This generational disconnect was described very simply by George Orwell: “Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that preceded it, and wiser than the one that follows it.” Personally, while I understand the functionality of making a distinction between generations for certain things, I’ve always found it curious how we artificially draw lines between generations, and assign certain characteristics to them.
I, for example, am millennial either GenZ, depending on the source that is consulted to draw that line, when the reality is that I consider that I am a mixture of both. Although there are some differences between generations, such as aspects of musical or language preferences, the transition between generations cannot be strictly defined and rather they often intermingle. Perhaps one of the funniest moments I’ve experienced in an office was having to explain what it means for something to be’of chill’ (jokingly) or contraction’gpi‘ (thank you for inviting), which highlight these differences. The gap is also evident in going out to karaoke to integrate the office team. Although everyone sings Luis Miguel, the most recent generations tend to ask for songs by Bad Bunny or Ed Sheeran, while the older ones senior in the office they usually ask for José José or Juan Gabriel.
The dynamics between generations are marked not only by apparent differences in preferences, but also by the false stereotypes that coexist with them. More than once I have had to hear, in one way or another, the phrase: “Oh, these millennials! They are glass.” Even when, unknowingly, the person saying it belongs to this generation. These types of situations that point to an apparent difference in values between generations are the ones that usually cause conflicts within companies. For those of us who are interested in organizational culture issues, it leads us to ask first: are the generations really so different in terms of preferences and values?, and second: what actions can be taken to improve teamwork in companies with So much generational diversity?
An article published in 2019 by The Harvard Business Review, entitled “Generational Differences at Work Are Small. Thinking They’re Big Affects Our Behavior ”, he refers to research on this phenomenon and found results that might seem counterintuitive to us. The article suggests, based on evidence from several recent studies, that there is not as much difference in preferences and values between generations, and that there is a great variety within generations. All this indicates that the generational disconnect problem stems from the belief that there is a difference, rather than the difference itself.