Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce

The idea of “us versus them” has pervaded the workplace, argue management professor Gerhardt, leadership coach Nachemson-Ekwall, and Ernst & Young consultant Fogel in their outstanding debut on building intergenerational respect. The authors tout the benefits of “gentelligence,” or seeing the potential of generational diversity in the workplace as an opportunity rather than a threat, and lay out the roadblocks businesses may face in “closing the generational divide”: “generation shaming,” for example, is when blame is put on an entire age group, and ageism can be directed at both older and younger people. To counter these, the authors explain four practices that lead to gentelligence: resisting assumptions by replacing stereotypes with personal connections, adjusting one’s lens by asking questions, strengthening trust with a psychological safety zone, and “expanding the pie” by proactively searching for win-win opportunities. The guidance comes judgment-free, and the authors make a convincing case that a mixed-generation workforce can only benefit companies: “Every war has casualties. In the case of generational conflict, the loss is one of talent potential.” Informative and instructive, the strategies here will be invaluable to business leaders. (June)