Bridging Generations: How to Harness the Power of Your Multi-Generational Team

World War II. The Civil Rights Movement. The AIDS Epidemic. Columbine. Life after 9/11. These events aren’t just historical milestones—they’re defining moments that have shaped how different generations see the world. And today, those generations are working side by side.

After years of experience working with a wide variety of teams across many different industries, one thing is clear: the value of a balanced team. Regardless of the team's size, balance within the team contributes to high performance and productivity. Balance can be represented by various factors, including length of service, past experiences, personality, and educational background. The balance we will explore in this blog post is generational representation.

Each generation brings a unique lens shaped by the events they’ve lived through, which influences how we work, communicate, and define success. The historical events listed here represent only a small sample of events that have shaped the five generations currently active in our workforce today – the Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. These experiences shape the way a generation views the world – how a generation thinks about work and family, how they communicate, how they interact and engage with others, and so on. When multiple generations come together on a team, it’s natural to encounter differences, but it’s also an opportunity to unlock powerful collaboration.

To better understand these differences, take a look at the Generational Characteristics chart below. It highlights trends like the shift from company loyalty to work-life balance, and how technology has evolved across generations—from radio to smartphones.

Generational Characteristics*

(Source: www.purdueglobal.edu)

*Generational characteristics are simply meant to grow an understanding of each generation, not to be applied to each individual. For a full view of this chart and additional ways to lead each of these generations, click here.

Yes, generational differences can create friction. In fact, Forbes reports that only 9% of employees say cross-generational teams improve collaboration, while over a quarter believe generational differences can hurt teamwork. That’s a big gap—and it shows up in missed opportunities for shared learning, mentoring, and innovation. 

What if, instead, we flipped the script and thought about harnessing the power of the team based on the balance of experiences and perspectives represented by age and generation?

Instead of seeing generational differences as challenges to be dealt with, let’s shift our perspective to see generational differences as benefits – unleashing the power that unique experiences, perspectives, and skillsets bring to our organizations.

The power of the team becomes an opportunity to:

• Tap into a broad range of thinking and experiences

• Leverage deep organizational or industry knowledge and experiences

• Maximize proven methods and practices

• Invite curiosity and questioning from fresh perspectives

• Leverage individuals new to the workforce who bring new ideas

• And the best part … everyone can learn from one another!

  
  

Here’s the good news. No matter what generation we represent, there are a few things we all want:

-We want to feel respected.

-We want to feel like we are heard.

-And we want to know that our work matters.

So, how can we practically bring this to life?

4 Ways to Harness the Power of Your Multi-Generational Team

1. Draw from a wide range of experiences: create intentional spaces where multiple voices are invited in, like a cross-generational “innovation roundtable” where newer and more tenured folks are paired to tackle a problem together.

   
   

2. Leverage deep organizational knowledge: build knowledge sharing into your routines. A fun way to do this is through “storytelling huddles,” where a more experienced team member shares a valuable lesson learned.

   
   

3. Spark curiosity: rotate team members through projects and across cross-functional projects (when possible). Ask, “Why do we do it this way?” and pause to consider the answer – sparking our curiosity! This can help us get unstuck from the way we’ve “always” done things.

   
   

4. Foster a culture of learning: We all get better when we learn from one another. Invite your team to a “lunch and learn” where teams members share things they’ve learned (or are learning). We want to celebrate not just achievement, but what we’ve learned along the way!

As a leader, if you want a team that performs at a high level, it’s essential to build one that’s balanced across generations. That mix of ages brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives, which helps to offset the challenges. The key is how you lead: communicate clearly, show respect, listen to understand, and value what each person brings. Using the four ideas we shared is just the beginning! When you lead in this way, what starts as a challenge becomes a real advantage!

At Kane Learning, we believe in the power of a multi-generational team! Our workshops and e-learnings help teams explore generational differences and similarities and learn how to leverage them to build stronger, more collaborative, high-performing teams.

Sources:

Purdue research: https://www.purdueglobal.edu/education-partnerships/generational-workforce-differences-infographic/?source=302454&ve=60493

Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/vibhasratanjee/2025/06/17/leading-the-five-generation-workforce-from-age-gaps-to-advantages/

About the author: After working in corporate Human Resources roles for over 25 years, Lisa Merz Russell joined Kane Learning as a Senior Consultant, bringing her expertise in team effectiveness, people leadership, learning and development, and human resources.