Let's have smarter intergenerational conversations. Let's be OK and not threatened by the fact that you see this differently than me. Let's figure out why and how that could actually be helpful and beneficial. 

Dr. Megan Gerhardt

Author of Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce

Do you work with people of different generations? Do you live with people of different generations? Do you have public contact with people of different generations? 

Unless you live alone on an island, the answer to at least one, if not all, of these questions is yes. And in your interactions with those of different generations, it’s almost certain that you’ve experienced some form generational conflict.

Dr. Megan Gerhardt is a Professor of Management and Leadership at the Farmer School of Business at Miami University, and the author of Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce. As an expert in generational differences, Dr. Gerhardt teaches individuals and corporations simple, effective strategies for not only bridging the generation gap, but encouraging all generations to bring their particular resilience and brilliance to create connection and build respect. 

According to Dr. Gerhardt, the best way to build connections is by asking respectful questions. The best question to ask? “Can you help me understand?” By phrasing the question in a non-judgmental way, Dr. Gerhardt says, “I'm signaling that what you're doing is not making sense to me, but I'm acknowledging it might in part be my understanding of what's going on. And I would love to get to a different place.”

Given that every generation brings their own skills, knowledge and perspective to the table, respect and inclusivity can result in more understanding and better solutions to problems, especially when everyone brings their own experiences, resilience and brilliance along.

For more on Gentelligence, tune into this week’s episode of the Brilliantly Resilient podcast, order the book, and look for these additional bits of Brilliance:

• I am a organizational psychologist really by training. So my nature is to always be curious about people, why they do what they do, how do we help them leverage what's unique about them in order to help them do work they care about and add value.

• How do we change the narrative so that instead of shaming people for being born in a different generation…they're starting their career at a different time. We are really trying to learn from those complementary experiences and kinds of expertise and we're taking advantage of it.

• Every few years there's an article that comes out saying, let’s stop putting people in generational categories…I don't think that's the answer…. It's better than being biased against people because of their age or their generation, but then you're ignoring all of that wonderful, very valid difference that comes with growing up and starting your career during a different period of time and a different period in history. And that's real.

• Let's have smarter intergenerational conversations. Let's be OK and not threatened by the fact that you see this differently than me. Let's figure out why and how that could actually be helpful and beneficial. 

• If I ask you a question and that feels very respectful. I'm not assuming I'm not judging, I'm asking because I'm interested. You're worth it. I think there's something of value there that I want to engage with. And then there's learning and hopefully that's reciprocated. 

• Is there a question that works universally? Absolutely. My favorite one…is “Can you help me understand?” I'm signaling that what you're doing is not making sense to me, but I'm acknowledging it might in part be my understanding of what's going on. And I would love to get to a different place.

Let’s be Brilliantly Resilient together!

XO,

Mary Fran