The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace

While most companies are aware of the need for a multigenerational workforce, it’s a struggle to maintain one—but it doesn’t have to be, says public speaker Pollak (Getting from College to Career) in this helpful business manual. Pollak, herself a Gen-Xer, observes that generational gaps in attitude are often part of the problem. To allow all age cohorts, from Traditionalists (the generation before Baby Boomers), to Gen Z, to coexist, Pollak suggests a concept from music, the remix: a constructive approach to mixing attributes from different styles. Describing and debunking the characteristics—real and imagined—of each generation, she guides readers through the crucial topics of accommodating changing views toward company loyalty, shifting from a hierarchical to a coaching model of management, and implementing multigenerational mentoring. Her examples of the remix at work include the “Baby Boomer banking industry veteran [who] gave up his corner office to ‘hot-desk’ at a different spot every day to better interact with more colleagues,” and the “24-year-old cosmetics industry employee who... signed up for a reverse mentoring program that matched her with a company executive.” The topic of generation gaps at the office may seem somewhat overexposed, but readers looking for a cogent, respectful take will find a solid choice here. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary. (May)