Cooperation between the generations - how it works 

Baby Boomers and Generation X know traditional values and organizational forms very well, because they were trained and led according to these beliefs. In contrast to this age cohort are the younger generations Y & Z, for whom smartphones, mobile Internet and new digital business models are considered normality. This mix presents a challenge for employees and managers to overcome. For companies that want to tackle the issue, there are specific points to consider.

In many companies today, up to four generations still work together:

The Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are shaped by the aftermath of World War 2, but they also witnessed the economic miracle. They have coined the term workaholic. Work has the highest priority. Baby Boomers are team-oriented, but also career-oriented. However, they don't enjoy the fruits of their labor until they retire. Baby Boomers are familiar with the possibilities of digital technologies and new media, but are often still analog.

Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, has been shaped by various economic and environmental crises. Personal advancement has the highest priority in their jobs. They are well educated, ambitious and seek a materially secure life. Work-life balance is important to them and they are used to separating private and professional life. The representatives of Generation X are the last analogs and the first digitals, i.e. they are halfway between the Baby Boomers and Generations Y and Z. They are also the first digital generation.

Generation Y, born between 1982 and 1995 and raised in stable times, values self-realization, but is also known as a team player. Generation Y wants answers. The why comes before the what. They are very well connected off- and online, computers and new media are part of everyday life. Thanks to the Internet, they are used to receiving answers to questions quickly, but also to giving them. They like to let their private and professional lives flow into one another and are therefore also prepared to work in their free time if necessary.

Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2010, has grown up completely with digital technologies. As digital natives, they are online almost 24 hours a day, and the virtual and the real are increasingly merging. They separate their private and business lives more strictly than Generation Y. They seek self-fulfillment not only at work, but increasingly in their private lives as well. Because of their parents' prosperity, they can develop in many directions, but they are also concerned about the future.

It is obvious that this constellation can lead to areas of tension. In the past, generational issues were resolved with an authoritarian leadership style. Traditionals and Baby Boomers set the course, Generation X executed - in most cases. Here, the focus was on WHAT rather than WHY. That no longer works today. The younger generations are not simply surrendering to their fate and being willing enforcers. They are demanding, they want meaning, answers and a WHY. And they want it fast. The clash of sometimes very different attitudes to life and values poses challenges for employers, but also offers great opportunities if the connection between the generations is fostered, wishes are collected, and solutions are sought and worked out together.

Some time ago, I was with a young employee at a customer in the financial sector. The task was to present a concept that the colleague had largely developed himself. I wanted him to make this presentation. The client, a baby boomer about to retire, entered the room and greeted me first. Since we've known each other for a long time, on a first-name basis.  When he turned to my colleague, he greeted the client by saying, "Hello, I'm Daniel." - "Peter," the customer replied, rather perplexed, and I sensed that he didn't like this "mugging" at all. After all, the two of them had never met before, and for a twenty-something to offer to be on a first-name basis with a 60-year-old was anything but the norm. Then the presentation started. Although Daniel presented, the client spoke exclusively to me, asked me the questions, which I then deliberately let Daniel answer. And he did. He delivered and was able to answer even the smallest detail. More and more during the meeting, the customer turned to my young colleague. The nonchalance that had bothered him at the beginning was forgotten. He sensed that his counterpart had done a really good job and expressed his appreciation at the end of the meeting. I was really proud of him. Afterwards, we reflected on the meeting and I pointed out to him, in addition to a lot of positive feedback, that normally the older person offers the younger person, or the customer, the "you". I could not and would not counter his explanation that he had stumbled over this aspect due to nervousness.

Each generation has its own values, expressions and gestures. And these should also be reserved for the respective generation. So when a 45-year-old supervisor addresses his young colleagues as "Hey, dude" and throws around expressions like WAYNE, YOLO, SWAG, it's more embarrassing than cool.

Existing rifts and the feeling that people don't understand each other are often not simply based on a lack of acceptance, but on misunderstandings and a lack of communication among each other. Bring all generations together, talk about personal values and motivators, and define values and the common why of collaboration together with your employees. You will see that the supposed differences are not so big when you talk about them.

The working world of the future will be characterized by changes and challenges. Some we can consciously control and influence their development. Cooperation between the generations is one of them. If we succeed in promoting mutual acceptance and reducing fear of contact, the different generations with their peculiarities, values and qualities will be formed into a single unit. This promotes a positive basic attitude and increases the mood in the company. As a result, the multiplication of individual skills and mutual learning from each other is guaranteed to increase results in the end.