There’s been plenty of talk about the current generational gap at work, and the truth is, this is nothing new and not likely to go away anytime soon. After all, each generation has historically faced challenges adapting to the attitudes and work styles of those before them.

Compared to previous generations, however, the current generational conflict in the workplace certainly presents a unique challenge for leaders. Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who have grown up with smartphones and constant connectivity, are used to getting immediate responses in all areas of their lives. Additionally, they’ve grown up under different parenting styles where they have a lot more say in what they want to do and who they want to be. As a result, their communication styles and workplace expectations are uniquely shaped by technology and their environments.

Given the state of the current generational gap, we see two areas where younger generations can develop in order to improve overall organizational effectiveness.

Responsibilities at Work

There’s a lot of research on today’s generational differences in the workplace, and it really boils down to negotiating the company’s needs versus the employees’ needs. In previous generations, the focus was more on an organization’s needs without much regard for the employees’ needs. The playing field has leveled a bit, in part because of how good the job market’s been, but the error that organizations might make now that the market is tightening is dismissing the need for working on generational conflict and being reactive to challenges.

To take a proactive approach, you’ll want to facilitate communication and training that helps strike that balance between helping your employees feel heard and achieving organizational objectives. Young employees need to understand that they have a responsibility to give back to organizations just as organizations should listen to and incorporate their perspectives. To do this, it’s important to help the younger generations think about their careers and reset their expectations through reflective sessions. These reflective sessions should cover career aspirations, personal goals, and understanding both employee and company responsibilities. The goal is to create a win-win conversation where both sides get a joint positive outcome.

Conflict Management

The younger generations are known to avoid conflict more than previous generations, which makes sense due to the fact that technology has allowed them to interact with others behind a screen instead of directly engaging in face-to-face confrontation when it arises. Unfortunately, this avoidance of conflict can lead to misunderstandings at work, so it’s essential that team members learn the skills of managing conflict directly through a facilitated program. After all, it all starts with having to sit with the discomfort that can come with a challenging situation and learning the tools to deal with the problem. At Orange Grove, we offer training programs that specifically focus on conflict resolution and managing difficult conversations. These programs give team members and leaders a safe space to practice and develop strong communication skills so that they’ll be prepared to use them when they face workplace conflict.

We train leaders to navigate intergenerational conflict at work specifically through our Inclusive Leadership Program, which has a much broader application in the workplace beyond just inclusivity. The program explores assumptions we make about different groups and gives leaders the skills to deal with conflict more directly and constructively so that they can facilitate transparency and open communication in their teams.

By taking a proactive and reflective stance to addressing today’s generational conflict, your organization will attract and retain the talent of younger generations while maintaining a balanced approach to your organization’s bottom-line business goals.