When the media talks about millennials, Gen-X and baby boomers in the workplace, most of the article titles pit them against each other. Baby boomers are frustrated by the entitlement and technology dependency of millennials, while millennials are tired of hearing these stereotypes and generalizations from older employees who seem envious or bitter.
In other words, no one seems to want to put in the time to get to know one another; thus, the stereotypes. In order to have an inclusive workplace, we need to put more effort toward understanding people in our office, regardless of which generation they’re part of. This is what Mona Gable tells us in her article “ Millennial and boomer women should be friends. It’s good for their careers. ” On a work trip to Chile, Gable was traveling with three millennial women. While she felt unsure of how the trip would go, she was pleasantly surprised to find that she learned something from the women, and vice versa.
Though there are many differences between the generations, female millennials and baby boomers have a lot in common, such as the struggle to be a woman in the workforce. One of those commonalities is that “…young women are still fighting for the same family-leave policies we were two decades ago,” writes Gable. “Despite a majority of women with children in the workforce, we still don’t have national child care or paid parental leave…” Gable also points out another similarity—millennials and baby boomers have also gone through recessions and have experienced the hardship of entering bleak job markets.
Establishing common ground is important for being inclusive. After all, once we recognize our similarities, we can see that we have things to learn from each other, whether we’re the same age or not. Gable mentioned in her article that she learned many things from her millennial travel companions, such as gaining fresh perspective on old ideas and navigating the world of technology. Likewise, millennials can learn from the professional experiences of more seasoned employees.
Inclusive leaders need to take a more active role in smoothing tensions between generations. We need to create a culture that fosters the kind of learning that can take place in an intergenerational office. One way to promote this inclusion and learning is to have mentorship programs in your office. Pairing one or two new employees with an experienced baby boomer can help to minimize the stigma and misperceptions of both generations.
Another idea is to have mini presentations in the office. Your millennial employees can have an opportunity to present on skills such as how social media and SEO can enhance your company’s visibility. Baby boomers can share the importance of face-to-face networking and provide advice on how to succeed in the workforce and grow careers. Allowing each generation to have the floor will provide them with credibility among their coworkers, which will increase inclusion and understanding of all generations in your workplace.