Do you remember The Jetsons? Created in the 1960s, the cartoon portrayed the adventures of a family living in the late 21st century. They lived in a world where technology made everyday life easier, so we saw cleaning robots, futuristic cars, machines preparing meals, remote learning and video calls with friends. Sounds familiar?
A Changing Reality
Back then, this was pure imagination, and most people had never even heard of internet access. For today’s youngest generations, however, this is simply the only reality they have ever known — and there is nothing particularly extraordinary about it.
The key events that shape a particular era, as well as the pop culture icons we grow up with, influence who we become. They also shape our expectations — including what we expect from our lecturers, managers and employers.
That is why age and generational identity are important dimensions of diversity.
What Is a Generation?
A generation can be understood as a distinguishable group of people who share a similar time of birth and have experienced significant events during key stages of their development.
For the first time in history, we now have four generations active in the workplace at the same time. Understanding and managing generational diversity can therefore be a valuable part of building effective collaboration within your team:
- The oldest employees belong to the Baby Boomer generation, born between 1946 and 1964.
- Then comes Generation X (1965–1984).
- Generation Y, commonly known as Millennials (1985–1994).
- And Generation Z (1995–2010).
The youngest generation, who are still in the early stages of their education, are known as Generation Alpha. While they are not yet part of the labour market, it is already worth paying attention to their preferences and the events shaping their formative years.
My Perspective: Age and Generations
I remember very clearly when I first became interested in the topic of multigenerational teams. I joined a team where I was the youngest person, the only one without children — and, instead of starting my career straight after university, I had spent several years travelling and exploring Southeast Asia.
Why am I telling you this?
Because when I joined the team, I felt like I didn’t belong.
My lifestyle was very different from that of my colleagues. We did not have many shared topics to talk about, and I also faced a number of challenges related to our preferred ways of working. Let me share one of those experiences.
As part of the onboarding process, every new employee had to complete a series of training sessions and pass a final exam. The training was based on presentations containing all the information and concepts needed to pass the exam.
After several days of painstakingly taking handwritten notes, I finally asked the trainer whether she could share the materials with us before the training so that I could take notes directly on the slides rather than copy them out word for word.
Her response was that handwriting notes helped with concentration and memory.
I am not questioning that perspective. However, during my five years at university, every lecturer was required to provide materials before classes, and we took notes on our laptops. So, from my perspective, there was no reason to go back to what I saw as the “outdated” methods my parents had used.
Over time, my frustration grew. I even considered leaving the company.
Everything changed when our organisation introduced training on generational diversity.
It became a turning point in how we understood one another. I realised that my manager and colleagues were not “outdated” at all — just as I realised that, from their perspective, I might have looked like an entitled Millennial.
Each of us had different experiences at different stages of life, and those experiences shaped our expectations, working styles, values and ways of building relationships.
When we look at the events experienced by each generation, it is easy to see parallels in what we observe both at universities and in the workplace.
So, rather than judging other people’s behaviour, I encourage you to dig a little deeper and approach your own experiences and current needs with curiosity.
The better we understand ourselves, the easier it becomes to see others with greater acceptance.
At the same time, it is important to remember that people of a similar age can still be very different from one another.
This is shaped not only by generational differences, influenced by factors such as:
- Parenting and upbringing
- Family dynamics
- Experiencing crises at particular stages of life
- The level of economic development
- How we access and consume information
- Access to technology
- The pop culture icons we grew up with
But also by differences related to our current stage of life, such as:
- Setting up your first home
- Deciding whether to start a family
- “Finding yourself”
- Having or adopting children
- Children leaving home
- Developing a greater need for “predictability”
Generational Change in the Workplace
Generational shifts continuously influence how organisations operate. Each generation brings different characteristics, attitudes towards work, levels of engagement, goals and ways of achieving them.
All of this can make maintaining motivation and preventing potential intergenerational conflict a significant challenge.
So, how can we work effectively in a multigenerational team?
There is a recipe for that!
- Embrace our differences and avoid microaggressions in everyday communication. Take expressions such as “entitled Millennial”, “typical snowflake” when talking about Gen Z, or “set-in-their-ways Gen X or Boomer” out of your vocabulary.
- Understand not only your own needs and expectations, but those of your colleagues too.
- Talk openly about your experiences and work together to find solutions to challenging situations. Having a voice, being involved in decision-making and having space to express themselves are particularly important sources of motivation for younger generations.
- Build a culture of feedback, without forgetting about positive feedback. It is still not as common in Polish workplaces as it could be, yet it can make a significant difference to Millennials and Gen Z
What are your experiences of age and generational differences in the workplace?