Five generations work side-by-side in the current workforce:

• Traditionalists (born in 1945 and earlier)
• Baby Boomers (born from 1946 to 1964)
• GenX (born from 1965 to 1976)
• Millennials (the largest part of the current workforce, born from 1977 to 1995)
• Generation Z (born in 1996 and after)

Each generation has been influenced by different events and holds a different (but not necessarily incompatible) set of values. Generational tension is a real issue (a lack of respect among colleagues for people from different generations). Young employees now manage older staff members. The challenges of a multi-generational workforce include how organizations communicate with employees.

Four IABC Fellows will tackle the issue on Thursday, December 15 on episode 16 of Circle of Fellows, an hour-long discussion that will tackle the various aspects of the issue. Does it make sense to focus on the differences or the similarities? Should communication target employees by generation? Are communicators obligated to satisfy preferences for non-technological communication channels of older workers? How do you deal with different preferences for communication styles (such as a formal style preferred by older workers and an informal style preferred by millennials and Generation Z)? How can communicators use the varied values of different generations to their advantage?

The panel will explore millennials as emerging leaders, communicating with Gen Z, and what communication professionals can learn from professions like marketing, market research, or political campaigning about being relevant to all generations.

Join moderator Shel Holtz and panelists Paul Sanchez, Mark Schumann, Jim Shaffer, and Angela Sinickas for a conversation about these and other issues on episode 16 of Circle of Fellows. The panel will also take your questions live during the broadcast; just tweet your question and include the hashtag #COF16.

Watch the broadcast below or on YouTube. If you can’t make it live, you’ll be able to watch the video replayon YouTube  or listen to the audio podcast.

About Shel Holtz

Shel Holtz, SCMP, ABC, IABC Fellow, is senior director of Communications at Webcor, a commercial general contractor headquartered in San Francisco. Before joining Webcor, Shel spent 21 years as principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. In addition to integrating technology into communications strategies, his expertise includes strategic communications planning, change management, organizational culture, business initiatives and communications research. Full bio