Powerfully Communicate Across Generations

For the first time, four generations are working together on the same teams. It is very rewarding to work on an intergenerational team, as each generation contributes to getting the job done but does so differently. My fourth grade teacher told me once, “You must have a friend from each generation.” Below is my spin on the generational archetypes for working women: 

Unsung Heroines (born before 1945). These women believe that their hard work will speak for itself. They rarely miss work and are always punctual. These women respect authority and are not self-promoting. 

Ladies from the 80s (a.k.a. the Baby Boomers, 1946-64). These women fought for a seat at the table during the era of the assembly line. She is driven and assures that her work is of the highest quality. Only after each stage is perfected can she move forward. 

Latchkey Ladies (a.k.a. Generation Xers, 1965-80s). These women are at the crossroad between the traditional Boomer workflow and the tech savvy Millennials. They work independently and often act as mediators between Boomers and Millennials, since they can speak both languages.

Willing to Fail (a.k.a. Millennials, 1990s-00s). These young women today are not afraid to fail. They are much more collaborative works in progress and look for feedback. She has no qualms about abandoning the process and starting over. She video chats, stores her documents on the cloud, and uses social media to communicate. 

Archetypes are patterns of behavior that can give insight. These archetypes may be true for you, but they also may not be true for you. One woman I know is a Boomer in age but went back to school in her later years. She behaves more like a Millennial than a Boomer based on when she was educated.

Age differences bring another nuance to the already diverse workforce. We women leaders can create cultures of intergenerational coaching and collaboration, rather than judging each other or creating a pecking order. We women leaders can work to initiate practices and policies that meet the needs of today’s cross-generational workforce. We can be grateful for the women who have come before us and pay it forward to those who will come after us.  

--Laura Newberry-Yokley, Holistic Leadership Coach