Building a Bridge Among Generations
Jennifer Sugarman
The workforce is changing at a rapid pace. Gone are the days of archaic paper filing, typewriters, library research and data analysis. Hello Google, high-speed internet and wifi, and remote work stations! A major shift is taking place in the workplace as the Millennial generation takes over half of the U.S. workforce and 20 percent of the country’s leadership positions.
With all this change, and multiple generations working under one roof, the need for proper communication among these generations is crucial. A bridge needs to be built by the entire team — leadership included — to ensure proper communication.
It’s important to get all generations on the same page in three major areas:
- formality in the workplace
- communication
- drive to succeed
When the Baby Boomers entered the workforce, a standard suit and tie were practically issued to them. It was seen as disrespectful to not have your jacket buttoned when meeting with leadership, let alone not wear one. These days, a more business casual style has been widely adopted, a move that many Boomers see as too casual and disrespectful. But that’s basically all that Millennials have ever known. Getting your team on the same page with regard to formality in the workplace is key to building a bridge of acceptance among the generations.
Another crucial aspect of bridge building is communication style. It’s important to offer multiple communication avenues in an office with multiple generations because generally speaking, boomers grew up with rotary dial phones and no computers, encouraging face-to-face communication. Millennials, on the other hand, had cell phones before they could drive, had access to computers at home and school, and now our cell phones are our computers.
This encourages an environment of calling, emailing or texting as opposed to in-person meetings. While technology has all but eliminated the necessity for face-to-face communication, an important component in business and in leadership is encouraging it. However, offering various mediums of communication is important for cohesion of an office filled with different age groups.
Last but not least, what drives each generation to succeed? Motivating factors vary from generation to generation. Members of older generations are used to coming in and getting the job done, no matter what, while the youth entering the workforce is motivated by praise and guidance. We are all products of our environment, and no one environment is incorrect. They are just different. I once had a supervisor come to me with a light bulb looming over her head after reviewing my pitch for a marketing campaign, exclaiming, “I realize now that young people aren’t wrong for their way of thinking, they’re just different!” What a concept.
The key to building a sturdy bridge among the generations in the workplace is to lay the foundation brick by brick. Provide employees with the tools to succeed no matter what generation they belong to, while always keeping their motivating factors in mind. This ultimately allows the team to achieve the bottom line, and they will walk side-by-side along that sturdy bridge.
Jennifer Sugarman, President and CEO of the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce, is a busy working Millennial mom to son, Emmett. She formed the Cocoa Beach Chamber’s Young Professionals Group in 2016, currently serves on the board for United Way of Brevard and is an active member in Brevard County’s business community.
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