Learning how to communicate effectively is an important skill in any aspect of life, and none more so than in the workplace. An offhand remark or short IM can turn someone into your office enemy if the message isn’t received well! It’s especially important to understand your coworkers and their values in today’s workplace. Though Millennials are now the most populous age group in the workforce, they’re joined by members of Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Generation Z.
This melting pot of ages is a huge asset for businesses, as all these different perspectives can be ideal for brainstorming creative new ideas. However, it can also present new challenges for business managers and HR staff as members of older and younger generations may find themselves conflicting over how to tackle certain projects. It makes sense, as disciplined Baby Boomers aren’t naturally going to have a lot of common ground with tech-obsessed Millennials and Gen Z’ers.
In order to make sure employees are communicating effectively, it’s important to understand the values and work ethic for each generation in the workplace and how each person prefers to be communicated with. For example, Traditionalists value hard work and dedication to the company, and prefer to talk with coworkers over the phone. Generation X members have higher expectations with regards to job satisfaction, and would rather receive a text or email. Take a look at the guide from TurboTenant below to learn more about each generation’s core values in the workplace.
