Last week in our first blog (Managing a Multigenerational Workforce Through a DEI Lens) of this series, we provided an overview of the challenges and opportunities related to managing a multigenerational workforce. Today and over the next few weeks we will focus on each generation separately with the aim of providing you with a more in depth understanding as well as specific and actionable ideas for how to lead and engage with them more effectively.
To Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, make up a significant part of the workforce today, often in leadership roles or contributing invaluable institutional knowledge. Understanding how to manage and engage this generation is key to creating an inclusive, equitable, and high-performing workplace. However, Baby Boomers’ workplace expectations and preferences differ significantly from younger generations, and these differences must be approached through a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens to ensure that organizations can tap into their full potential.
This blog explores strategies for managing Baby Boomers, focusing on how their upbringing and experiences have shaped their approach to work, and providing insights on how to enhance cross-generational interaction in the workplace, informed by the research of leading experts in the field.
The Baby Boomer Mindset: Stability, Loyalty, and Hierarchy
Baby Boomers were raised in a period of post-war economic growth, job security, and social stability. Their work ethic reflects a sense of duty, loyalty, and respect for authority. Baby Boomers were taught that hard work leads to success, and they often prefer hierarchical structures and traditional communication styles (Sabatini Hennelly & Schurman, 2018; Harber, 2011). Many Boomers expect to stay with one company for the long term and place a high value on in-person communication.
As Lindsey Pollak discusses in her book The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace (2019), Baby Boomers typically value formal recognition and prefer clear, top-down management. Pollak emphasizes that their work style, rooted in a desire for stability, often contrasts with the more fluid, tech-driven approaches favored by younger generations (Pollak, 2019). Therefore, managing Baby Boomers requires recognizing their desire for structured roles, formal feedback, and opportunities for long-term growth.
Bea Bourne, in her article “Managing Multigenerational Workers: How Understanding Generational Differences Can Improve Organizational Performance” (2016), also highlights how Baby Boomers value hierarchical leadership but stresses that understanding these preferences is essential for enhancing organizational effectiveness (Bourne, 2016).
DEI Strategies for Managing Baby Boomers
1. Recognize and Value Their Contributions
Baby Boomers bring decades of experience, institutional knowledge, and a commitment to hard work. However, they often feel overlooked as organizations prioritize younger generations. Ensuring that Baby Boomers are valued is critical to keeping them engaged.
In Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality (2016), Val Grubb emphasizes the importance of recognition in fostering engagement among Boomers. She suggests public recognition and formal accolades, which resonate strongly with Baby Boomers who appreciate acknowledgment of their years of service (Grubb, 2016). Moreover, creating mentorship opportunities where Baby Boomers can share their knowledge with younger colleagues can make them feel respected and valued.
David Stillman, in Gen Z @ Work: How the Next Generation Is Transforming the Workplace (2017), supports this idea by promoting reverse mentoring programs, where younger employees help Baby Boomers with digital tools, while Boomers pass on their industry knowledge (Stillman & Stillman, 2017).
2. Provide Opportunities for Continued Growth
Despite nearing or reaching retirement age, many Baby Boomers are not ready to leave the workforce and want opportunities for personal and professional growth. Offering equitable access to learning and development opportunities ensures that Baby Boomers can continue contributing.
Maddy Dychtwald, in Influence: How Women’s Soaring Economic Power Will Transform Our World for the Better (2010), highlights how many Baby Boomers—particularly women—seek purpose-driven work and continued career growth well into their later years (Dychtwald, 2010). Offering training programs in emerging technologies and flexible roles that cater to older workers’ needs—such as phased retirement or part-time positions—can make Baby Boomers feel included and valued.
Bea Bourne also stresses the importance of offering ongoing career development opportunities for Baby Boomers to keep them engaged and competitive in today’s workforce (Bourne, 2016).
3. Adapt Communication and Work Styles
Baby Boomers prefer formal, face-to-face communication, but today’s workplace is increasingly dominated by digital interactions, which can lead to misunderstandings across generations. A DEI approach ensures that communication preferences are respected, while encouraging flexibility in adapting to new digital tools.
Pollak’s work emphasizes that organizations should integrate both traditional and modern communication styles to accommodate Baby Boomers while promoting cross-generational collaboration (Pollak, 2019). For example, offering workshops on digital communication tools can help Baby Boomers feel more comfortable using newer platforms like Slack or Zoom, while still respecting their preference for in-person interactions.
Lauren DeLisa Coleman, in her Forbes article “How Millennials and Gen Z Are Redefining Workplace Norms” (2021), notes that younger employees tend to favor quick, digital communications, whereas Baby Boomers may prefer more formal methods (Coleman, 2021). She suggests that organizations encourage dialogue about communication preferences to prevent friction and enhance collaboration across generations.
4. Foster Cross-Generational Interaction and Collaboration
Managing Baby Boomers requires building environments where cross-generational interaction is encouraged. Pollak suggests that companies implement multigenerational team-building exercises, where Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z employees collaborate on projects. This promotes mutual respect and understanding (Pollak, 2019).
Similarly, Val Grubb highlights that Boomers can serve as valuable mentors for younger generations, while learning from their tech-savvy Millennial and Gen Z colleagues (Grubb, 2016). By fostering mutual mentorship programs, companies can leverage the unique strengths of each generation.
In The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown (2014), Paul Taylor discusses the need for fostering collaboration between Baby Boomers and Millennials, two generations with different worldviews shaped by different historical contexts (Taylor, 2014). Creating spaces for dialogue between these generations helps bridge gaps and promote a shared understanding of the company’s goals.
How Baby Boomers Can Improve Their Interactions with Other Generations
To create a harmonious multigenerational workforce, Baby Boomers also need to adapt their behaviors and approach to communication and collaboration with younger generations:
- Embrace Technological Change: While Baby Boomers may prefer traditional communication styles, it’s important for them to become more familiar with digital tools. Learning how Millennials and Gen Z communicate through platforms like instant messaging or project management tools will help them stay relevant and engaged.
- Mentorship and Reverse Mentorship: Boomers should embrace opportunities to mentor younger employees while also being open to learning from them. This two-way relationship fosters mutual respect and can close generational gaps.
- Be Open to Feedback: Unlike the top-down feedback mechanisms Baby Boomers are accustomed to, younger generations prefer constant, real-time feedback. Boomers can enhance their leadership and collaborative skills by adopting a more fluid, continuous feedback approach.
Conclusion
Managing Baby Boomers requires a tailored, inclusive approach that recognizes their experience, values, and desire for stability while fostering cross-generational collaboration. By creating opportunities for growth, embracing flexible communication styles, and promoting mentorship, organizations can ensure Baby Boomers remain engaged and valuable contributors to the workforce.
Cross-generational collaboration is key to harnessing the strengths of a diverse workforce. Companies that leverage these differences through a DEI framework will not only see improved performance but also foster a workplace culture of respect and mutual understanding. Note: This is the second blog of a 5-part series and next week’s blog will focus on managing Generation X in the workplace.
References
- Bourne, B. (2016). “Managing Multigenerational Workers: How Understanding Generational Differences Can Improve Organizational Performance.” Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship.
- Coleman, L. D. (2021). “How Millennials and Gen Z Are Redefining Workplace Norms.” Forbes.
- Dychtwald, M. (2010). Influence: How Women’s Soaring Economic Power Will Transform Our World for the Better. Hyperion.
- Grubb, V. (2016). Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality. Wiley.
- Harber, J. G. (2011). Generations in the Workplace: Similarities and Differences. East Tennessee State University.
- Pollak, L. (2019). The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace. Harper Business.
- Sabatini Hennelly, D., & Schurman, B. (2018). Bridging Generational Divides in Your Workplace.
- Stillman, D., & Stillman, J. (2017). Gen Z @ Work: How the Next Generation Is Transforming the Workplace. Harper Business.
- Taylor, P. (2014). The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown. Public Affairs.
