Walk into almost any workplace today and you’ll probably find someone who still says, “I’ll give you a call,” sitting next to someone who’s wondering why we’re having a meeting that could’ve been a Slack message. Welcome to the modern workplace!
For the first time in history, we’ve got up to five generations working side by side. Different experiences. Different expectations. Different ideas about what “normal” looks like at work.
And while it’s tempting to blame every workplace disagreement on “those Millennials”, “typical Gen Z”, or “classic Boomer behaviour”… that’s only telling half the story.
Generational differences do exist. They matter. But they’re only one piece of the puzzle.
The best leaders don’t ignore those differences, and they certainly don’t stereotype them. Instead, they understand where those differences come from, recognise the strengths each generation brings, and create an environment where everyone can do their best work.
We Aren’t Randomly Different
Every generation has been shaped by a completely different world.
Baby Boomers entered workplaces where loyalty often led to long-term careers and face-to-face conversations were simply how business was done.
Generation X experienced economic uncertainty, organisational restructures, and the rise of personal computers, creating a generation that often values independence, pragmatism, and getting on with the job.
Millennials came of age during rapid technological change, the Global Financial Crisis, and increasingly collaborative workplaces. Many place a strong emphasis on purpose, development, and regular feedback.
Generation Z has grown up with smartphones, social media, instant communication, and COVID disrupting education and early careers. It’s hardly surprising they expect technology to work seamlessly, communication to be timely, and leaders to be accessible.
It’s a bit like asking someone who learned to drive a manual in 1985 and someone who grew up with reversing cameras and lane assist to agree on the “right” way to park. Same destination. Slightly different journey.
None of these experiences are right or wrong. They’re simply different. And those different starting points shape what each of us considers “normal” at work. Which is a relief really… because imagine how boring the office would be if everyone thought exactly the same!
But Trends Aren’t Stereotypes
Here’s where we think many conversations about generations go wrong.
We take broad trends and turn them into labels. Not every Baby Boomer dislikes technology. Not every Millennial wants constant praise. Not every Gen Z employee lives on TikTok.
We’ve met twenty-somethings who’d rather pick up the phone than send a voice note, and sixty-year-olds who are first in line to test the latest AI tool.
Humans love shortcuts. Our brains are constantly trying to categorise people because it saves thinking. Unfortunately, it also gets us into trouble.
Assuming every Gen Z employee hates phone calls is about as accurate as assuming every Baby Boomer still owns a fax machine. Generational influences help explain some workplace preferences. They don’t define individuals. The moment we assume someone will behave a certain way simply because of their birth year, we’ve stopped leading people and started leading stereotypes.
This Is Where Extended DISC® Changes the Conversation
One of our favourite moments during an Extended DISC® Team Collaboration Workshop is watching someone have a genuine lightbulb moment.
“Oh… they’re not being difficult. They just process information differently.”
We see this almost every workshop. It’s usually followed by someone slowly turning to look at their colleague with a mixture of surprise… and just a tiny bit of guilt. Suddenly, the colleague who gets straight to the point isn’t rude. The team member asking lots of questions isn’t challenging authority.
The person who wants time to think before responding isn’t disengaged.
Because while generations influence our expectations, behavioural style influences how we communicate, make decisions, solve problems, and work with others. Two Millennials can have completely different communication styles. Two Gen X leaders can approach feedback in completely different ways. That’s why understanding behavioural preferences often explains workplace friction far better than age alone.
When teams understand both generational influences and behavioural styles, they stop making assumptions and start adapting their communication to the individual sitting in front of them.
That’s where collaboration really starts to improve.
Most Workplace Friction Isn’t About Age. It’s About Expectations.
Here’s a fun little experiment. Ask your team these questions and watch how quickly the answers differ.
- Should emails be answered after hours?
- Is it okay to send a Slack message instead of booking a meeting?
- How much feedback should managers give?
- When is it acceptable to work from home?
- Should you pick up the phone or send a Teams message?
It’s easy to assume these are generational disagreements. More often than not, they’re expectation gaps. Everyone arrives at work with their own version of what’s “normal”, shaped by their upbringing, previous workplaces, personality, and life experience.
If those expectations are never discussed, people naturally assume everyone sees the world the same way they do. Spoiler alert… they don’t. Nobody’s trying to be difficult. They’re just following a completely different set of unwritten rules.
Spice’s Hot Take
Most workplace conflict isn’t caused by generations. It’s caused by assumptions.
Swap assumptions for curiosity, and you’ve solved half the problem before HR even gets involved.
Great Leaders Adapt. They Don’t Assume.
We sometimes hear leaders say, “I just treat everyone the same.”
It sounds fair. It just isn’t always effective. Good leadership isn’t about treating everyone identically. It’s about giving everyone what they need to succeed.
Some people appreciate regular check-ins. Others value autonomy. Some want detailed information before making a decision. Others prefer the headlines and will ask questions later.
Great leaders learn to flex their communication rather than expecting everyone else to flex to them. That’s exactly what we focus on in our Leadership Capability Training. Helping leaders develop the awareness and flexibility to bring out the best in every person, regardless of age or personality.
Give Everyone the Same Destination
One thing we’ve found is remarkably consistent across every generation? People want to know that what they do matters.
Strip away the birth years, job titles, and communication preferences, and humans are actually pretty similar. We all like knowing our work makes a difference.
Purpose has a funny way of cutting through generational differences. When everyone understands where the business is heading, why it matters, and how they contribute, conversations become less about how people prefer to work and more about what they’re working towards together.
That’s why our Purpose, Vision & Strategy Workshops are such a powerful foundation for growing teams. They create alignment around a shared destination while allowing individuals to bring their own strengths to the journey.
Clear Expectations Beat Guesswork Every Time
If there’s one thing that reduces workplace friction faster than almost anything else, it’s clarity.
- Clear expectations around communication.
- Clear expectations around flexibility.
- Clear expectations around performance.
- Clear expectations around behaviours.
When expectations are written down, talked about, and reinforced consistently, people spend far less time trying to interpret each other’s intentions. That’s where practical tools like well-written Employee Handbooks become invaluable. They don’t just cover policies and procedures. They remove ambiguity, create consistency, and help everyone understand what success looks like, regardless of when they were born!
Because nobody should need detective-level investigative skills to work out whether replying-all to every email is encouraged… or quietly frowned upon.
The Real Opportunity
Think about the best team you’ve ever been part of. Chances are it wasn’t made up of people who all looked the same, thought the same, or had exactly the same career journey. It worked because everyone brought something different to the table… and nobody was trying to flip the table over.
A multi-generational workforce isn’t something to manage. It’s something to leverage.
Experience brings wisdom. Fresh perspectives spark innovation. Stability creates consistency. Curiosity drives improvement.
The organisations that thrive aren’t the ones trying to make everyone think the same. They’re the ones creating environments where different perspectives strengthen the team instead of dividing it. Because when leaders understand both generational influences and individual behavioural styles, create a shared purpose, and make expectations visible, something powerful happens. People stop working around each other and start working with each other.
Time to Add Spice
At Spice, we love helping teams replace assumptions with understanding.
Sometimes that means introducing a Gen Z graduate to someone who still remembers carbon copy paper! Sometimes it means helping a leader realise that not everyone wants feedback delivered the way they do. Sometimes it simply means helping a team laugh about their differences instead of getting frustrated by them.
Because once people understand why someone works differently, those differences stop feeling annoying… and start becoming useful.
Through our Extended DISC® Team Collaboration Workshops, Leadership Capability Training, Purpose, Vision & Strategy Workshops, and practical Employee Handbooks, we help teams create workplaces where every generation can thrive. Because generational differences aren’t the problem. Unspoken expectations are!
If you’d like to build a workplace where people communicate better, collaborate more effectively, and appreciate what every generation brings to the table, we’d love to help you Add Spice.