Different ways to work | Leading cross-generational teams

If you’re leading a team in 2026, it’s likely a cross-generational team. 

Baby Boomers are staying in the workforce for longer, with many people working beyond retirement age and Gen X and Millennials are the old hands now. Meanwhile, the youngest Gen Z members are just stepping into their first jobs while those at the older end of the age bracket are experienced enough to be taking on their first leadership roles. The workforce is more diverse in age than it has ever been before. 

Simultaneously, teams have a lot on their plate! Between global and economic uncertainty, hybrid working, and AI innovation … there is a lot to navigate and it’s likely, if you ask each person in your team, every single person will have their own unique thoughts and feelings about each challenge.

So, how can leaders begin to manage the challenges and unite their teams across generations? 

Different generations have different expectations 

There are lots of reasons each member of your team will feel differently about certain challenges in the workplace. When it comes to managing different generations, these differences are usually born from the values and expectations they adopted when they entered the workforce. 

Baby Boomers value face-to-face time, loyalty and more ‘formal’ procedures and hierarchies; Gen X seek work-life balance and want to work smarter, not harder, being rewarded for their hard yards; Millennials value flexibility and embrace remote and hybrid work; while Gen Z are digital natives who adapt quickly to new technologies and value continuous learning. 

Of course, these are sweeping generalisations and every generation has many more characteristics but it is important to consider how these ideas of working are manifesting in your team.  

Not only does each generation hold themselves to these characteristics, they also use them to measure others against them, which is where friction can start to appear in your team. 

For example, some team members embrace AI, using it to get work done faster, while others have other ethical concerns surrounding its introduction, giving it a wide berth. Similarly, some team members love to come into the office, seeing it as critical for team cohesion and collaboration, while others value hybrid/remote working and see it as a powerful tool to maintain a work/life balance. 

Minimising friction in your cross-generational team 

It’s important to remember that the diversity of your team – in age, gender, race, ability, etc – is its strength. Trying to homogenise these ways of thinking in any way may seem appealing to reduce conflict, but it will only achieve a one-note team who have no healthy conflict and therefore don’t ever step out of their comfort zone to become high performing, creative thinkers. 

Friction can be productive but only when it’s managed correctly. Leaders can do this through: 

• Communication 
  • Clear expectations should be set – this doesn’t mean locking everyone into one way of working, instead it means showing different ways of working and how they can co-exist, benefiting the whole team.
    
  • Prioritising one-on-ones – in these sessions, leaders can talk with each individual team member, hear about how they work and why they prefer to work that way. Leaders can also hear how their team members are feeling about others’ processes. If there’s any friction, it can be flagged early and addressed.
    
  • Keeping all lines of communication open – this means keeping everyone in the loop when there are new technologies on the table or new ways of working available. It also means being available for anyone to voice their worries or hesitations, as well as their wins.
    
• Collaboration 
  • Great communication naturally leads to great collaboration. A collaborative environment is one where cooperation and the common goal is more important than any competition.
    
  • Encouraging upskilling – everyone is a lifelong learner with gaps in their knowledge. It’s the one thing every generation has in common with each other. Offering opportunities to upskill and fill those gaps is important so that new ways of working can be embraced by everyone. 

• Reward & Recognition 
  • There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to reward and recognition. Not all Millennials want to be rewarded in the same way, nor do any of the generations. 
  • Consider the message your recognition sends to the rest of your team. Rewarding for speed or efficiency will greatly favour those who embrace AI technologies, while rewarding those who are physically in the office can leave out those who utilise remote work. 

Getting the job done to a high standard will look different for every single person on your team. Ensure your leadership is considering these differences, staying aware of any friction within your team, encouraging opportunities for collaboration, and rewarding your team in a way that embraces the end result, not their way of getting there. 
Want to better support your team to achieve great results? People Make the Difference can help. To find out more, visit www.pmtd.com.au or call us on 0412 333 415.