Find a window for mentorship
For employees who are experiencing a generation gap, mentoring can be a good way to stage an interaction between the varying age groups. This will also help employees perform better by learning new skills in the process. This can be done by asking seniors to mentor the juniors or vice versa in a platform wherein they will receive a demerit for anything. This ensures that colleagues can interact without any pressure, which can make their interactions seem disingenuous. For parents or grandparents, they can ask the younger generation to teach them how to use their new gadgets or computers. They can also teach their children or grandchildren important life lessons or practical skills, such as changing a flat tire or fishing.
Put more people into the mix
Some senior employees may find it harder to mingle with junior employees, especially if they are not used to having small interactions with junior employees and vice versa. When this happens, it’s a good strategy to bring other senior or junior employees who belong in a different generation and interact well with people into the mix. They will serve as a bridge for different types of employees who are finding it hard to communicate because of the generation gap. Parents and grandparents, on the other hand, should mingle with relatives who can easily interact with them and with the younger crowd.
Emphasize sincerity
One of the best ways to ensure a peaceful work environment is to make sure that the employees get along well. This cannot happen if senior employees feel that junior employees are being insincere regarding the way that they communicate and vice versa. If they sense any arrogance or insincerity, other problems may arise. The same can be said in a more familial or personal setting. If parents or grandparents feel like the younger generation is being hypocritical in their want to bridge the gap, then they might just stop communicating altogether.
Maintain a stable and regular communication
Because of the fact that a generation gap can be worsened by inadequate communication between the younger and older parties, maintaining stable and regular communication can do wonders. For those who are working at the office, participating in casual group chats either online or offline is highly advisable. For parents and grandparents, they should consider having a way to regularly communicate with the younger generation through more technologically advanced means, such using Facebook and other social media sites. This will also help them know more about the latest technologies in communication, which can further shrink the generation gap.
