A WORD WITH AN AUTHOR

We continue our series of features on Singapore-based writers.

Tell us about your book.

Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z have different mindsets and expectations, and respond differently to varying communication styles, but they have one thing in common: they all feel misunderstood.

20 years of working with hundreds of organisations across multiple countries has given me a big realisation: one of the most common reasons for young employees to leave an organisation is linked to intergenerational conflicts – and shifts in demographic trends and digitalisation are exacerbating them.

I wrote the book with the intent of helping bridge generational barriers in the workplace. After all, what it boils down to is a lack of mutual understanding and awareness of the forces that shaped us.

What inspired you to write it?

In 2001, I got a job with a large international advertising agency in Italy. I experienced first-hand the psychological abuse that Gen X had to endure if they wanted to “build their bones” in a hierarchical and gerontocratic workplace.

A few years later, Millennials entered the workplace demanding meaningful work, a friendly environment, supportive leaders, work-life balance, and personal and professional development.

I seized the opportunity to spearhead a revolution by advising companies on how to meet the needs of the new generation. Although the transformation happened almost overnight, it led to significant disruption within the existing workforce – it took years for the older generations and Millennials to learn to coexist.

Becoming a mother made me more aware of how polarised society is – and more scared for my children’s future. Secondly, I watched Gen Z become a generation of socially minded ethical consumers who feel a sense of responsibility to fix significant global issues.

For both our society and our businesses, being able to combine the drive, creativity and social-mindedness of today’s youth with the broad range of skills and experience of those who came before them will be the key to survival.

How is your book helpful for readers today?

We’ve all struggled at some point when interacting with other age groups. Friction between generations stems from a profound lack of contextual knowledge; people don’t realise how the behaviours or the mindsets they disapprove of are rooted in the historical, political and social context that each generation was brought up in.

My book makes a strong argument that we cannot deal with our differences without understanding each other. It takes the reader on a journey through time to help them see things through the lens of different generations.

What’s your day job?

I’m a mother to three children aged two to seven years; this is by far the most important job anybody could have. Professionally, I advise Fortune 500 Companies, Asian organisations, NGOs, educational institutions and government agencies; I help them adapt to the needs of the new generations, bridge the generational divide, foster a culture of intergenerational collaboration, harmonise their multigenerational workforce and empower future leaders to drive positive change.

I also speak at key conferences around the world, chair a number of committees, sit on a couple of boards and tell their story whenever I’m given the opportunity.

Reframing Generational Stereotypes is available at major bookstores, Amazon, McGraw Hill and Book Depository. It’s also available for Kindle on Amazon US, and soon as an audio book on Audible.