The Multigenerational Workplace
Communicate, Collaborate, and Create Community
- Jennifer Abrams - Communications Consultant
- Valerie von Frank - Michigan State University, USA
Organizational Behavior in Education
Bridge the generation gap and achieve outstanding results!
You might expect the occasional age-related misunderstanding to find its way into the classroom—after all, if today’s kids aren’t exactly from another planet, they’re definitely from another generation. At least you and your colleagues are all on the same page…right? Not necessarily. In some schools, as many as four generations work side by side, and that means countless chances for crossed wires, miscommunication, and perhaps even mistrust.
Authors Jennifer Abrams and Valerie von Frank are attuned to these generational differences. In this book, based on Abrams’ popular workshop, the authors demonstrate how educators can look past their own generational filters to reap the benefits of seeing through a new lens. Focusing on the major contexts in which generational differences play out—including recruitment, coaching, professional learning, and succession planning—this book offers
- Tools, checklists, and recommendations for collaborating, evaluating, and engaging in professional learning that meets multigenerational needs
- Professional development activities that cultivate an understanding of generational differences and strengthen workplace culture
- Real-life stories and case studies that bring the topic to life
With this honest, practical, and often amusing look at generations at work, you’ll learn to improve communication, retain staff, and look toward succession—a multigenerational plan for school success.
“Few people today are taking on this topic, particularly in the U.S. One of the greatest leadership challenges of this age is how to work across generations. Newer generations are not flawed versions of previous generations—each has its own compelling perspective to contribute. This is the best book to add to an issue that affects all educators and will open up many people’s thinking about leadership.”
— Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair
Lynch School of Education
Boston College, MA
"Few people today are taking on this topic, particularly in the U.S. One of the greatest leadership challenges of this age is how to work across generations. Newer generations are not flawed versions of previous generations—each has its own compelling perspective to contribute. This is the best book to add to an issue that affects all educators and will open up many people's thinking about leadership."
"Readers of The Multigenerational Workplace will be inspired to reflect and respond to the complexities of their workplace and motivate diverse generations for today and into the future. In addition, collaborative teams will find this book useful in enhancing their ability to communicate across generations."
“A massive exodus of Baby Boomers combined with a huge influx of Millennials has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvent the teaching profession for today’s world. To make this possibility a reality, we will have to abandon 20th-century human capital solutions that have become 21st-century problems. We will have to rethink the teaching career from recruitment through retirement. In The Multigenerational Workplace, Jennifer Abrams and Valerie von Frank give school leaders the data, strategies, and tools they need to successfully navigate this transition.”
"This book will quickly become an essential on every leader’s bookshelf, offering a framework that is helpful to all of us who lead multigenerational organizations along with practical tools and activities to assist in planning and facilitation. Being on the cusp of Gen X and Gen Y and a leader of a team of teachers that includes Baby Boomers through Millennials, this book will be an essential resource for me."
