“Ok, Boomer,” “Ditch the Millennial Side Part and Skinny Jeans,” “The Cell Phone Generation is Lazy”, if you’ve recently heard one of these quips that reinforce generational stereotypes, raise your hand.

 Ok, you can put your hand down now.

We can all agree that social media is rife with content that divides generations on topics ranging from morals, to fashion, food  and communication styles. While it provides relatable moments while we scroll or even elicits a few laughs; it’s becoming pervasive in the workplace, and sometimes causing some problems across organizations.

There are countless articles, like this one, that talk about the trials of managing Gen Z and all the generational stereotypes that come along with it. However, as someone who works closely with budding Gen Z employees, I can confidently say the kinks in the management hose have a lot to do with communication styles and expectations, and less about reinforced stereotypes.

As a professor, I help students find jobs, secure internships and create their resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles. I have yet to encounter an eager Gen Z hopeful who isn’t open to advice and coaching, but online articles would have you believing otherwise. The trick to engaging with this group is speaking to them in ways that resonate with them. It’s true, Gen Z has been attached to technology and limitless information way earlier, and way more often than any other generation, so their attention spans are shorter.  There are countless times the younger folks will cite TikTok as their information source on any given topic which usually yields eye rolls from Millennials +.

Stereotypes and eyerolls aside, there are ways to work in a professional setting and have generational differences acknowledged—planned for—and managed, effectively. Often, for communications professionals, the strategy to overcome any roadblocks resides in our wheelhouse.

I was recently interviewed by Ragan Communications on this topic, where I expand on ways effective communications can foster better understanding within the workforce.

Specifically, internal communications pros should keep the following best practices in mind.

1) Create an internal communications culture around respect: Intentional intergenerational workforce communication takes work; communications professionals can facilitate open dialogue that fosters sharing—and shaping– diverse perspectives. The goal is to drive appreciation for each generation’s unique contributions. For example, while a Gen X manager might have industry and institutional knowledge, a new Gen Z hire might be up to date on how to best reach large audiences using technology.  Without discussions and sharing appreciation for each generations’ life stage and skill set, assumptions can be made, and resentments can build. Internal communicators should seek culture building opportunities where these differences are discussed and celebrated.

2) Enhance collaboration by assessing communication: Ensure your internal communications process allows for collaboration across generations. Internal comms teams can ask about how each generation prefers feedback, how they view problem solving, and evaluate their methods for offline communication.  Often, teams forget to establish communication norms amongst the team members before attacking a project; which leads to unforeseen hiccups. If internal communications managers can foster cohesive collaboration and communication preferences before a task begins, job satisfaction will increase.

3) Internal communications should promote a culture of learning and adaptability: Different generations should educate each other on best practices regarding industry trends that help the collective reach goals.  Too often, teams get stuck in a top-down education model, when in reality, each generation might offer fresh perspectives that apply to the rapidly changing business landscape.  Internal communications teams can frame these learning moments as cross-generational growth opportunities so the teams walk away from these sessions feeling resilient and competitive in the marketplace and like their colleagues have their backs.

With these three steps, the path to a much-needed, generationally inclusive workplace culture is possible.

We’re never going to change the varying generations’ views on technology, politics or career satisfaction, as each generation has its own unique challenges that shape their worldview.  Though, using internal communication strategies as a way to navigate these hurdles, is a surefire way to start closing gaps and focusing on where and how generations can learn from one another and appreciate their respective life stages to achieve long-term success.

This article was written by Kristina Markos, PR Club Board Member and Associate Professor and Chair of the Grad Program in Communication at Lasell University.