George Orwell once said wisely, “Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.” The concept of age diversity in the workplace has been around for a long time, but only 8% of organizations include it in their DEI efforts. Yet nearly 65% of workers say they have experienced aged-based discrimination, and generational blaming and shaming costs organizations dearly. In fact, in 2015 alone, between 60 and 70 million dollars were spent on generational consulting.

Do pesky stereotypes get in the way in your organization? Do employees work in and lead multigenerational teams productively? This session will explore new ways of thinking that can change not only our perspectives, and but the way we communicate from day to day. Never has collaboration within and among diverse teams been more important, and never has Learning and Development faced such challenges and opportunities. 

Learning Take-aways: 

1. Understanding how the four main generational narratives in the workplace came about. 
2. Exploring common values across generations and how they can help. 
3. Strategizing to overcome stereotypes by generating practical and productive communication practices. 

Dr. Constance Staley is a Professor of Communication at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She holds a B.S. in education, an M.A. in linguistics, and a Ph.D. in communication. As a mid-career academic, Dr. Staley worked as a trainer in an East Coast Fortune 500 company, designing and delivering all management and supervisory training. She was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to teach in the republic of Kyrgyzstan in the former Soviet Union; has won the University of Colorado Outstanding Teacher Award; and was twice nominated for a CASE U.S. Professor of the Year Award.

Connie has published 20 books/editions and recently served as Special Assistant to the Chancellor, leading a university initiative to design a next-generation campus Career Center for students. She is a sought-after conference keynoter and a highly popular trainer, both onsite and online. Dr. Staley currently teaches university courses in Communication, Training, and Consulting; Professional Public Speaking Online; and Conflict Management.