Think your coworkers are just “too old school” or “too entitled”? Not quite. It’s important to understand how generational differences shape the way people work, communicate and respond to change — and how you can use those insights to lead smarter, more inclusive transformations across your organization.

A scan of headlines about the “generation wars” would have you believe your coworkers are some combination of out of touch, entitled or disloyal, depending on their birth year. A little harsh, but there’s a degree of truth underneath all the finger-pointing: Employees’ life experiences — and therefore their ages — shape how they operate at work. Generational norms help inform core values, work style preferences and comfort with technology.

When embarking on a change, the key is to center all employees — a company’s most valuable asset —to ensure they truly feel connected and invested in the change that’s happening. But change management isn’t one-size-fits-all, so how do you ensure you can connect with employees at different phases of their lives and careers?

Start by understanding what motivates each generation. When you know where they’re coming from, you can tailor your change strategy to meet them where they are — and bring them along with you.

Learning the landscape

Diversity within a multigenerational workforce can affect how key messages land with audiences of different ages, potentially leading to intergenerational conflicts and miscommunication, so it’s crucial to understand what makes your audiences tick before you launch a change or hit send on the first communication.

During your discovery phase, use a change assessment to gauge how employee preferences on factors like communications, training and leadership can inform your strategy. This foundational process helps leaders evaluate change readiness and resistance, in addition to highlighting how different employee segments (like age groups) might be affected.

To support your change assessment, you can conduct: 

• Surveys: Include questions about communication preferences, comfort with technology and work values. Examine how generations are distributed across departments and roles. 
• Focus groups: Organize conversations by generation to explore attitudes about change, communication and culture. Ask people leaders about their multigenerational teams. 
• Communication and channel audits: Evaluate what channels, formats and cadence resonate most with different age groups.

Armed with insights about your audience, you can more effectively tailor a strategy that works for your culture and takes generational preferences into account. (This is especially important when dealing with large-scale organizational changes such as mergers or acquisitions.) 

Let’s break down some considerations by generation. 

Baby Boomers (1946-1964)

These “digital immigrants” can remember what it was like to live and work in a world that wasn’t as deeply technological as ours is today. They are generally most comfortable with in-person communication, followed by phone and email. More resistant to change than members of other age cohorts, some Baby Boomers have struggled with hybrid work post-COVID. This group values hard work and long hours. 

To support your Boomer colleagues, make sure your plan includes tactics like: 

• Messaging that clearly explains the “why” behind the transformation, connects it to the company vision and values, and recognizes their years of experience. 
• In-person and structured opportunities for training and Q&A with leaders, with printed and online resources available. 
• Collaboration opportunities that honor their experience by asking them to advise and provide feedback throughout the process. 
• Additional IT support to help troubleshoot tech issues.

Generation X (1965-1980)

Gen X are also digital immigrants, but they were quicker on the technology and social media uptake than their Baby Boomer counterparts. Gen Xers became early adopters of email and still tend to prefer email communication at work. They are agile, loyal and curious — and they’re often overlooked in generational conversations.

Your Gen X colleagues might appreciate:

• Practical, straightforward messaging that clearly outlines expectations. 
• Opportunities for self-directed training supported by links to easily accessible online resources. 
• Room for flexibility and autonomy when it comes to implementing change in ways that suit their teams and/or roles. 
• Two-way feedback mechanisms that solicit Gen Xers’ seasoned perspectives and offer clear feedback on performance and progress. 

Millennials (1981-1996)

Less engaged in the workforce than their older counterparts, this generation welcomes change that will produce positive and tangible outcomes, and they prioritize a healthy work/life balance more than previous generations. While younger Millennials count as the first “digital natives,” older members of this generation still remember a time before smartphones and social media took over. On the whole, they generally prefer text and online chat communication (such as Slack).

To connect with Millennials, consider including:

• Messaging that lays out a positive vision for the post-transformation future and helps infuse their work and the change with purpose. 
• A mix of in-person and online Q&A sessions and training sessions that weave in coaching and leadership development. 
• Ongoing check-ins with their people leaders to discuss progress and build team alignment.

Generation Z (1997-2012)

Your youngest colleagues also value a work/life balance and are interested in companies’ CSR and DE&I efforts. As the second generation of digital natives, Gen Zers have never known a world without smartphones. They tend to seek hybrid or remote work. In contrast to Baby Boomers, both Millennials and Gen Z tend to have higher expectations around their voice being valued by their company from day one.  

Zoomers will appreciate tactics like:

• Succinct messaging that clearly illustrates the “what’s in it for us?” — not just the benefits of the change, but also how the change is being handled with inclusivity in mind. 
• Virtual options for training and Q&A sessions, plus mobile access to resources.  
• Clear, ongoing feedback mechanisms, from dedicated email inboxes to surveys.

A final thought

Generational divides aren’t set-in-stone science — while age is a useful factor in strategizing, it’s important to keep in mind that there are exceptions to every rule, and what works for Zoomers might also work just fine for some Boomers.

Ultimately, by using the right avenues of communication, you’re meeting your audience where they learn and work best to drive home your message. That makes it easier to establish a connection and sense of belonging that spans ages and work preferences — and puts your company in a position to successfully implement small- and large-scale change.

Connect with Head of Operations Lindsay Gladu on LinkedIn to continue the conversation. 

Ready to change wisely? We can help you develop the right strategy. Email us at [email protected].