The Generational Style Assessment

Dr. John Warner & Anne Sandberg

Chances are, you’ve struggled with someone older—or younger—who just doesn’t see things your way. This assessment will help you understand the differences between the generations and identify ways to “flex” your own behavior to better work with or manage people of all ages.

The model is based on four particular stages or phases of an individual’s work life:

• 20s—Gen Y or Nexter Generation
• 30s—X Generation
• 40s—Baby Boomers
• 50s—Builder Generation

Generational Style Assessment asks you to read a range of different workplace scenarios and then choose the answer that best describes what you would do in a given circumstance.

Sample scenarios:

• A newly hired individual in his 40s is already getting good work results but not without irritating a few team members.
• A valuable employee in her 50s is taking a great deal of time off to deal with a  terminally ill parent.
• A newly promoted female in her 30s is having trouble managing older male colleagues and the situation is affecting her work.
• A woman in her 20s has suggested a night out for coworkers and has made reservations for a karaoke bar without asking anyone else.

Your scores on the response sheet bring together the style you adopt most frequently when talking to people of other age groups, your backup style, and how flexible you are. 

The assessment explains the four styles in detail and which style is most appropriate for each of the four age groups:

• Building style
• Steering style
• Empowering style

Supporting style Use this tool to bring age-related issues out in the open and discuss how to improve productivity, job satisfaction, management styles, and personal motivation.