It’s 2015! What does that mean for the workforce? It means that for the first time ever, we will have 5 generations in the workplace.

• Traditionalists (born between 1922 – 1945) Older, more experienced employees who respect authority and hard work. They tend believe that age equals seniority and put the company first.
• Boomers (born between 1946 – 1964) Workaholics who desire quality and tend to question authority.
• Generation X (born between 1965 – 1980) Self-reliant workers who prefer structure and direction. They are often realists and entrepreneurs, instead of employees.
• Generation Y (born between 1981 – 2000) These tech savvy, socially conscious employees are multi-taskers. They always question “What next?”
• Generation Z (born between 2001 to present) These are the digital natives times 1,000 that tend to have short attention spans.

As a manager in the workplace, you have a lot of work to do. Learning the characteristics, experiences and influencers that created the behaviors of each generation is not going to be an easy task. However, to effectively coach and manage such a diverse group, you need this knowledge.

As part of the working group, it’s necessary for you to understand the values and perceptions of work of the other groups. Take into consideration that everyone has his or her own reason for doing something. Right or wrong, awareness of one’s characteristics, experiences and influencers makes us more tolerant of their behaviors.

The workplace is already difficult enough without adding the mix of such different personalities. Take the time to learn what drives each individual and/or group and you will create or be part of a successful, cohesive working group.