Psychology Today can give you a generalized insight into the characteristics of each generation. However, you should avoid these harmful labels. Discard this clumsy segmentation in favor of just understanding the potential variety of preferences across your workforce. 

Professor Megan Gerhardt, author of Gentelligence, suggests that generational baggage should be ignored. What’s more important to understand is that each individual’s previous experiences shape their views and approach to work life. As a leader, take the time to listen without making assumptions based on the generation a particular team member belongs to

2. Communicate openly and be transparent. 

Leaders working in multigenerational organizations should find ways to communicate across various platforms to boost employee productivity.  This necessitates clear and concise communication with your workforce to identify the strategies that work for everybody, especially in a hybrid working model. 

Depending on the makeup of your group, this could be group emails, one-on-one conversations, direct/text messaging, or a mixture of communication methods. The key is understanding what works for your employees without compromising your preferences as a leader. 

As a leader, by modeling open communication and transparency, you encourage employees to do the same, both with you and their colleagues.

3. Rely on culture as a foundation. 

The importance of a well-defined and omnipresent company culture is well-documented.

To work effectively, a multigenerational workforce requires a compass in the form of company’s values, mission, and workplace culture. These can provide the guiding principles around which a multigenerational hybrid workforce can derive focus and work has a cohesive unit. 

In specific reference to bridging gaps across a workforce, leaders who consistently model company values set a precedent for all employees to follow. This strong foundation creates a work environment of clear expectations as employees know exactly where they stand. Such clarity fosters trust and a psychological safety among employees, meaning they can withstand the challenges of generational diversity.

4. Remain agile. 

The pandemic forced leaders and employees to adapt to different circumstances, opening the door to remote work. Now that the pandemic is over, workers may have contrasting preferences on how to work depending on their circumstances. 

For leaders, it's essential to remain agile, carefully balancing employees’ preferences with the broader company objectives. This may mean offering flexible work hours, various remote work options, and paid time off, assessed on an individual basis.

In the modern business environment, things change quickly, and companies need to keep up with the change to remain relevant. Leaders who model agility can help guide their multigenerational workforce through transformative change in the workplace as well.