Generational differences are not the problem—it’s our assumptions about the differences between generations that create the problems!
There’s hardly a workshop, leadership seminar, or team-building session where generational differences aren’t discussed passionately. And again and again, you hear the same stereotypes about the different generations—baby boomers and Gen X bringing lots of experience but being rigid and resistant to change, while Gen Y and Z are flexible but mainly focused on autonomy and a good work-life balance.
To address all these conflicts and misunderstandings between generations, there is now an army of coaches tackling the issue—often reinforcing it even further.
The fact is that the differences and boundaries between these groups are far more fluid than we tend to think (cf. Costanza et al. or Lyons & Kuron). The problem is not so much the differences themselves, but rather our social labels and age-based stereotypes, which shape our perceptions—and often even our self-image:
Younger people are often seen as demanding, self-centered, and overly focused on leisure. These stereotypes are not new—they reappear every few decades. It’s called the “illusion of moral decline”—the belief that younger generations are somehow worse than those before them.
Egal, was unsere Grosseltern über unsere Generation gesagt haben, wir werden wahrscheinlich dasselbe über die Generation unserer Enkelkinder sagen. Psychologen stellen fest, dass wir Generationen stereotypisieren, weil wir beim Vergleich versagen. Instead of comparing younger generations with our younger selves, we compare them with our current selves.
Older generations are not only the perpetrators of stereotypes—they are also victims. In a survey in the United States, 93% of people over the age of 50 reported having experienced age discrimination. They were perceived as having poor memory, low energy, and a lack of willingness to change.
Instead of constantly emphasizing the differences, we should focus on the individual—because the similarities within a group are only a fraction of the differences within that same group. We should see the individual, not the group—and recognize, leverage, and develop their strengths and passions.
At the same time, we should highlight common ground—because if we exaggerate the differences between age groups, we lose the foundation for shared development.
At the end of the day, age is just one indicator among many. The better we become at looking beyond age and generation, the closer we get to what is really happening in the workplace. What matters is not when you were born, but how you show up.
This post was published by Wolfgang Jenewein on LinkedIn on July 21, 2025. Zum Original-Beitrag