Why I started
genpotential?

At our core, we humans are more similar than we are different, but our differing world views can create fundamental misunderstandings and miscommunications.

I see this in my work. Parents who feel disconnected from their kids. Teenagers who feel misunderstood. Leaders at a loss as to how to engage with younger people. And thousands of employees (of all ages) feeling like they’re not being valued or heard.

Closing these generation gaps increases engagement and motivation and reduces attrition. However, the real value in cracking intergenerational working is in creating cognitive diversity, where multiple perspectives of all ages are brought together to create fresh ideas which both challenge the status quo and yet are realistic and workable in the organisation’s context.

The first time I spotted the impact of generation gaps

I first noticed the impact of generation gaps when I was working with the army. Some of the senior leaders were finding it hard to understand the new generation of recruits coming through. This was at a time when the media were reporting negative stereotypes about the “snowflake generation”.

However, what I saw in these trainee soldiers was quite the opposite; they had passion and a desire to achieve. This was not the flaky cohort the media would have had us believe. Something didn’t feel right.

This came through in my executive coaching too. Leaders felt at a loss as to how to connect with the new generation coming into the workplace. Some wrote them off as lazy and not willing to go the extra mile and, after the pandemic, many leaders felt unsure of how to manage expectations around flexible, hybrid working and mental health.

Many recognised the potential of the 16-25 year olds in their teams, but didn’t know how to relate to them or how to support them to reach their full potential. In short, they felt a generational disconnect.

When I coached these younger people, I saw ambition and drive. They had a desire to progress in the organisation but wanted support from their leaders.
I also saw frustrations around feeling held back, not being given enough responsibility and, in many cases, a lack of confidence in how to bridge the gap between higher education and entering the workplace.

Interestingly, I also work with families as a parent coach and the generation gap revealed itself there too. Tensions have always arisen between parents and their children- that’s natural – but there was an added dimension. Parents seemed more baffled and frustrated by the impact of tech and, more than ever, young people were wanting more independence and to feel trusted and heard.

So, what am I doing about it?

I wanted to validate my findings in the wider market and so, in 2022, I undertook research across a range of industries, focusing on 16-25 year old employees and their managers. This brought to light eight specific areas where generational differences have an impact. You can read more about these here.

This was the start of genpotential.

Why 16-25 year olds specifically? Because I believe – and have found through my work – that this is a fascinating period in human development and psychology.

Many have written about “Gen Z” and, while it might be naïve to assume a year of birth determines a distinct “generation”, I also believe that there have been shifts in parenting and education paradigms – as well as technological advances – that mean that this age group have a different lived experience to those that have come before.

The interesting bit: uncovering the eight areas of generational gaps

Using my research to uncover the eight areas of generational gaps was just the beginning, I then used my psychology training to get underneath – I explored why these gaps come up and what to do about them.

Writing a white paper is not for the faint of heart!  It was a mammoth task, but I was determined that my findings would act as a springboard, and some food for thought, to help organisations reflect on where the gaps might be and what to do about them.  You can see the fruits of my labour here.

Inclusion, engagement and cognitive diversity

Since then, I have been working with companies to understand where the generation gaps exist, why they arise and how they can help team members of all ages work more effectively together.

This increases motivation and creates inclusive workplaces where everybody feels heard and valued, regardless of age.

But the real magic in cracking intergenerational working comes from combining multiple perspectives to create cognitive diversity. Here, fresh eyes combined with experienced hands creates the potential to overturn (potentially unconscious) biases to lead to innovation and fresh insights.

How can genpotential support you?

My aim is to help companies see where they are on their journey in identifying generational gaps.

Your organisation might be starting to become aware of some of the differences in how your employees want or need to be managed. Or perhaps you have already taken steps to address generational gaps and want to delve deeper. Or, this may be the first time you have thought about it.

Whichever stage you are at, you can use our one-minute quiz to see where your organisation is on your genpotential journey .

Get in touch today to see how we can help: info@genpotential.com