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OPINION
E veryone seems to be talking about generational differences and conflicts. Don’t believe me? Simply conduct a quick Google search for news stories, journal articles, blogs, comedy routines, and memes on the subject, and you’ll find an overwhelming rabbit hole of opinion and conflicting viewpoints. Team leaders can more effectively manage employees of all ages through strategic communication practices. Addressing generational differences
Sarah R. Adams- Slominski, M.A.
True, the validity of so-called “generational cohorts” (as they’re called) is debated among scholars . But it does stand to reason that there would be some conflict among members of different generations. After all, various generations have had contrasting experiences in their childhoods, coming-of-age years, young adulthood, and beyond. Each generation played with very different toys, enjoyed very different movies and music, used very different technology (or lack thereof), and even watched very different historical events play out on very different media. Some argue these differences have led to contrasting values – particularly when it comes to the workplace. For example: ■ Baby boomers (born and raised between the late 1940s and 1960s) have been observed to prize efficiency and a life centered around a stable nine-to-five job.
■ Gen X, born in the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, tends to prize independence and work-life balance, often citing their own “latch-key kid” upbringing as the source of their values. ■ The millennial cohort grew up roughly from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s. They emerged from high school and college with new technology and social media at their fingertips. In the workplace, this cohort has been described as progressive, empathetic, eager to learn new skills, and highly communicative. ■ And then there is Gen Z. Born between the late 1990s and 2010, they’ve grown up in a globally connected digital world. They also endured a global pandemic and experienced interaction with the world via Zoom during their formative years. When it comes to the workplace, they
See SARAH R. ADAMS-SLOMINSKI , page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 30, 2024, ISSUE 1555
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