For the first time, four generations are working side by side — a modern-day renaissance of values, vision, and communication. From World War II to 9/11, the first moon landing to our first black president, each generation carries priorities shaped by decades of unique interactions, crises, and recoveries. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Millennials make up 36% of the U.S. labor force, Gen X about 31%, Gen Z about 18%, and Baby Boomers about 15%. American society as a whole is witnessing an unprecedented phenomenon — a new experience shared by the collective whole.
The question is, how do these era-etched groups respond to this new stimulus?
CU Denver Business School Alumni Network (BSAN) hosted the “Generations at Work” event to answer just that. Shanna Weber, leadership coach and generational researcher at Prima Consulting, emphasised that having five generations in one workplace is unprecedented. Each group carries distinct values and communication styles shaped by world events, technological shifts, and societal expectations.
Terms like “success” and “progress,” as well as the language used to describe them, are colliding and blending, creating a new depth of flavor in the simmering, melting pot of workplace society.
Language as a Generational Mirror
Participants, each championing their own respective generation, were invited to reflect on and share their thoughts about the values they hold. Upon witnessing this, one would notice that the language used by each participant revealed generational divides in subdued ways. Where earlier generations leaned on brevity and formality, later ones gravitated towards casual professionalism.
No One Is Wrong. Context Is Everything.
Work and success were never arbitrary. Older generations leaned toward structure and security because survival and rebuilding demanded it. Gen X grew up learning self-reliance in a time when institutions were the most exploitative. Millennials came of age during a time of disruption and sought a purpose to anchor them. Gen Z, raised in a digital-first environment, is equipped with vast knowledge at the tips of their thumbs at an early age, yet is still just as inexperienced as any other generation that came before them in navigating the world. What appears to be a generational difference is actually a matter of generational context.
The Challenge: Synthesis, Not Comparison
In the rise of capitalism, many described the idea of “alienation of work” as a dissonance between people and their sense of purpose. A 2025 Deloitte survey found that 89% of Gen Z and 92% of Millennials believe having a sense of purpose in their job is crucial to their job satisfaction and overall well-being.
Each group has carried its own version of closing that gap. For some, success came in the form of stability and provision, while others sought autonomy and balance.
The current moment demands less comparison and more synthesis. These everyday words shapeshift meanings depending on the audience.
Found in Translation
Are generations building a new understanding of success, or just pretending – layering fresh corporate jargon to provide the illusion of change? With AI and emerging technologies reshaping how we live and work, will the definitions these groups cling to collapse under the weight of new crises and recoveries, forcing a new vision of work and fulfilment?
At the very least, what is undeniable is that we will all be there to witness it.
