Dear Yogesh,

I’m just a few years away from retirement (I hope). Recently, I’ve been working with colleagues much younger than my children, and I’ve gone from being old enough to be the parent of my direct reports to realizing I could be their grandparent.

I’ve been comfortable working with people around my children’s age since I was deeply involved in the changes happening as they grew up. But now, I find myself a bit adrift. I’m constantly worried about saying the wrong thing or doing something that will come across as out of touch—sometimes I even wonder if words like “clueless” are outdated!

I’m looking for advice on how to better relate to the younger generation just entering the workforce.

Sincerely,
Omkar

Dear Omkar,

Thank you for reaching out! You’re certainly not alone in feeling this way—there’s a fair amount of challenge in connecting across generational lines, especially in the workplace. The good news is, Blanchard’s philosophy is that leadership should adapt to the needs of the people, not the other way around. So I truly appreciate that you’re making the effort to expand your understanding.

To help with your concerns, I’ve decided to switch things up a bit. For the next few weeks, instead of my usual “Ask Madeleine” column, we’ll be featuring “Ask the Intern.” I’ll be getting insights directly from our Blanchard interns and their peers at other companies, who will share their perspectives and offer solutions to questions like yours.

Also, I want to take a moment to mention a podcast I’ve had the pleasure of participating in called Mad & Lucy: Mind the Gap. It explores workplace topics from multiple generational and diverse viewpoints, and I think you might find it interesting.

Stay tuned, as I’m sure the interns will offer some useful advice—and maybe even some reassurance that we’re all just trying to navigate the world together.

Let’s continue learning from each other!

Best Regards,

Yogesh

For more details, visit our website:https://byldgroup.com/