Team building at work can be challenging because of all the things that make members similar and different – diversity. Yet the most effective teams are diverse. Research suggests that when diverse teams come together for the first time their productivity is low initially but over time it becomes really high.

As a diversity trainer I teach my clients too increase productivity, teams must learn to deal with these 3 types of diversity: generational differences, gender style difference, and personality style differences.

Look around your workforce and you’ll see four different generations of workers.

• Matures 
• Baby Boomers
• Generation X
• Generation Y  

These generations are bound together because of a shared life experience. The shared experience of these cohorts cause them to be influenced by the events experienced in their formative years such wars, politics, economic current events , etc.This shared experience impacts how they experience the world. As far as team work you may find the various generations defines respect in a differently & are motivated in different ways.  The more you can understand the difference between the generations the more effective you will be as a team.

This will be a four part series addressing these four different generations. The next post will focus on Matures also called Veterans, they were born between 1901 to 1954. What do you know about this generation’s workplace view on: respect for authority, time at work, skill building, and work/life balance?

Lisa Ann Landry - Corporate Trainer
I’m an exuberant force of light… Come light up your life
http://www.imagedevelopmentgroup.com/speakers.html