At the recent Claims Leaders Summit in Sydney where I spoke on leading across generations, the audience questions cut to the heart of the issue, what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to shift. Here’s a summary of the key topics raised, along with evidence-based responses drawn from research and practice.
1. What gets different generations to engage with one another?
Start with shared challenges. Ask them to solve business problems together. Create environments where people feel safe to contribute and disagree. Let teams work out how they want to collaborate. This builds accountability, not just activity.
Invite generational feedback on your policies, systems and expectations. When people shape the decisions, they invest in the outcomes.
According to Deloitte’s Postgenerational Workforce study (2020), 70% of organisations acknowledge the importance of multigenerational leadership. Only 10% are ready to act. Action means moving from assumptions to intent through real engagement, not top-down initiatives.
2. Do social events help?
They can, but preferences differ. Some enjoy bowling. Others prefer gaming. Music and food are common ground, but even those come with different tastes and expectations.
Don’t focus on what event brings everyone in. Focus on what they take away. The goal is appreciation of difference, not forced togetherness.
Griffith University’s 2023 multigenerational study found that workplaces with cross-generational understanding saw higher levels of trust and more effective change management. The design of social interaction should align with that goal.
3. What’s the point of capturing knowledge if AI can store it?
When experienced employees leave, they take years of context and judgement with them. That tacit knowledge doesn’t live in documents or slide decks. It lives in decision-making patterns, culture, and the way work actually gets done.
AI can support documentation. It can’t replicate situational wisdom. The Australian Human Rights Commission and AHRI report (2021) warned that organisations face real loss if older workers exit without knowledge transfer.
Mentoring, job shadowing and storytelling are practical ways to pass on insight. When knowledge is captured to train and upskill others, you’re building strength. If it’s used to replace people without reskilling others for higher-value work, you lower engagement and create capability gaps.
4. Does remote work support or weaken generational cohesion?
People across age groups want flexibility. Older and younger workers alike expect to have a say in how they structure their day. EY’s Future of Work report (2025) shows that the desire for autonomy is consistent, not generational.
Forcing people back to the office to justify space or regain control may deliver short-term compliance. Over time, it creates frustration. When people feel they aren’t trusted to manage their time, they disengage.
Where work happens matters less than whether people have clarity, purpose and respect.
Getting it right
Engaging multigenerational teams requires listening, structure and follow-through. Leaders who give space for contribution, respect lived experience, and support autonomy will see stronger results. Age is only one factor. Values, context and learning styles shape how people show up at work.
If you’re leading across generations, this is the moment to raise the bar, not lower expectations.
What do you think?
