When baby boomers meet Xers and Yers in the workplace, the differences don't end with taste in popular music. Established professionals in their 40s and 50s can clash with up-and-comers in their 20s and 30s over everything from who gives the orders to whether it's OK to use a BlackBerry during a meeting.
Complicating these issues are the way we view parent and child roles, based on dynamics within our own families, says Sylvia Lafair, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and founder of Creative Energy Options (http://ceoptions.com/), an organization that offers leadership seminars.
For workers of all generations to navigate successfully through these sometimes rough waters, they must let each other know their needs, discuss their conflicts openly, and collaborate creatively toward a solution, says Lafair.
To give Eons members more insight into how the complex and often counterproductive interplay of generations operates in the workplace, I spoke with her directly.
What are some key differences among older and younger people in terms of how they approach their work?
The older generations, mainly baby boomers now, have been more willing to follow orders and get things done in someone else's timeframe. They're prone to do what they're told, even when it's not convenient. Boundaries are clear. But workers of younger generations - Xers and Yers - expect that they'll be able to say, "That won't work for me." Younger people are much more used to questioning everything and finding what works for them.
What if you start a new career at 55 and end up reporting to a 32-year-old? What are the psychodynamic consequences of having a boss who's young enough to be your child?
It can come down to this: Does the child have the right tell the parent what to do? Think about children as they get to be teenagers and young adults. They do things by indirection; they don't want the dialog. Translated into the workplace, the elder subordinate needs to come to his younger boss and be clear about what he wants and needs.
Do younger bosses tend to behave in particular ways that older workers need to look out for?
The younger manager can be uncomfortable telling the older worker what to do. That is why the older worker needs to initiate regular dialog; the young boss may tend to ignore the older employee or prefer to go to somebody of his own age for a solution. That's happening more than it used to.
How does technology play into the generational divide?
There are some very bright, talented young people who are on the edge with technology. These people may not feel that the elders are in touch and see them as dinosaurs. For their part, the elders are reluctant to say, "I don't understand that." Dialog can open the door to more creative approaches on both sides.
Let's talk about a more conventional office relationship, in which the boss is the elder. Is a 50-something a natural mentor for a 20-something?
That relationship can work effectively if you watch it very carefully; otherwise, it can bring up inappropriate parent-child role projections. Sometimes people say to me, "I wish my mother or father could think like that." That's a red flag. Young people may glom on to an elder and want a lot of nurturing. They might become confused about boundaries. In a mentoring relationship, there's always a danger that the exchange of information may become too personal.
How do these age-and-family dynamics affect each generation's concepts about career?
Issues of entitlement come in. Workforce dynamics are not entirely based on longevity any more. If a baby boomer tries to play the decades-of-experience card to Xers and Yers, it's to a deaf audience. Boomers who take that stance need to look deeply into what they are really after. For young people, careers are less about how much money you make and more about achieving balance. What they really want to ask elders is, "Can you help me use my work to do what I want in life?"