TRIUMPH OF THE MULTI-GENERATIONAL TEAM

Among the many fascinating pieces in the New York Times magazine annual "Ideas" issue (December 13, 2009) is an item on a study finding that the stereotypical belief the older employee (age 45 and up) is deficient is a myth. (Data on various tests pitting Boomers and up against people under age 30 to follow in another post.)

Here's the conclusion I liked best of all, in sync with my *Cross-Generational Conversation* work, from the study by Gary Charness, a University of California at Santa Barbara economics professor, and Marie Claire Villeval, from the University of Lyon: In the cooperation test, Charness and Villeval found that groups with a mix of ages outperformed homogeneous groups. They say that it's best to have a range of ages in the office for an optimum work force.

The study found that the 45s and older were actually more cooperative than the younger people and contributed more to their group. That's a nice boost for the Boomers and encouragement for all the generations to find common ground and collaborate. If you'd like advice on how to make that happen, give me a shout.

Phyllis Weiss Haserot   www.pdcounsel.com