OK, Boomer: The Enormous Cost Of Generational Conflict At Work

With an estimated $56 billion in productivity lost to generational conflict, Gen Z and Boomers really need to work it out.

Gen Z, Baby Boomers, we’ve really got to work this out.

Though “ OK, Boomer ” maybe isn’t the trendy comeback it once was, the attitudes behind it have hardly changed. New research indicates that the generational divide is as wide as ever, especially in sales organizations—resulting in an estimated productivity loss of $56 billion annually for U.S. employers.

One of the biggest drivers of generational conflict within sales organizations is the adoption (or not) of AI, according to data from Clari + Salesloft, in partnership with independent research firm Workplace Intelligence.

While the younger generations have largely embraced AI, Boomers have been less enthusiastic—leading to inevitable clashes. According to the research, Boomers (60%) argue that Gen Z’s AI-centric mindset is “destroying customer relationships.” On the other hand, Gen Z salespersons see Boomer’s resistance to AI as “killing innovation” (64%) and “costing them deals” (63%).

The friction around AI has become so dominant that almost 4 in 10 Gen Z salespeople (39%) say they’d rather report to an AI manager than to a Boomer. Twenty-five percent of Boomers retort that working with AI is more pleasant than working with Gen Z colleagues.

Of course, AI is not the only source of contention. Gen Z and Boomers find themselves at odds over any number of issues, including communication styles and work-life balance.

Communication

This may not be a newsflash, but Gen Z and Boomers communicate differently. Thirty-nine percent of respondents who work on cross-generational teams say that generational differences in communication cause misunderstandings and breakdowns.

Aside from the frustrations the poor communication causes within the organization, potential customers also feel the impact. More than 8 in 10 sellers say they’ve seen deals fall through because their coworkers did not tailor their communication style to customer expectations.

Work-life balance

Not surprisingly, Gen Z and Boomers also take issue with each other’s approach to work-life balance. A majority of Gen Z (71%) think that Boomers value hours worked over results, and another 56% say that toxic work culture can be laid at Boomers’ door. Sixty-four percent of Boomers claim that Gen Zers prioritize work-life balance to the detriment of the business.

I’ve said it often from the stage: my generation, the Boomers, live to work—and Gen Z does the opposite. They work to live, to pay the bills so they can get on with what they see as the much more important things in life: friends, family, hobbies, entertainment and all the things that make up their personal lives.

As a Boomer, this is not my resting pulse at all. When I first started studying Millennials’ and Gen Z’s attitudes toward work, it took me a hot minute to wrap my head around their priorities. They see work as necessary but not something to spend any more time on than they have to.

I had to take a step back from my own ingrained beliefs and realize that viewing work the way younger generations do isn’t wrong. It’s just different—and it’s a reality that we need to accept.

Retention woes

For some organizations, the generational conflict has reached such a pitch that retention may suffer. The study found that 28% of Gen Z salespersons are searching for a new, entirely Boomer-free job. Meanwhile, almost one-fifth (19%) of Boomers are planning an early retirement just to escape their Gen Z colleagues.

“Maybe, just maybe”: How to relate to a different generation

The first step for working with a different-gen person is to entertain the notion that maybe (just maybe) they’re actually not crazy. Revolutionary, I know. We have to get beyond the behavior that annoys us and understand why they think and act that way.

All of us are shaped by the larger societal forces of our formative years; that’s the reason we can even talk about generational traits. Try the “maybe, just maybe” exercise in empathy to reduce your workplace friction. It’s not hard: You think about the annoying behavior and then (in good faith) brainstorm reasons why the person does it.

Here’s what it could look like:

That Boomer Greg is so militant about being in the office on time every day. Why can’t he just loosen up? Does it really make or break his quota to be in his chair 15, 20, 30 minutes sooner than I come in?

Maybe…just maybe Greg is like this because he entered the workforce at a time when rigid compliance to set hours was the norm. I bet he even got in trouble if he didn’t show up on time. It’s not the norm anymore, but it’s still what he knows. Maybe I can just understand that about him and not let his strict adherence to hours worked bother me. We’re different; it’s cool.

Or:

What is wrong with kids these days? Don’t they know that the early bird gets the worm? Do they not want the worm, or what? Jim is never in the office when the day starts; he rolls in whenever he feels like it. And he thinks he’s doing a great job! He lacks commitment.

Maybe…just maybe Jim is still hitting his quota despite working less hours because his generation prizes shortcuts and hacks to get through tasks quicker. Efficiency is their thing. I may feel like he isn’t earning it, but numbers don’t lie. Maybe I can learn a trick or two from him.

Try it next time an older or younger-gen colleague does that one thing you just can’t stand. Maybe, just maybe it’s a generational thing.

Two takeaways

According to the data, younger workers who have integrated AI into their everyday work are outperforming Boomers. Eighty-eight percent of Gen Z salespeople say they always or often hit quota, while only 78% of Boomers can say the same. Longer hours don’t always mean bigger numbers…that’s a takeaway for my generation.

For Gen Z, a takeaway can be the fact that 78% of Boomers are making their quota, likely without an AI-first mindset. There’s got to be something to learn from these experienced salespeople—something AI can’t teach. When was the last time you tried to glean some knowledge from an older-gen coworker? Soon they’ll be retired out of the workforce, taking their experience with them.

Generational conflict at some level will always be present, because generations by definition are different from one another. While solving the productivity gap might seem beyond your or my reach, we can individually practice empathy and understanding. Less drama means we can focus on the important things like work and life—in whatever order your generation puts them.

By Mark C. Perna, Contributor