Five Ages of People at Work

Cross-generational collectivism is especially powerful, and something today’s organizations—with their increasingly less hierarchical leadership structures—are well-placed to leverage. Today, in the face of shifting demographics, environmental, geopolitical, and technological disruption, and in an era that is rife with polarization and identity-based tribalism, the world urgently needs its five working generations to move away from siloed stereotypes and fulfil their collective potential.

From Lover through to Judge, Shakespeare only suggested four of his seven ages were fit for employment. Now, with healthier lifestyles and better healthcare, people are living and working much longer, and for the first time in history five generations are working together. Rebecca Robins and Patrick Dunne, unpick the dynamics of five-generational diversity in a working environment that is undergoing massive change, in Five Generations at Work: How We Win Together, for Good, and focus on the opportunities presented and how organizations can maximize them.

It is part of human nature for generations to herd together, and for each generation to emphasize its difference. Today, partly fueled by social media, there is a general acceptance of generational division—whether a division any worse than the hippy generation’s from its wartime forebearers is debatable. Recent use of descriptors such as Boomers, GenX, GenZ, etc.—emphasizing variance—only add to the problem. People are of course intrinsically different as individuals and in the skills they possess—every generation contains multitudes. But in a workplace context, while older generations benefit from experience and younger generations from energy, people of all generations are not that different in their fundamental needs and motivations.

Developing a harmonious organizational culture, that can make the most of each generation’s strengths, involves taking intentional action—especially in a fast-changing world. The authors quote Einstein, “a quantum leap in human relations” is needed to match the same leap in technology.  With small start-up businesses culture can be influenced from the outset—bearing in mind the characters of the founders will predominate. In long established firms it is likely to involve change—and culture change is always difficult.

In their research, looking at companies that have successfully instituted a strong inter-generational working culture, the authors alighted on five key characteristics that were integral to this success: Collaboration, Inclusivity, and Innovation, underpinned by Respect and Leadership. A focus on these attributes is key to creating teams that offer high levels of psychological safety, where everyone is empowered to contribute equally and creatively, where cross-generational knowledge can flow openly, and interpersonal relationships between age groups can flourish.

Robins and Dunne’s book, not only benefits from their own experience as business leaders, entrepreneurs, and advisors, but at its core presents a series of inspiring case studies from the many organizations they have spoken to and researched. From Alstrom and LVMH to Hoffman-La Roche and Samsung, the authors explore the stories of numerous companies that have grappled with the tensions inherent in intergenerational-workforces, and that have been able to leverage age diversity to enhance employee engagement and company performance. 

This timely book can be a wake-up call for the many organizations that have not yet addressed the culture change required to effectively embrace cross-generational working, and for the many who still passively accept the stereotypes of age, allow silos to perpetuate, and are missing out on the opportunities others are securing.

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‘Five Generations at Work: How We Win Together, for Good,’ Rebecca Robins and Patrick Dunne. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2024, ISBN 978-1-394-25220-6