What generational barriers?

A Baby Boomer and a Millennial walk into an office—no, this isn’t the start of a cheesy dad joke. This is truly what the start of a workday looks like in many organizations today. From those born in the Silent Generation (late 1920s to mid-1940s) to those of Gen Z (late 1990s and early 2000s), five generations are rubbing shoulders in today’s workplace.

How do you thrive in a business environment with colleagues from different generations potentially having different preferences and expectations? Colette Miller FCPA, FCA (a Baby Boomer) and Ashley Bodnarchuk CPA, CA (a Millennial)—who also happen to be mother and daughter—describe how their firm, Wilde and Company, embraces and encourages generational diversity.

“I believe different generations provide different perspectives,” says Ashley, “and although our corporate culture has changed over the 57 years…there are definitely some core values that have remained the same.”

“Like respect,” adds Colette. “You can eliminate the age thing if you treat each other respectfully and with kindness.”

Flatten the hierarchy

Colette’s father and Ashley’s grandfather, Jerry Wilde FCPA, FCA (a member of the Silent Generation), founded Wilde and Company in 1962 and has always been very open to change and mutual learning between generations. This kind of thinking has led Wilde and Company to truly break the mould for accounting firms.

“A stereotype in the accounting world is, ‘The person who has been here the longest is the most knowledgeable.’ A natural progression is from ‘manager’ to ‘principal’ and finally to ‘partner.’ And if you’re here,” says Ashley, gesturing to the top of the ladder, “then it was believed you hold elite knowledge. Pods have broken down that stereotype for us.”

Pods (or teams) are how Wilde and Company have flattened their structure, encouraged more autonomous decision making, created informal leadership opportunities, and handled disruption. They have five pods—connections, human resources, IT, quality, and tax—to make decisions and bring forward creative ideas related to their focus. The pods meet regularly, and anyone in the office can participate. “Whatever stage you are at in your career, you can add value,” says Ashley. “If you are interested in a certain area, get involved and make change.”

Colette Miller FCPA, FCA (left) and Ashley Bodnarchuk CPA, CA

Smash the communication barrier

When discussing the hurdles in a multigenerational workforce, both Colette and Ashley mention communication. “Wars are started over poor communication,” says Colette.

“Communication style may be very different between generations,” adds Ashley. She explains that those who grew up texting sometimes find it difficult to “write concisely with proper English.”

Those of the texting generations—often Millennials and Gen Z—may also have a hard time interacting with their coworkers or supervisors when there isn’t a screen to shield them. If you’re in the same office as your coworkers, which is not always the case with telecommuting becoming more popular, learning to knock on someone’s door to chat with them in person is integral to crossing generational lines.

“You need to find ways to get more comfortable communicating. If you’re not a natural, I encourage you to track: Who have you talked to today? Who have you deliberately gone and reached out to? You have to make the effort. When people fail, it is often due to weak communication,” says Colette.

It all comes back to kindness

At the end of the day, surviving and thriving in a multigenerational workforce comes back to kindness and respect, two of the qualities Wilde and Company looks for in its team members. “We try to recruit creative thinkers and kind people. Kindness should never be underrated—that’s a philosophy Colette lives by,” says Ashley.

People who are kind and respectful won’t even notice the boundaries between generations. “Nice people generally don’t judge others based on stereotypes,” says Ashley.