By Angela M. Allen, Jenner & Block, LLP

On September 28, the NOW Committee hosted its third quarterly brown bag lunch at Jenner & Block. The lunch featured Dr. Nicholas Pearce, an award-winning professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Attendees participated in an interactive lunch-and-learn discussion on how to enhance cross-generational effectiveness by understanding and leveraging the diversity that each generation brings to the workplace.

Dr. Pearce explained the demographics and statistics behind the fact that, for the first time in American history, there are four generations in the workplace at the same time–and the fifth generation is on its way in. Attendees learned that different generations tend to have differing priorities and values in terms of their career goals, their leaders and mentors, and their workplace in general. As part of the interactive discussion, attendees discussed the generational stereotypes between the Traditional Generation (born pre-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965-1980), Millennials (1981-1995) and Gen Z (post-1995 to current).

Dr. Pearce also explained that you should not assume you understand someone based solely on their generation. For example, someone may be a Millennial but carry the personality traits and values of a Baby Boomer. In any event, it is important to identify and discuss generational “pain points” that are likely to cause generational tension, and learn to leverage this shift in demographics and create space for cross-generational collaboration.

The NOW Committee thanks Dr. Nicholas Pearce for this interesting and engaging discussion.