We’ve discussed what millennials, Gen X and boomers want from work a lot in this space, but we haven’t approached the idea of the conflicts that arise with these generations working together, wanting different things.
According to a new study from the ASTD Workforce Development Community and authors Joseph Grenny and David Maxfield, who wrote the New York Times bestseller “Crucial Accountability,” generational tension situations are all too common in corporate America. Specifically, the study showed that more than 1 in 3 people waste five or more hours each week (12 percent of their work week), due to chronic, unaddressed conflict between colleagues from different generations.
The data also indicates that across all generations, 1 in 4 people admit to avoiding conflict with colleagues of a different age; or if they did speak up, they spoke in generalities and danced around the real issues. Other trends in communication breakdowns across generations include:
- Younger generations hesitate to hold older generations accountable.
- Millennials are the least confident in their ability to handle a difficult conversation.
- Older generations, baby boomers and veterans (68 years old or older), admit to losing their temper more easily, with more than 1 in 4 saying they became frustrated, upset or angry during a difficult conversation.
I’m curious, have you experienced generational conflict in your workplace? What have you done to overcome it? Please share your comments below.
I interviewed Maxfield to find out what kind of generational conflict is most common in the workplace and what skills employees need to develop to overcome this.
Let’s talk about generational conflict. How big of a problem is it in the workplace?
Maxfield: As America’s workplaces grow increasingly diverse, we wondered the same thing. So, we surveyed more than 1,300 people and found that generational conflict is all too common. Specifically, we found that more than 1 in 3 people waste five or more hours each week (12 percent of their work week), due to chronic, unaddressed conflict between colleagues from different generations. Imagine, 12 percent of your workweek going to waste because of issues you have with co-workers who are simply older or younger than you. This is an astonishing drain on productivity when you consider that nearly half of people work with colleagues from all four generations: veterans (68 years old or older), baby boomers (49 to 67 years old), Gen X (34 to 48 years old), and millennials (13 to 33 years old).
We also found that the two generations who have the most difficult time working together are baby boomers and millennials. When they do work together, the problems these two generations experience most often include dismissal of past experience, lack of discipline and focus, lack of respect, and resistance to change or unwillingness to innovate.
What kind of problems do the generations have with each other?
Maxfield: Generational conflict is not isolated to just baby boomers and millennials. Our study revealed the common perceptions and latent resentment each age group has for their colleagues. Specifically:
- Baby boomers complain that Gen Xers and millennials lack discipline, focus and are distracted. They also think millennials lack commitment.
- Gen Xers complain that baby boomers display resistant/dogmatic thinking and are sexist, defensive, incompetent, resistant to change and lack creativity. They believe that millennials are arrogant.
- Millennials complain that baby boomers display resistant/dogmatic thinking, and are sexist, defensive, insensitive, slow to respond, resistant to change, incompetent and lack creativity. They also believe Gen Xers have poor problem-solving skills and are generally slow to respond.
What’s the problem here? Trouble communicating? Different goals?
Maxfield: So what’s really going on? Ironically, as we read through survey respondents’ specific examples of generational conflict, we were surprised to see how many age-related stereotypes cut across all age categories. For example, some people insisted that their co-worker was lazy because “she’s old” while others said “she’s lazy because she’s young!”
When people attribute their concerns to generational differences, they give themselves an excuse to not confront the problem. And as a result, generational labels become self-fulfilling prophecies: people think bad behavior is about age, so they don’t confront it, so things don’t change, which further proves the behavior is, in fact, the result of an age difference.
This is a classic case of the fundamental attribution error, or the tendency to attribute someone’s behavior to stereotypes rather than more controllable factors. When we commit the fundamental attribution error, we feel justified in not confronting issues because we see our colleagues as “too old” or “too young” to solve problems or create a productive working environment.
And, the results do in fact indicate a surprising level of incompetence among all generations to quickly and effectively solve problems through accountability discussions and dialogue.
Across all generations, 1 in 4 people admit to avoiding conflict with colleagues of a different age, or if they did speak up, they spoke in generalities and danced around the real issues. Other trends in communication breakdowns across generations include:
- Younger generations hesitate to hold older generations accountable.
- Millennials are the least confident in their ability to handle a difficult conversation.
- Older generations, baby boomers and veterans, admit to losing their temper more easily with more than 1 in 4 saying they became frustrated, upset or angry during a difficult conversation.
What’s the solution? What can learning leaders do to help?
Maxfield: The solution to reducing generational conflict and regaining lost productivity is to learn how to speak up candidly and effectively to anyone, regardless of age or authority. People who have the skills to respectfully resolve conflict are more likely to be among their organization’s most influential employees. And it’s not as hard as it seems. While learning to engage in candid dialogue is a competency developed over time and with practice, there are a few simple skills people can begin using right away.
1. Make it safe. Begin by clarifying your respect as well as your intent to achieve a mutual goal.
2. Start with the facts. Describe your concerns facts first. Don’t lead with your judgments about their age or conclusions as to why they behaved the way they did. Start by describing in nonjudgmental and objective terms the actual behaviors that create problems.
3. Don’t pile on. If your colleague becomes defensive, pause for a moment and check in. Reassure him or her of your positive intentions and allow him or her to express concerns.
4. Invite dialogue. After sharing your concerns, encourage your colleague to share his or her perspective. Inviting dialogue will result in greater openness.
It's not surprising that generational differences produce tensions in the workplace, but it doesn't have to be a crippling problem. If situations involving intergenerational differences are approached candidly and respectfully, these conflicts can be resolved quickly and can actually improve relationships.
Learning leaders can not only model these skills, but help their employees acquire the competency to quickly and candidly engage in crucial conversations with colleagues from any and all generations.
