Leading Across the Generations: Building Effective Multi-Generational Teams – Program Recap

Published June 12, 2026

Today’s workforce is varied in its age and that comes with a host of considerations that effective managers and team leaders need to be aware of.

Thank you to Paul Cecala from Cecala Career Consultants for an enlightening look at how the diverse makeup of today’s workforce in terms of age brings new challenges. With 5 different generations currently spread throughout the workforce, it can be challenging for managers and team leaders to create an environment that encourages communication and provides efficient solutions. Knowing your team, their preferences, and their abilities will take time and active effort on your part, but in the end, can create a diverse and productive group. Let’s take a look at some of the generational differences that we may face and some strategies for dealing with those differences.

The 5 Generations

The current workforce in the United States is made up of 5 generations, each with their own qualities, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. These include:

• Maturists/Silent Generation (Born before 1946)
  According for about 1% of the workforce, their mindset focused on finding a job and keeping that job for life. Much more resistant to change, both organizationally, technologically, and societally, they value tradition and face-to-face conversations.
• Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1965)
  Accounting for roughly 15% of the workforce, their numbers are continuing to decrease as more and more reach traditional retirement age. They tend to value loyalty, established processes, and structured meetings and prefer face-to-face or phone communication. While they did not grow up in the age of technology, some a willing to learn if they feel it will be helpful.
• Generation X (Born 1965-1980)
  Accounting for about 31% of the workforce, these individuals tend to be independent, resourceful, and value work-life balance. Becoming more loyal to a profession rather than an employer, they are steeped in institutional knowledge and can serve as a bridge between upper management and the younger generations in more entry level positions. Familiar with technology, they are more easily adaptable to technological changes and can effectively communication in-person or through text-based options like email and text-messages.
• Millennials/Generation Y (Born 1981-1996)
  Accounting for the bulk of the workforce (35-36%), they currently anchor the labor market and are stepping into senior leadership and management roles. Seeking purpose, craving regular feedback, and highly collaborative, Millennials value freedom and flexibility and tend to work “with” organizations, rather than “for” them. Being born into rapidly advancing digital world, they are widely versed in all forms of technology and prefer online and mobile communication.
• Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)
  Accounting for about 18% of the workforce, is rapidly growing and defining the new business model of the start-up. Entrepreneurial in mindset, focusing on clear paths to advancement, they are willing to take risks and solve problems and gaps in service quickly and independently. As digital natives, they prefer fast, visual communication in the digital space and can easily integrate rapidly advancing technology in their roles.

It is important to keep in mind that although someone might be part of generation based on their birthyear, they may act differently than their peers. In fact, sub-generations are emerging that are effectively blending elements from two generations, creating workers with more distinct identities.

Building Bridges

The most effective way at managing teams of multi-generational staff is to build bridges that create a safe and inclusive culture that can acknowledge and promote differences while fostering compromises. One way to help with this is by establishing psychological safety through creating a space where all feel comfortable, such as a new hire challenging a veteran without fear of penalty or bias. Inclusion is achieved when all voices, regardless of age, tenure, or identity, are expected and valued.

Another way to build the bridges within your team is by practicing mutual respect and empathy. This starts with challenging your own assumptions about your staff’s work ethic, communication style and career trajectory. Seek to understand the “why” behind someone’s preferred communication style or career values; this can reveal gaps in your team that your or others can help fill through support and mentorship.

Speaking of mentorship, implementing two-way mentorship to create a workplace cultural equity can be the foundation of a strong team. Veterans can share institutional knowledge and process planning while younger staff can mentor senior leaders on new technology, digital trends, and evolving social/DEI language, which can help reduce unconscious bias.

Lastly, set clear and consistent expectations that are applied equally. For example, define what “urgent” means for the whole team, regardless of their generational preferences. Determine what forms of communication are expected or preferred for different aspects of the job. Emphasize results and deliverables over hours clocked while also ensuring equitable performance assessment.

Generational Expectations

Each generation’s expectations of itself can have an impact on your team based on safety and visibility, communication and trust, and the role of technology and social fluency.

Safety and Visibility

Baby Boomers and Generation X feel forced to adhere to generational norms (professionalism, formal communication, strict boundaries) because these norms provided cover and protection in their earlier jobs and career. This can bring an expectation of a professional work ethic and a reluctance to share personal details to your team, making them seem cold, isolated, or unagreeable to younger generations who value higher visibility and the expectation of brining one’s “authentic self to work as core values. On the flip side, Millennials and Generation Z expect more psychological safety and are more likely to push back against norms they see as restrictive or heteronormative, giving the impression of fragile, petty, and demanding staff.

Communication and Trust

Older generations tend to prefer more formal and less personal communication having been conditioned to separate personal and professional life. This can lead to them being perceived as resistant to change or emotionally guarded. However, this is really a safety mechanism that was learned to ensure stability and advancement in their career. On the other hand, younger generations value immediate, informal, and authentic communication and feedback. They are also more likely to use inclusive language, including pronouns, and share their personal updates. This can be perceived as over-sharing or too casual by older cohorts who view professional boundaries differently.

Role of Technology and Social Fluency

The younger generations, through their proficiency with and reliance on digital platforms, are more often the sources for new terms and language, specifically as it relates to DEI. They are also more comfortable using social media to organize or advocate, which can make them feel oppressive or relentless. Older generations often have to play catch-up with rapidly changing social and linguistic norms. If they miss or misuse a term, its not often malicious, but a reflection on the difficulty in keeping pace with a culture they were historically excluded from shaping.

Actionable Tools

So what specifically can we do or implement to help in managing our diverse teams?

Tool 1: Inclusion and Safety Self-Audit

Knowing your own assumptions and biases is the first step in being able to lead or work within a diverse team. Ask yourself reflective questions, such as:

• What is one generation assumption I hold that I will challenge this week?
• Who is one person from another generation on my team I can connect with?
• What is one communication method I will try this week that I don’t normally use?

Before getting to know someone else or your team, you first need to understand yourself, including your strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and assumptions.

Tool 2: “What My Communication Style” Self Assessment

Work with your team members to help them identify their own preferred communication styles. This can lead to better self-awareness and alignment across the team, reducing conflict based on communication differences.

Tool 3: Equitable Communication Norms: A Team Charter

After the self-reflection is complete, its time for the team to come together and develop its own set of norms and expectations. Facilitate a meeting where your team sets their own rules for interactions, including addressing conflict or disagreements. Ensuring your team has agency in the creation of the expectations will allow differences to be identified and considered, ensure a clear understanding across the team, and provide a foundation from which fair assessments can be made.

Tool 4: DEI Strengths Matrix

Take inventory of your team’s many strengths based on their generation, shifting the framework from generational weaknesses to what they can bring to project. This formal audit will help ensure all generational strengths (institutional knowledge, digital fluency, etc.) are represented in high visibility projects.

More Information

If you would like more information about ways to effectively manager cross-generational teams, please contact Paul Cecala at pcecala@cecalacareer.com. You can view a recording of this program on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/TwmR7wR7inU.

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