How to Be an Ally Across Generations

by | May 28, 2025 | Diversity, Communication, Generations, Leadership, Team Building, Unconscious Bias

How to Be an Ally Across Generations

In my talks about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we often liken diversity to gender, race, and/or ethnicity.  We like what our brain thinks it can see. Yet, diversity and inclusion are much broader than these visible characteristics. One overlooked characteristic is generational differences.

Most people do not think of age or different generations as a part of diversity.  It is something we can see, yet we dismiss it as less important to our identities of race, gender, and/or ethnicity.  It is a problem though.  In fact, according to the book Blind Spot, our biggest area of bias is age with 90% of people preferring young to older people. Next Pivot Point helps organizations leverage the talents of all generations at work through the lens of generational allyship.

Know your generational biases

Self-awareness if the first step.  Curious about your bias?  Take the Implicit Association Test.  I have taken a number of these assessments, and the good news is that bias does not mean you are a racist, sexist, or ageist.  It simply means that your experiences have shaped who you are.  I grew up around primarily white people with a single mother who performed all gender roles in our household.  I have gender bias associating women with careers and white people with power.  That is what my brain saw for many years.  Same with age and with generational diversity.  I prefer young people to old people.  Yet, knowing this, I can now challenge it.

What is ageism?

Ageism is defined as “discrimination and stereotyping on the basis of age.”  Like all biases and stereotypes, it is a construct and it can change over time.  According to the Guardian, “unlike other prejudices such as racism and sexism…ageism is unique in targeting our future selves.”

It is due to our own fears of getting older ourselves.  Our fear of death.  Our fear of being irrelevant drives this ageist belief towards older people.

Ashton Applewhite’s TED talk This Chair Rocks:  A Manifesto Against Ageism brilliantly dispels this belief and bias.  In it, she shares the U curve of happiness.

We are, in fact, happiest at the beginning and ends our lives.  As someone approaching my 40’s, this does make me sad.  Most of the research shows that we are innocent in the early years, jaded in the middle years, and gain perspective later in our lives.

Why do we have to wait for happiness?

Empathize with other generations

Because of this data and the reality that age is the biggest area of bias, we all need to own our bias in the workplace. There are an unprecedented 5 generations in the workforce right now, so there are bound to be hiccups without addressing ageism head on and creating shared spaces for conversation.

Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964) have had the most power in the workplace historically and shaped how the modern workplace operates. Raised with a strong work ethic, they prefer structured work environments and accountability.

Generation X (Born 1965-1979) were raised to be independent and strong-willed. They thrive in autonomous work environments where they are trusted to do their best work.

Millennials (Born 1980-1994) were the first generation to grow up with the internet and social media. They appreciate feedback and recognition, and flexibility.

Generation Z (Born 1995-2009) is now entering the workforce and has already surpassed Baby Boomers in representation. The most diverse generation thus far, and they value inclusion as a non-negotiable.

Generation Alpha (Born 2010-2024) will be entering the workforce soon and grew up during the pandemic. Stability and trust are critical needs for them.

No generation is a monolith, yet the experiences and values of each generation shift over time, given the environments they grew up in. The goal is to understand these differences and what it means for the team to do their best work across these differences.

We can all be allies to one another.  It is when all voices are welcomed, heard, and belong that we thrive.  We are stronger together.

Strive to be an ally for other generations

Struggling with where to start your inclusive leadership journey?  We have ideas. Next Pivot Point offers custom solutions and programs to meet your organizations needs. We offer a Boost Allyship Across Generations workshop specifically to help organizations address age and generation differences and talk through solutions together.

Check out our online inclusive leadership course, review our 40+ workshop topics, and schedule time with our team to further discuss your needs.