I don't know about you, but in my household, we were all abuzz with the World Cup in July. My husband regularly tuned in to the games, and he volunteered for those hosted here in the Bay Area at Levi's Stadium.
And it got me thinking about how goal celebrations, which are a form of communication, have changed over the decades and across generations.
For instance, in the 1960s, the theme was very team-oriented. Goal celebrations were generally brief, restrained, team-oriented, and focused on restarting play. The communication style exhibited collective identity, humility, and emotional restraint.
In the 1990s, celebrations became more expressive. The iconic example: Bobetto's Rocking the Baby celebration after scoring for Brazil. They communicated a personal story, family pride, and emotion beyond the game. The communication style exhibited more emotional openness, emerging individual identity, and was narrative-driven.
Fast forward to today, when celebrations are heavily influenced by media. Goal celebrations often communicate personal identity and self-expression, authenticity and individuality, moments designed to be shared far beyond the stadium. The communication styles exhibit personal brand and visibility, emotional transparency, and visual and social storytelling.
I'm sure you see parallels to the broader society and the workplace. Each generation is shaped by the world it grows up in. The events they experience, the technology they adopt, the norms they absorb, all influence how they communicate, collaborate, and build relationships.
And the challenge isn't that one generation communicates correctly and another incorrectly. The challenge is that we often interpret other communication styles through our own personal lens.
Yet, organizations today have something remarkable at their disposal. For the first time in history, four and sometimes even five generations are working side by side.
So, if we take the time to understand and appreciate those differences, they serve as a tremendous source of innovation, learning, and stronger collaboration.
When organizations move past judgment and actively bridge these generational gaps, the business benefits are substantial. Research by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the AARP reveals that age-diverse teams possess a unique "cognitive diversity" that speeds up collective problem solving. Furthermore, multi-generational environments significantly lower employee turnover, keeping invaluable institutional knowledge inside the company.
In this article, I’ll share highlights from a fascinating discussion I had with Katherine Jeffery, PhD, workplace culture expert and Founder-CEO of Genshift, during a recent PowerSpeaking Live! You’ll find invaluable insights and tips for leveraging cross-generational perspectives to build relationships, improve collaboration, and fuel innovation.
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I mentioned earlier that we are all shaped by the world we grew up in. Katherine and I started our conversation by looking at some of those dynamics for the generations in the workforce today. She believes that generational friction in the workplace isn't actually about age. It is about formative experiences and the unspoken expectations we carry because of them.
When you understand these roots, your take on someone’s behavior might change. For example, Katherine says Gen Z isn't looking for constant affirmation when they ask for feedback; they are looking for efficiency so they can work smarter. Conversely, a Boomer isn't being cold when they leave feelings out of a meeting; they are operating out of a historical paradigm of professional presence.
One of the most eye-opening segments of the discussion for me focused on everyday habits that can accidentally destroy trust.
Katherine explained that because we use the same communication platforms through different generational lenses, “minor details” can create massive friction!
A few examples:
The "Thumbs Up" Emoji
To a Boomer or Gen Xer, a text response with a thumbs-up emoji means "Got it” or “Great job!" To a younger Millennial or Gen Z employee, it can read as deeply passive-aggressive, dismissive, or sarcastic.
The Ellipsis (...)
Older professionals frequently use the "dot-dot-dot" as a casual pause or a visual transition. For younger workers, an ellipsis can cause immediate anxiety. They read between the lines, wondering, "What is my manager not saying? What did I do wrong?"
Well-Intended Labels
Calling a younger colleague "kiddo" might feel affectionate to an older leader, but it inadvertently patronizes the employee in a professional setting.
So, the message regarding “minor details” is, they’re not so minor. Get to know your cross-generational team and ask them if you have any communication habits that make them cringe!
Now let’s look at another kind of communication that is even more sensitive.
How we give and receive feedback has shifted drastically over the last 20 years. The traditional, highly formalized annual performance review is no longer sufficient for a multi-generational workforce.
Katherine elaborates in this clip:
Continuous Dialogue: For younger generations, feedback should be a casual, ongoing conversation in real time. If a manager brings up a mistake from a month ago during a quarterly review without mentioning it in real time, it can destroy trust. Younger employees might interpret that delay as deception.
"Calling up" vs. "Calling out": I love this one. Katherine said the Gen Zers she’s interviewed say they might appear highly confident on the outside, but many admit to intense internal pressure. They want directness, but they expect feedback to be delivered with empathy. Katherine said she loves how a former coach for the Phoenix Suns framed his feedback by telling players, “I’m not calling you out; I’m calling you up.” Calling up is communicating that you want to inspire someone to rise to their potential. Calling out lands more like unconstructive criticism.
Two-Way Streets: Do not be surprised if a Millennial or Gen Z employee offers you feedback during their review. They aren't trying to be disrespectful; they are operating with a growth mindset and a collaborative upbringing where a back-and-forth dialogue is standard practice.
So often, miscommunication and tension arise because of differences in perspectives and expectations. Here are three simple yet powerful ways to keep the air clear and morale high.
Make Expectations Clear
Don’t assume everyone knows your unwritten rules about communication. If you expect an email response within 24 hours, let people know in advance. Younger generations often prefer platforms like Slack or Teams and rarely check an email inbox unless explicitly instructed to do so.
Decentralize Corporate Cascades
Town halls are efficient for pushing out data, but they often fail during seasons of change. If senior leadership announces a major corporate pivot or tough news via a massive town hall, younger workers will immediately huddle in their peer "pods" to process their anxieties, occasionally sparking a rumor mill. Instead, brief frontline managers first so they can hold intimate, interactive psychological spaces for their teams to process and buy into change.
Flip the Script on Mentorship
Traditional mentorship implies the senior executive holds all the wisdom. True collaboration relies on co-mentoring. A senior leader can offer organizational history and strategic context, while a younger professional can offer fresh insights into technological shifts, culture, and communication expectations.
Generational differences are not a threat to workplace culture; they are a competitive advantage.
I love this insight from Katherine: "Generational differences aren't really the problem. The problem is that we stop being curious about each other."
By trading judgment for curiosity, our teams get stronger, our communication gets clearer, and true collaboration can finally begin.
Take advantage of these resources:
Watch the full Live! discussion about trust-building, plus all past events here. Or listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Also: How To Build Workplace Trust: 6 Essential Communication Habits