We’re getting older and older.

Although the average life expectancy still varies greatly around the world, the trend is clear. According to data from WHO life expectancy has increased by over six years in just two decades – from 66.8 years in 2000 to 73.4 years in 2019.

At the same time, there’s a tendency for work-life to continue longer than it did in the past, although again there are variations around the world.

The result is that in many workplaces today, there are more generations working together than ever before. This can bring new challenges – but also new opportunities.

How can you create strong collaboration across different ages and generations in your company, where you tackle the challenges and benefit fully from the opportunities? And how do you foster an inclusive work culture where all voices are heard?

This is what Annette Dahl, CEO and Chief Trainer at C3 Consulting, will cover over 7 tips in this blog post.

Pressed for time? Then dive straight into the ‘light’ version of our blog post.

Do you want it all? Then continue reading below!

1. ‘Western generational labels’: Get to know them – but use them wisely

Which generation do you belong to?

Are you a Baby boomer or a Millennial or are you Generation X / Z / Alpha?

Or have you never considered yourself to be part of a particular generation?

Although you may not have focused that much on generations, there are many others who have!

The term ‘Baby boomer’ emerged in the aftermath of World War II when many countries experienced particularly high birth rates. Gradually, more generational labels were added, and today, Boomer, Millennial, etc. have in many places become part of everyday language and public debate.

Some voices in the research world argue that such generational labels do more harm than good, as they can reinforce stereotypes and increase polarization between the age groups. Not least on social media.

But whether we like them or not, these generational labels are one of the realities of life.

That’s why we’re giving you a quick overview of them here (the four ‘middle’ generations are mainly represented in today’s workplaces):

• The Traditionalists, also known as the Veterans or the Silent Generation – born between 1925 and 1945
• Baby boomers – born between 1946 and 1964
• Generation X – born between 1965 and 1980
• Generation Y, also called Millennials – born between 1981 and 1995
• Generation Z – born between 1996 and 2010
• Generation Alpha – born between 2011 and the present day (2023 at the time of writing)

What the generations are called, and where they start and finish, is not completely fixed. And the ‘boundaries’ between the generations can be blurred.

You can use the relevant generational labels to create an overview when dealing with collaboration between generations. But do it with care!

You can quickly find headline characteristics on Google of employees from different generations, what their values and preferences are and what motivates them. Try to check what the characteristics in question are based on: Are there concrete data to support them? Or is it more about generational myths that have been repeated so often in the media that they have become a common belief?

Also note that the generational labels mentioned above are western generational labels.

Although they are also increasingly used globally, there are very large variations around the world in terms of what the individual generations are called and what characterizes them. We’ll take a closer look at that next.

2. Be aware of differences between generations around the world

A generation is typically defined as a group of people who, through their youth and upbringing, have experienced the same social conditions and historical events. According to research, what we experience in the formative years of childhood and youth has a major influence on which values, preferences and habits we take with us forwards in life.

Where you grow up in the world naturally has a great influence on which social conditions and historical events you and your generation experience in the formative years.

In the thoroughly researched book The Generation Myth: Why When You're Born Matters Less Than You Think (by Bobby Duffy, Basic Books, 2021) one of the arguments is that where you were born often plays a bigger role in shaping your values, preferences and habits than when you were born.

If you’re based in Denmark, you only need to move south of the Danish-German border to observe greater generational differences than those experienced typically in Denmark.

In a German workplace, for example, you may notice that the younger generations have a less formal tone than the older generations, who tend to stick to formalities.

You may also find that colleagues who spent their formative years in former East Germany have a different mindset than colleagues who grew up after reunification. And you might see similarly significant generational differences between colleagues in former Eastern European countries, who grew up before and after the ‘fall of the iron curtain’ in 1989.

Zooming out further, we can see many societies around the world that have quite recently experienced – and are still experiencing – much faster and more profound changes than, for example, the Danish society.

One example is China where some of the many popular generational labels follow each decade – e.g., qilinghou (people born in the 1970s), balinghou (people born in the 1980s) or jiulinghou (people born in the 1990s). The China that the 1990s generation grew up in is a completely different society compared to that of 20 years ago. For many Chinese, it is an important part of your self-understanding which generation you belong to – also in relation to values and preferences in the workplace.

I recommend that you familiarize yourself with which important generational differences are at play in the countries in which your company has activities or where your colleagues are from.

Be aware that there can also be, for example, regional and social distinctions that create significant differences within the same generation – especially in countries that are larger and less homogeneous than Denmark.

3. Follow the global trends

Although there are significant differences between countries around the world when it comes to generations, there are also some global trends.

This applies especially to the youngest generations born in the 1980s and onward. As generation expert Tamara J. Erickson points out in the article Generations Around the Globe (Harvard Business Review, April 2011), these generations have had more common experiences across countries than any generations before them.

The key to explaining this trend is technological development.

First the internet and later the lightning-fast spread of the smartphone has not only made it possible for young people all over the world to follow the same events in real time, but also to create relationships with each other via social media across national borders.

Below are two areas that are worth keeping an eye on if you want to create a workplace that is also attractive and safe for younger generations.

#1: Diversity and inclusion

Even though there are still variations between countries and within the individual countries, studies show a clear distinction between the younger and older generations when it comes to values and attitudes towards diversity and inclusion. And this also applies to issues relating to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Here are some conclusions from Deloitte's Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, that are based on answers from over 23,000 respondents in 46 countries worldwide:

• Almost two out of five say they have turned down a job or assignment because it didn't align with their values
• Respondents, who perceive that their employer demonstrates social responsibility and focuses on creating a diverse and inclusive culture, are more likely to stay more than five years with the employer in question

In a Danish context, in 2022 Weekendavisen (a Danish weekly newspaper), in collaboration with Moos-Bjerre A/S and Norstat Danmark A/S, posed several questions to more than 1,000 Danes across different generations. Here, the biggest differences between the generations turned out to be in the areas of value-based politics – gender, sexuality, religion, immigration, etc.

For example, only 21% and 32% from generations Z and Y respectively, believed that people from a sexual or religious minority should keep their private life and beliefs to themselves in the workplace – in stark contrast to as much as 63% of the Baby boomer generation.

#2: Mental well-being

Mental health and well-being is one of the other areas where there are clear global trends.

Again, looking at Deloitte's Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, young people all over the world report high levels of stress, anxiety and feelings of burnout. At the same time, many people find that, although employers have focused more on mental health and well-being, it is still very difficult to talk openly about these things at work.

In Denmark, too, numerous studies show that stress and anxiety are more widespread among the younger than the older generations. And they show that younger employees have a greater desire than older colleagues to be able to talk openly about mental well-being and vulnerability in the workplace – a desire that is often not fulfilled.

4. Use your cultural intelligence to build bridges across generations   

Being culturally intelligent is about being able to collaborate across cultural differences.

Remember, though, that culture is about much more than national culture.

There are also, for example, professional cultures and company cultures. There are cultures based on ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, etc. And yes – then there are cultures based on age and generation, which we focus on here.

So when you work on developing your cultural intelligence, you’re also building a toolbox that you can use when working across any types of cultural differences that you may encounter in your work life!

So what does it mean to be culturally intelligent?

The answer to that question could fill several blog posts in itself.

Here are just some of the most important points:

• Start by becoming aware of your own cultural baggage
  When working across cultures, you should always start by becoming aware of your own cultural baggage. This also applies to generational culture. Where, when and in what context did you grow up? Which cultural communities have you been part of throughout your life – and how have they helped shape your values, preferences and habits?
   
• Approach cultural differences with a curious and investigative mind
  Perhaps you notice that one of your younger colleagues does things in a strange way that gets on your nerves. Try to stop and think: What if I stop thinking different = weird, but instead try to think different = interesting? And consider why and how that way of doing things actually makes a lot of sense from my younger colleague’s perspective?
   
• See your colleagues as whole people
  Perhaps a certain type of cultural difference takes up a lot of space in your workplace – such as generational differences. Then it can become second nature to put the blame on those types of differences every time there’s an issue when collaborating with a colleague. But remember that we all have a unique personality and a unique mix of cultural influences in our backgrounds, which we take with us into our work life. Avoid pigeonholing your colleagues and see them as whole people.
   
• Familiarize yourself with the cultures your colleagues belong to – but never use your general knowledge as a checklist
  Perhaps you have familiarized yourself with what has typically shaped those colleagues who are from earlier generations. Or you have read about Indian work culture because many of your colleagues are based in India. And this kind of knowledge about the cultures your colleagues belong to can help you navigate everyday life. As long as you’re aware that this is general knowledge, and not a checklist for understanding your immediate colleagues.

5. Be wary of generational and age bias

Do you know the expression ‘OK, boomer’?

If you don't, then I can reveal that it is rarely meant kindly! The expression is typically used by people from younger generations when they want to highlight that people from earlier generations are stuck in the past and don’t have a clue.

On the other hand, ‘snowflake’ is used by people from earlier generations who see today’s youth as being delicate and fragile as a snowflake.

Both terms are indicative of generational bias that has taken root in many societies around the world in recent years. They thrive particularly well online; this is where the different generations express themselves on their favorite social media platform, which works perfectly in terms of confirming our stereotypical perceptions of each other. And they also find their way into the workplace, where they can create an ‘us vs. them’ dynamic and adversely affect intergenerational collaboration.

Another type of bias that can also creep into daily work is ageism.

Generational and age biases overlap; the main difference is that we belong to the same generation throughout life, while we all go through different stages of life.

According to the study Ageism in Europe and the UK – Findings from the European Social Survey (2011), which is based on answers from 55,000 respondents across 28 European countries, it appears that age discrimination is perceived to be more widespread than other types of discrimination, e.g., related to gender or race.

In Denmark, the Ballisager consultancy investigated the objective criteria on which Danish companies conduct screening when going through a pool of applicants (Recruitment Analysis 2021). The findings show that 19% sort by age – and it is the young recruiters (18-40 years) who sort mostly by age.

When working towards creating an inclusive work culture where there’s room for everyone, you must watch out for both types of bias.

The first step is to become aware of what assumptions you have about colleagues based on generation and age.

The next step is to reflect on the consequences of these assumptions in everyday life.

Are you, for example, influenced by (perhaps false) assumptions about what younger and older employees are best at when you delegate tasks? And what about your processes for recruitment and employee development?

In the two remaining tips below, there’s more inspiration about what you can do to break your bias and include colleagues from all generations and ages in the community.

6. Ensure all voices are included

Do you make better decisions if there are several generations and age groups represented in your team?

It’s not guaranteed.

But it increases the probability.

Because when we’ve all grown up in different periods and are at different stages in life, this typically increases our cognitive diversity – i.e., the amount of knowledge, experience and approaches our team can draw upon. A team with great cognitive diversity minimizes the risk of blind spots when making decisions.

This also applies to other types of diversity, e.g., gender, ethnicity, national background, social background, personality types and people with and without disabilities. The greater the diversity, the greater the probability of all relevant perspectives being included.

Cognitive diversity is not only relevant when you need to make decisions, but also when, for example, you have to solve problems or develop new products.

However, it does require that you bring the different perspectives into play. And it doesn't necessarily happen by itself.

Research shows that diverse teams are more innovative, have higher productivity and make better decisions than homogenous teams – but only when all team members feel included and that their voices are heard. Without inclusion, teams with great diversity will typically perform worse than more homogeneous teams where all team members are similar.

If you’re a new team with members across generations and perhaps other types of diversity, start strengthening cohesion by highlighting all the things you have in common across the differences. What common values and interests do you have? And what common goals are you working to achieve?

And then, as a team leader, you need to ensure that there is a psychologically safe environment where all team members dare to come up with ideas, ask questions and express doubts and concerns.

If there is great diversity in a team, it’s sometimes necessary to give team members different frameworks so that everyone has an equal opportunity to provide input.

And that leads us to the blog post’s last tip: Put an end to ‘one-size-fits-all’.

7. Put an end to ‘one-size-fits-all’

‘Treat others the way you want to be treated.’

You’re probably familiar with this old expression. But does it still apply? Because what if the others are not like you and have completely different preferences?

Using this mini case story, let's take a closer look at the topic from the last section about ensuring all voices are included:

In a Danish-based, global company, Sofie, who has been with the company for two decades, has become a team leader in a large, newly established team. She has gathered the entire team for a meeting where they will brainstorm ideas for a new product. Some of the meeting participants, including Sofie herself, talk a lot. Others remain more or less silent.

After the meeting, Sofie is disappointed that the meeting participants who were silent had nothing to offer.

But what she fails to see is that the ‘silent’ meeting participants in question may have had important things on their minds, but she hadn’t established a framework where it was safe for them to chip in. It could be that:

• Some of the younger, newly hired colleagues were afraid of exhibiting their lack of knowledge in front of the older, more experienced colleagues
• Some of the colleagues with a more introverted personality found it difficult to get a word in
• Some of the international colleagues with a background in more hierarchical work cultures compared to that of Denmark were insecure about giving input in front of the team leader

To ensure all voices are included, Sofie should have given her team several different ways to provide input (if you want inspiration on how you can create a framework where it is psychologically safe for different colleagues to provide input, see our article here).

The greater the diversity in your company – not just in terms of age and generations, but also in terms of gender, ethnicity, national background etc. – the more important it is to drop the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

As a manager, don’t assume that your employees would like to be treated the same way you do. Instead, try to treat everyone according to what they prefer.

And this doesn’t just apply when you require input, but also in lots of other areas – for example:

• How and how often you engage in discussions and feedback
• Which activities, in relation to diversity and inclusion, do employees have the opportunity to participate in
• What opportunities do employees have to adapt the framework for working conditions (working hours, working from home, work-life balance, etc.)

Remember that although general knowledge of the different employees' backgrounds (different generations, different countries' work cultures, etc.) can be useful, never use it as a checklist for what preferences individual employees have. Avoid putting your employees in boxes based on, for example, their age, gender or ethnicity.

An example of a more open and flexible approach can be found in the Danish organization Dansk Erhverv, which has recently replaced its senior policy with a life-phase policy. This sends a signal that we all may need, for example, flexibility in different phases of our lives, and this is far from only having something to do with age.

And in the article The postgenerational workforce, Deloitte talks about forward-looking companies that have shifted focus away from e.g., age and generation in their talent development and are instead considering individual employees’ personal values and preferences.

So my advice is: See your employees as whole people, each with their own personality and unique mix of cultural influences. And then enter into a dialogue with them about exactly what their preferences are.

Where to go from here

Can we help your company create an inclusive work culture where all voices are heard – across generations, age, gender, ethnicity, national background and other differences? Contact us for a chat!

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