Course Outcomes

This generational diversity course will:

  • Provide participants with an overview of the five generations in the workplace.
  • Highlight strategies for communicating with members of each group.
  • Address common challenges multigenerational workplaces often face.
  • Offer insight as to what’s coming next.

This program examines generation gaps and solutions for having better interactions with people belonging to five distinct cohorts.  During this course, participants will consider a host of issues related to generational differences: whether conflict is personality driven or the product of birth group; the needs common to all people, regardless of age; how a generation is formed; where common ground is found; and how to adjust to people who have decidedly different expectations of the workplace.

Program Objectives

At this program’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

  • Explain generational differences and their impact on the modern workforce.
  • Describe the factors that influence and help determine where one generation stops and another begins.
  • Explain the values of each generation and experiences common to each group’s members.
  • Incorporate communication strategies to work better with members of different generations.

The following outline highlights some of the course’s key learning points. As part of your training program, we will modify content as needed to meet your business objectives. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of the participant materials prior to the session(s).

Workshop Outline

Discovering How Gaps Develop: History in Brief

To begin this workshop, participants will look at how a generation is defined, the conflicts that can arise between generations, the value of having a multigenerational workforce, and why improving communication among groups is an important goal. Working through a series of activities, participants will draw on their own experiences as well as what’s been written in books and academic journals.

Talking About My Generation: Traditionalists, Boomers, Xers, Millennials, and What’s Next

This seminar segment looks at such topics as when one generation stops and another starts, and the various labels, definitions, and information commonly associated with different groups. Participants will then work as teams with members of their generation to develop a list of likes, dislikes, and expectations. Following that exercise, they will share that list with the larger group, and we will compare their findings with generally accepted answers to those questions.

What Matters: Getting It Right

As the activity in the previous segment illustrates, members of different generations have goals they share with their cohorts that are distinct from those born in another era.  Some of these differences relate to life phase, and others are shared expectations or norms learned from common experiences.  During this part of the program, we will look at the needs of different groups and how to accommodate them.

Best Practices for Finding Common Ground: Tactics for Surviving Together

Despite our differences, people usually have more in common than they initially realize.  Getting to know others beyond a surface level is the first step to having an appreciation for another person’s point of view.  This part of the program offers guidance around setting expectations, adjusting behaviors, and building stronger intergenerational teams. Working through activities and case studies, this course component provides participants with several opportunities to apply what they’ve learned during the session.

The Bigger Picture: The Business Impact of Generational Diversity in the Workplace 

The next part of the course takes a brief look at current demographics and why organizations should concern themselves with matters related to the age of their employee population.  During this seminar segment, participants will consider both short-term and long-term strategies for addressing a range of challenges. We’ll also identify quick wins, daily tactics, and goals that will require more time to achieve.

Generation Next: Looking Toward the Future

This final workshop discussion builds on the previous activity. In this activity, we will pull out our crystal balls and forecast 10 to 20 years into the future.  We will consider how technology, social trends, and other influences will affect the workforce in the coming years. 

At this program’s conclusion, participants will have an understanding of generational differences, some exposure to the academic work behind the buzzwords, practice adjusting to preferences held by different groups, and experience planning for the future.