When you meet someone new, the initial – sometimes awkward – conversation is often an exploration about what you have in common. What do you do for a living? Which part of town do you live in? Where did you go to school?
In this session, we will explore finding common ground across the generations, and look at underlying problems.
If you’ve been addressing generational issues in your workplace, you’ve likely encountered charts highlighting the fundamental differences among generations. While there are indeed differences—often influenced by upbringing, family structure, and life experiences—there are also significant similarities. Variations can be extensive even within a single generation, making it unsurprising that they might also exist across different generations.
Research shows that individuals from all generations share common desires: meaningful work, the importance of family, a need for respect, resistance to change, and a desire to learn. However, people often perceive that other generations do not value these things as they do (stereotyping). To complicate matters further, they may also believe that other generations do not recognize their own values (meta-stereotyping).
Stereotyping and meta-stereotyping significantly impact workplace dynamics and culture. They can hinder training efforts, teamwork, collaboration, and innovation, and may lead to feelings of being challenged or threatened.
It’s crucial to establish common ground where everyone respects one another and avoids divisive thinking. A good starting point is identifying the problem and openly discussing stereotypes and meta-stereotypes.
Q: What concrete things can be done in the workplace to create common ground, free of stereotypes and meta-stereotypes?
