Multigenerational workplaces: Listen first, lead better

Within a modern, diverse business, bringing different generations together strengthens culture and collaboration.  

We spend a lot of time talking about generational differences at work. Often with a sigh or an eye roll. Boomers don’t get tech. Gen Z doesn’t want to work hard. Millennials are obsessed with purpose. Sound uncomfortably familiar? The reality is none of that is really true. The problem is how we assume we already know what drives them.

I was reminded of this recently at our event ‘Navigating a multigenerational workforce’. It was one of those sessions that makes you sit back and think about how much more we could achieve if we stopped trying to fit people into neat boxes and instead started using those insights to better understand one another.

Seeing through the right lens

One of my favourite comments of the day was that that generational theory should be used as a lens, not a label. Because as a lens, it helps you notice helpful patterns and motivations. When you see it as a label, you shut down curiosity and flatten individuality.

At Emperor, where I’m lucky to lead a multi-generational, multi-office, employee-owned agency, that lesson couldn’t be more relevant. We have people who remember sending faxes and others who have never known a world without Wi-Fi. We all share ownership of the same business, but the way we experience work and communicate can look very different. What’s important isn’t to erase those differences, but rather to recognise the value in them.

Same storm, different boats

The pandemic is a perfect example of how one shared event can shape generations differently. For some, it brought fear and isolation. For others, disruption or job insecurity. Different life stages and personal circumstances have a bearing. Everyone went through it, but not everyone experienced it the same way.

As we’ve shifted to hybrid work, those differences haven’t gone away. In some ways, they’ve deepened. It reminded me that empathy is a leadership essential. During the pandemic we worked hard to prioritise connection and care. And we were better for it. As the world has opened up again, it’s easy to forget that muscle. But if we want a strong culture, we need to keep working at it, every day.

Motivation isn’t one-size-fits-all

Another takeaway that struck me was about motivation. Surveys suggest many millennials, for instance, aren’t always chasing the next title or pay rise. They want visibility, innovation and relevance. They want to make things better, not necessarily to move up the corporate ladder. It may not be definitive, but it’s illuminating.

I loved the idea of ‘broken window’ initiatives, where people are empowered to fix what’s not working and rewarded for small, meaningful improvements. It’s the same principle behind why our best moments at Emperor often come from peer-to-peer acts of kindness: staying late to help someone out, sharing positive feedback or noticing when someone needs a break. Those small gestures build trust and belonging in ways that grand strategies can’t.

Connection is the common ground

Cross-generational connection is an underrated value driver. One story I loved was about a consultancy where everyone, including the CEO, acts as a mentor, coach or buddy. It’s simple, about ‘people being people’ and incredibly effective.

I’d love to see even more of that in our own business too. Because when people from different generations, with different experiences, connect and swap perspectives, something magic happens. You stop seeing ‘me’ and ‘them’, and start seeing ‘us’. I have been a mentor in our POP (Partnerships of Potential) internal mentoring programme for the past 3 years and I get as much from the experience as the mentees do. 

A call to listen

If there’s one thing I took away from the day, it’s that a multi-generational workforce isn’t a challenge to manage. There’s an opportunity that we can unlock, but only if we start with empathy and a willingness to listen.

Ask people what drives them. What frustrates them. What makes them feel proud of their work. Use generational theory as a conversation starter, not a conclusion.

Because when we stop assuming and start asking, that’s when we see people for who they really are. And that’s a pretty powerful force for your business.

  
At Emperor we are experts in talent, culture and engagement.

If you’d like to find out how Emperor can help you power your multigenerational workforce, please get in touch at [email protected]