the education system. We may see a shift from results to pastoral care, which will have a huge impact on our youth.

And I also think that this government, should it choose to do so, has a lot to learn from our youth. Since they are in collaborative coalition, who best to turn to than the generation who do collaboration standing on their heads? Their young society will not stand for quibbling between these parties and will demand that they govern in a respectful, authentic way. The youth, if they are listened to, may also be able to raise the expectations of these two leaders. Gen X are highly practical in their outlook and may lose some vision and enthusiasm for what they do. While the Baby Boomers tried to keep them on the moral path, this government could become very uninspirational.

Like anything, this is just speculation, but I think that we are in for a highly interesting time….

*By Carol Phillips

I recently finished reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s best selling book, Eat Pray Love. The book chronicles Gilbert’s literal and figurative spiritual journey toward a deeper relationship with God, but never actually reveals which if any religion speaks to her yearning.  Gilbert, a Gen X’er, seems to have a lot in common with Gen Y.

New data released this week from Pew Research on Millennials and religion quoted in USA Today, Denver Post and elsewhere, says one in four Millennials (25%) do not identify with any one faith, instead describing their religion as “atheist,” “agnostic” or “nothing in particular.”  This level of non-affiliation is much than was seen for other generations at the same age.

At the same time, the Pew study reveals that spirituality among young adults is undiminished. “Members of today’s Millennial generation, ages 18 to 29, are as likely to pray and believe in God as their elders were when they were young.” This leads them to conclude in their headline: “Young Adults ‘Less Religious,’ Not Necessarily ‘More Secular‘.”

There is other evidence to support the conclusion that the issue is more one of lack of affiliation than a lack of faith in God. A survey of Millennials reported in New Yorker magazine last year found that 43% of Gen Y believes they are ‘as religious’ or ‘more religious’ than their parents.  A Marist Institute poll shows over three in ten Millennials define their primary long-term life goal in religious terms (“To be spiritual and close to God”). That figure was higher than for any other age group.

What makes this lack of affiliation especially intriguing to me is that in many other areas of their lives, Millennials are inclined to go along with their parents’ choices.

Within the 25% who are unaffiliated, nearly three quarters were raised in a religious faith tradition and dropped away. This makes faith the outlier as far as decisions that break with their parents.  Recall that this is the first generation that as a rule likes their parents and even thinks of their parents as their ‘best friend’.

• 86% say they share their parents political views.
• Every single student in my Principles of Marketing class raised their hand last week when I asked who banks where their parents bank.
• According to an AARP survey, 41% of Millennials with cars drive the same brand of car their parents drive or have driven.
• The American Savings Council found 71% of Gen X’ers and Gen Y’ers turn to their parents for financial advice.

So why make the break here, over something as important as faith?

I think has to do with the strength of the Millennial subculture and its strong, shared ethical values than a fundamental change in their belief in God.

The Gen Y subculture is astonishingly ethical, both in values and in practice. ’Bad behavior’ on a variety of  social dimensions from pregnancy to crime to drugs are all down among young adults.  Socially, Millennials prize tolerance as a result of their inherent diversity. They are significantly more socially liberal than their parents on issues of marriage, abortion, interracial dating.  Millennials are less inclined to believe that church affiliation is necessary to be a ‘good person’. According to a Marist Institute poll, 56% have donated money to a charity in the past six months and 67% have volunteered their time.

I’ll go out on a limb here and speculate that some of the lack of affiliation is due to a desire for ‘authenticity.’  The Gen Y subculture is unusually sensitive to phoniness. It’s unlikely they will go through the motions of attending church just because it is ‘the thing to do’  if they have questions about their own sincerity.

In the final analysis, reaching Millennials and getting them to re-affiliate with any one ‘religion’ may be unrealistic as a ‘marketing objective’.

Gen Y is accustomed to choices, and there is some evidence they may feel confined by a denominational label.  In December I noted that Millennials are ‘auditioning’ faiths the same way they would look for a college, a spouse or other major decision (“For Millennials Belief Is A Choice“). This represents a huge generational shift and as with so many other Gen Y trends, may start to migrate into  the thinking of other age groups. The Pew research shows that like Millennials, most Americans are embracing ‘multiple faiths’, with beliefs that do not ‘ fit conventional categories’.

*Carol Phillips is the president and founder of the brand strategy consulting firm “Brand Amplitude.” She is also a Professor at the prestigious University of Notre Dame. Carol began her career as a market researcher and strategic planner at Leo Burnett. Later, as an Account Director, she led agency teams at four different agencies – Y&R, Leo Burnett, Mullen and JWT – for a variety of clients including Sprint, Nextel, Ameritech, Heinz, 7UP, and Philip Morris. She blogs at www.millennialmarketing.com.

By Margie Maddux Newman*

I’ve got two weeks left to say “I’m 29,” and mean it. As the big 3-0 approaches, that’s really my only deep thought.

I don’t feel like I’m getting old – mentally nor physically.  I certainly don’t look old – the casual passerby is often fooled by my petite frame.

Honestly, I haven’t thought that much about turning 30,other than the subconscious understanding that 30 putsme closer to what I’ve always thought of as my Work Age.

I sometimes hear that I’m “impressive for my age.” This is said with the utmost earnestness but often leaves me wondering to what age the compliment refers:  if I were 35 today, would I fail to impress? Am I a shiny object because I’m in my twenties? Will my polish fade when I’m firmly planted in the next decade?

I’ve always been told I am mature for my age – being an only child can either make you a tiny grown-up or a big pain-in-the-rear. I am usually the former – but in recent years, being mature has become less of an observation by my mom’s friends (“Listen to her! She’s 13 going on 30!”) and more of a wow-factor in my industry (“Listen to her! She’s young, but she knows what she’s talking about!”).

Like most impressive things, my professional accomplishments are product of timing. As someone comfortably in the middle of Generations X and Y, I’m both tech-savvy and old school. I’m an Internet addict, but still pen handwritten thank you notes. I’m an advocate for the promotion of hard-working recent grads, but believe one only advances by doing more than is required and doing it better than anyone else – job-description-be-damned.

Professionally, I’m more advanced than the average bear, but that’s only because I’ve had amazing mentors, been in the right place at the right time, and am completely in love with my profession (albeit one that many folks don’t understand and, sadly, tend to butcher).

Now, personally, I’m a little behind the curve: I got married well after my college friends, I don’t have kids and I just learned to ride a bicycle two weeks ago.

At 29, I’m “impressive for my age” and working to prove I’m a force to be strategized with.

At 30, I’m honing a craft and acting on instincts that give me street cred, and have crossedthe threshold of 8 – 10 years of work experience.

Rather than wincing at the thought of bidding my “youth” farewell, I’m greeting my Work Age with open arms, an active Twitter account and a new-found appreciation for feeling thewind in my hair.

By Scott Asai*

Today’s organization is a mixture of different generations. It’s important to understand the differences in values, communication style, work ethic, etc. It’s even more vital to apply these findings at work. Here’s some suggestions to narrow the “gap” at work:

Baby Boomers

Think SUCCESSION plan. Plan with the end in mind.
Boomers have all the experience and knowledge. Don’t let the knowledge leave when you retire. MENTOR!

Help Gen X by: Delegating responsibility and tasks. This entrepreneur group enjoys leading projects, so start training them to take over.
Teach them how to lead a team.

Help Millennials by: Giving them feedback on their performance. One of the biggest mistakes is expecting them to lead alone. This is a collaborative group. They lead by team consensus.

Generation X
LEADERSHIP skills. This generation is driven to be efficient. They prefer to work independently, yet need opportunities to lead people. This is the next group of leaders. They are the “hybrid” of Boomers/Millennials.

Help Boomers by: Offering efficiency solutions. Ask to get involved at the management level. Be proactive, not critical. Help your experienced counterparts understand the Millennials (most of you have younger siblings this age) Help Millennials by: Showing them the work expectations of their Boomer supervisors. Teach them how to be professional. Help them increase the quality of their oral and written communication.

Millennials
TEAM players and TECH-savvy. This optimistic group expects to reach their dreams. Relationships are important – more important than their careers.

Help Boomers by: Asking Boomers to mentor you. In return, teach them technology PATIENTLY. Show them how technology increases efficiency.

Help Gen X by: Sharing your optimism. Tell them to lighten up and not take things so seriously. Explain how social networking helps build relationships.

This is a brief list, but a good start for implementing action NOW!

Don’t wait. Take action and be part of the SOLUTION!

Scott Asai writes “Leading Gen whY”, to help increase the performance of the Gen Y/Millennial Worker. He started Growing Forward Coaching in 2007 to help corporations understand and learn how to maximize the talent of the younger worker. Prior to running his own business, he spent over ten years as a coach, director and youth leader. To contact him, please email scott@growingforward.net