Multigenerational Workplace: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review, by Harvard Business Review, Megan W. Gerhardt, Paul Irving, Ai jen Poo, and Sarita Gupta. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2023; 208 pages, $22.95.
“OK, Boomer,” “Gen X cynics,” “entitled Millennials,” and “Gen Z snowflakes.” We have become so entrenched in generational name-calling – or, conversely, so focused on downplaying the differences that do exist – that we have forgotten there is strength in age diversity. Especially at a time when we are wrestling with so many changes to the way we work, it’s incumbent on leaders to embrace intergenerational teams … and to frame them as an opportunity to be seized rather than a threat to be managed.”
With that passage near the end of their book’s introduction, the primary authors of Multigenerational Workplace fire a guided missile across the bow of – if we’re being honest – virtually everyone’s thinking about other generations, at least some of the time. How many of us are guilty, and how often, of the all-too-common sin of verbal and mental generational warfare – wherein somehow, so many were lucky enough to be born into the “best” generation, or at least the last “good” generation before everything went to hell in a handbasket? Or – less common but only marginally less reductive and unhelpful – the unwavering belief that there are no differences worth considering between generations?
In addition to the four generations referenced in the passage above, the fifth that is still present in today’s U.S. workforce, albeit in smaller and diminishing numbers, is the Silent Generation. For clarity, the book quickly defines the generally accepted age ranges for these named generations while also noting that they are for the most part unique to the United States and that other countries have different approaches or touchstones that define their generational dividing lines.
Further reading:
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- Engineering firms large and small need to develop their future leadership
- Book offers advice on difficult conversations at work
The book’s introductory chapter also introduces four recommended practices for folks (regardless of generation) looking to improve their or their organizations’ approach to these issues: identifying your assumptions, “adjusting your lens” to understand why different generations may think or act differently, taking advantage of differences, and embracing mutual learning.
The remainder of Multigenerational Workplace is divided into two primary sections: understanding issues of particular relevance in the current five-generation workforce and strategies for bridging generational divides. You could think of them as six chapters devoted to awareness – one on ageism (at both ends of that spectrum) and continuing to integrate the newest generation and the graying of the workforce – followed by five devoted to action, such as stamping out age stereotypes, proactively managing intergenerational conflicts stemming from older workers not retiring, and using younger “shadow boards” to help inform the formal board of directors on policy and strategy.
All chapters – most of which are drawn or adapted from Harvard Business Review articles or other content on hbr.org – close with approximately one-page takeaway summaries of key points. The book’s short-essay format, use of a significant number of contributor voices (more than two dozen), and compact overall length – all hallmarks of the Harvard Business Review Insights series – show a clear focus on giving busy organizational leaders and others as much good, current thinking and information as possible with minimal filler. (The series also tackles a broad spectrum of other topics, including generative artificial intelligence, hybrid workplaces, strategic analytics, cybersecurity, and many others.)
On the topic at hand, the collective voices in Multigenerational Workplace are virtually certain to give open-minded professionals ideas on new strategies, ways to think about persistent difficulties, and above all, reasons to consider how a smart approach to incorporating disparate voices from different times and with different experiences will benefit their organizations.
