Understanding Generations in the Workplace

National Women’s Day is a great reminder to look around us and notice the talent, depth, and creativity sitting right beside us – across every generation.

As a multigenerational enthusiast (and proud humorist), I’ve learned that when five generations share a conference room, you don’t have a meeting, you have a superpower! The idea is turning “We’ve always done it this way” and “Why are we still doing it that way?” into a productive dance instead of a duel.

Collective Capacity 

Progress sticks when people feel seen, trusted, and part of something bigger than their job title. Relationships create the psychological safety that turns ideas into experiments and feedback into fuel. Community – the habits, rituals, and shared language we build together – keeps momentum through change and uncertainty. When we design for connection (think generous listening, clear credit for contributions, and consistent touchpoints), we turn individual effort into collective capacity. 

Five Trailblazers Who Modeled Collective Progress

Each of these leaders changed systems by inviting more people into the work – and into the win.

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020) – Demonstrated that durable change is built case by case, coalition by coalition, until new norms feel inevitable.
• Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) – Proved that when organizations welcome overlooked brilliance, missions launch, and everyone’s horizon expands.
• Dolores Huerta (b. 1930) – Organized workers and communities, showing that policy shifts when everyday people move in the same direction.
• Wangari Maathai (1940-2021) – Linked environmental health to women’s leadership, planting a future where communities and ecosystems thrive together.
• Malala Yousafzai (b. 1997) – Reminds us that education multiplies opportunity across generations – and that courage is contagious.

From Intention to Practice

Hope is a strategy when we give it structure. Consider these future-forward moves to embed collaboration into everyday work:

• Design meetings for contribution. Share agendas early, rotate facilitation, and assign roles (initiator, challenger, synthesizer). Make contributions expected and equitable.
• Promote cross-generational mentoring. Pair experience with a fresh perspective; set quarterly learning goals that both partners report on. Using SMART goal metrics for reflection and progress check-ins! 
• Create transparent pathways. Publish criteria for projects and promotions. Track who gets access – and adjust until access is equitable by design.
• Consider quarterly “assumption audits.” Personal or work wise. Ask which customer, employee, or community assumptions no longer align with your mission. Invite voices from multiple generations to pressure-test the answers.
• Celebrate the hand-off. Recognize moments when one person’s expertise becomes another’s launching pad. Progress compounds when we honor the past, not just the finish.

Critical Connection

National Women’s Day isn’t just about honoring women’s achievements; it’s about practicing the behaviors that made those achievements possible. Behaviors like listening generously, sharing space, and building bridges that hold. When we connect across generations with curiosity and humor, we honor the women who paved the path for our future. 

“Movements are born of critical connections rather than critical mass.”

Grace Lee Boggs, American author, social activist, philosopher, and feminist

July 30 marks International Day of Friendship, a day when the United Nations reminds us that global peace begins with something simple, accessible, and beautifully human: friendship.

And while we often associate friendship as something born on playgrounds, through late-night talks, or over shared Spotify playlists, let’s not underestimate the power of friendship in the workplace – especially between generations. You are reportedly 7 times more likely to be productive at work if you have a close friend working with you! 

🌱 Friendship is More Than a Nice-to-Have

The UN believes friendship fosters social harmony and development. We believe it also helps:

• Reduce workplace stress
• Increase cross-generational empathy
• Transform coworkers into allies

“Gallup has repeatedly shown that having best friends at work is key to employee engagement and job success. Gallup data indicate that having a best friend at work is strongly linked to business outcomes, including profitability, safety, inventory control, and retention.”

🚫 Generational Stereotypes Block Connection

• “Boomers don’t listen.”
• “Gen Z only thinks about themselves.”
• “Millennials are too sensitive.”
• “Gen X – wait, where is Gen X?”

These kinds of assumptions block connection and limit collaboration. But friendship breaks those walls. It says: “I see you, I value you, let’s figure this out together.” Friendship invites vulnerability and curiosity – two things every generation could use more of.

💡 3 Ways to Connect on Friendship Day

• Lead with Curiosity, Not Animosity
  Ask open-ended questions like, “What was your first job like?” or “What’s something you wish people understood about your generation?” You’ll be amazed at what you uncover when you listen without preconceived notions.
• Celebrate Weird Holidays
  From National Margarita Day to Potato Lovers Month, find the humor in shared celebrations! Friendship grows in the small, silly moments.
• Volunteer Together
  Working together on something non-work related – like a community clean-up, spending a day at an animal shelter, or even planting trees as a team – naturally forges bonds and reveals shared values. “80% of consumers are more likely to buy from and 84% of employees are more likely to work for a company that stands up for the environment.”

🪄 Friendship Is a Powerful Reminder

Friendship is essential for living in a world filled with technology and distractions. It softens misunderstandings, strengthens bonds, and opens doors to collaboration we never knew were possible. When we invest in friendships, we build trust, empathy, and resilience between communities. We reduce stress, increase morale, and remind each other that no one has to figure it all out alone.

“In a world that can often feel divided, World Friendship Day is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and the difference we can make by reaching out and supporting one another.”