Generational Conflicts in the Workplace
By Dr. Jim Murray
This is an excerpt. The full article, originally published on April 24, 2025, can be found here.
The workplace evolves with each new generation. A partial list of what makes the idea of “normal” includes changing worker expectations, the talent and innovation wars, new business models that must reflect an integrated yet disruptive global economy, intrusive government regulation, environmental degradation, escalating stakeholder demands, data explosion and knowledge obsolescence.
In today’s new-normal workplace, both older and younger workers occupy the boss role. Given the endless list of challenges noted, not having harmony and collaboration impairs productivity and is an incredible waste of human resources. Working for a younger boss can prove uncomfortable and potentially conflict-ridden for Boomers and Gen Xers. Conversely, if your direct report is asking you why, when all you want him to focus on is what or how, you’re likely feeling it’s not his place to question your authority.
There are some things you need to understand and then reconcile to reduce these generational conflicts. Today’s younger workers were taught to stand up to bullying. They were also told “if you see something, say something.” Older generations were more likely left to deal with the consequences of unwanted, coercive behavior on their own. Gen Z and Alphas speak up about the causes they believe in. Older cohorts more likely bite their tongue.
As students, Millennials and Gen Z typically had access to mental-health resources more so than did older generations. So, they now expect that from their employers in the form of greater transparency, flexibility and inclusion. Stress leave is the number one workplace disability and cost employers in the billions.
Younger workers were led to understand that their well-being is a priority and that they shouldn’t have to do things that made them feel uncomfortable. But this is often misinterpreted by older workers who tend to despise the pampering techniques extended to younger generations. They believe it contributes to a feeling of entitlement and results in disengagement rather than “just getting stuff done.” Hustle is part of a Boomer’s cultural jargon. In consequence, they often wrestle with burnout. While they’re aware of the need for work/life balance, sometimes at the expense of their own, there’s also a sense of irritation, even anger, towards those who expect it.
Workplace conflicts are a result of misunderstood differences. A Gen Z employee thinks a text is quite okay to call in sick; an older boss expects a phone call. Employees of every age perform better when the right conditions like trust, meaningful work, inclusion and clarity about their future are in place. Disengagement is a predictable response to lousy management and poor leadership.
Younger workers are more inclined to question traditional corporate norms. Boomers were taught to be more accepting of marketplace circumstances and events without reflexively questioning new directives or concepts. Unlearning them whilst being criticized by younger generations can be insulting and spark resentment and division.
Left unaddressed, emotionally charged workplace labels based on diverse and ingrained generational expectations can disrupt the essential need for collaboration, flexibility and transparency. Sticking with ‘how things used to be done’ is a recipe for division and failure. The “I experienced it, so you should endure it too” mentality is a path to extinction. Younger workers, by nature, challenge the status quo – how things are done. That’s how change and progress happen. When it comes to handling conflicts in the workplace, humility, tolerance, perspective and patience are the best teachers.
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DR. JIM MURRAY, Hon BA, MA, MSc, EdD is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has been teaching for us and other CPA jurisdictions for 43 years. His students have called him “a man of brilliance” and his courses have altered careers and changed lives. He has been nationally honoured by the university community for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio and webinar inventory can be found here: SmartLeaders.ca.
Take your skills to the next level and gain valuable insights from Jim through his Managing for High Performance Certificate Program which include sessions on Why Successful Companies Fail: Forewarned is Forearmed, Managing a Multi-generational Workforce and Building High Performance Teams or his Redefining Leadership Certificate Program which include sessions on From Manager to Leader, Strategic Foresight, Planning and Modeling and The Science of Fearless Decision Making or his Negotiating Mastery Certificate Program which include sessions on The Framework for Negotiating Mastery, The Creative Problem Solver’s Toolbox, Conflict Intelligence: Changing Viewpoints and Influencing Behaviors.
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