{"id":23426,"date":"2023-07-10T13:30:48","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T12:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talenco.com\/feed?post_id=23426"},"modified":"2026-10-26T17:27:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T16:27:32","slug":"intergenerational-management-managerial-communication-managerial-generations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.talenco.com\/en\/publications\/articles-interviews\/management-intergenerationnel-communication-manageriale-manager-generations\/","title":{"rendered":"Intergenerational management: what management communication is appropriate for each generation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Baby boomers, Generation X, millennials<\/em>, digital natives<\/em>Today, four generations coexist within our organizations! A true asset for companies, it is also a real challenge for managers who must adapt their communication and get juniors and seniors to work together, whose reference points, work styles, aspirations, and motivational levers seem very different.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The intergenerational management<\/strong>, which defines itself as the mentoring of people of different generations, requires overcoming stereotypes and implementing some levers and good practices to turning this generational diversity into a genuine heterogeneous and complementary force<\/strong> serving the collective performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>Four generations of employees have worked at the company, from manager to employee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While far from wanting to box employees into categories, it is nevertheless enlightening to depicting the major trends, behaviors, and expectations of successive generations<\/strong> who collaborate today. Of course, these are rather caricatural characteristics\u2026 but since they are often cited as a reference to mark the developments of society, here is a brief description.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Baby Boomers (1946-1964)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the first \u00abboomers\u00bb born after the Second World War are almost all retired, there are still a number of active individuals born in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The baby boom generation is marked by prosperity, full employment, optimism, the sense of belonging to the company<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generation X (1965-1979)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The employees of the X generation have already lived a good part of their careers and have experienced many changes in the world of work (digital transformation, participatory management<\/a>, the first social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn). They generally search for a balance between professional and personal life<\/strong>, They find fulfillment in their work, remain open to change and challenges, and continue to learn and grow*.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Y generation or millennials<\/em> (1980-1994)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Millennials work more collaboratively since the beginning of their working life and want their opinions to be taken into account in management decisions. Comfortable with digital and participatory tools, they seek pleasure in work, a stimulating job, a fast pace and quick results<\/strong>. Like the previous generation, they are familiar with the first social media platforms, but also with more recent networks such as Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest...<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generation Z or digital natives<\/em> (1995-2009)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The digital natives<\/em> They were born in a digital environment and have developed learning mechanisms with digital technology. They live in the age of the Agile management<\/a> and collaborative, quick to value feedback and the right to make mistakes. They advocate for well-being at work and a crucial balance between personal and professional life*. Flexibility, a need for meaning and personal fulfillment<\/strong> are conditions sine qua non<\/em> of their well-being. They are daily consumers of social media, especially Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the Alpha generation (born after 2010), managers still have a few more years to prepare for their arrival!<\/em>\u00a0 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between young people and seniors: intergenerational management in the face of stereotypes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u00ab Young people do everything through their screens and do not want any constraints. Seniors do not want to change their work habits and have difficulty integrating the new trends.<\/em> \u00bb\u2026If we stick to these stereotypes, in fact, it seems difficult to get several generations working together because\u2019On the surface, they don\u2019t understand each other, don\u2019t share the same values, the same cultural references, the same aspirations.<\/strong>, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For Anne Clotteau<\/a>, expert in management and consultant for talenco, \u00ab This is the first time so many different generations have come together in the same company and therefore in the same teams to manage them! Each generation thinks that the one at the top is too rigid and the one at the bottom too uncontrollable.<\/em> \u00bb (find his testimony in our Webinar on the great resignation<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>

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Instinctively, our perceptual biases lead us to stigmatize these \u00abnew generations\u00bb when in reality, these \u00abnew\u00bb needs resonate in all generations, young and not so young. The liberation of the voice of employees in the workplace has thus enabled ALL generations to agree on these unspoken needs\u2026 and which are now important for everyone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a manager, it is important to take into account the variety of existing profiles in its team<\/strong> in order to best adapt its messages and to ensure that all team members are well integrated and aligned on a regular basis. Two essential questions to ask yourself to succeed in intergenerational management:<\/p>\n\n\n\n