Working in Intergenerational Teams

Understand your colleagues’ work and communication styles, even when they come from different generations!

As we increasingly work later in life, workplaces are becoming more intergenerational than ever before. In many firms, four generations can be represented. Each brings different experiences, skills and perspectives. This intensive course enables you to better work within such diverse groups and understand differences in communication styles.

Boomers, generations X, Y, Z, digital natives… Various terms are used to address the different generations that comprise the modern workforce, but what do we actually mean when we use these terms, and what perceptions do we have of the people we use these terms to describe?

Each of these groups brings different characteristics and values. These can include attitudes towards their relationship with the team, attitudes toward hierarchy and giving opinions, analogue vs. digital communication, and other factors.

Working in such teams is rewarding but understanding the perspectives of colleagues from different generations can be challenging. Employees must avoid misunderstandings caused by these different perspectives and appreciate the differing needs that their colleagues may have. Reconciling these differences is therefore vital for the success of any team with intergenerational members.

This course enables all those who work within or manage intergenerational teams to understand the challenges posed by such diversity. Participants will improve their knowledge of the values, work styles and forms of communication used by different generations. With this knowledge, they will develop strategies to enable successful cooperation between the generations that will ensure continued, sustainable success within the team.

Topics discussed:

• Demographic change and its impact on the workplace
• Characteristics, values and working styles of different generations
• Using different generations’ experience to ensure success
• Intergenerational cooperation and communication

This course is ideal for:

• All professionals who work in intergenerational teams
• Older employees who have seen large demographic changes in their teams
• Younger employees who work with colleagues from older generations

Your benefits:

• Develop comprehensive and sustainable communication strategies to ensure mutual understanding
• Avoid misunderstandings caused by differing needs, values, and working styles
• Overcome potentially negative stereotypes of different generations