The Multigenerational Workplace: Communicate, Collaborate, and Create Community

Bridge the generation gap and achieve outstanding results!

You might expect the occasional age-related misunderstanding to find its way into the classroom―after all, if today’s kids aren’t exactly from another planet, they’re definitely from another generation. At least you and your colleagues are all on the same page…right? Not necessarily. In some schools, as many as four generations work side by side, and that means countless chances for crossed wires, miscommunication, and perhaps even mistrust.

Authors Jennifer Abrams and Valerie von Frank are attuned to these generational differences.  In this book, based on Abrams’ popular workshop, the authors demonstrate how educators can look past their own generational filters to reap the benefits of seeing through a new lens. Focusing on the major contexts in which generational differences play out―including recruitment, coaching, professional learning, and succession planning―this book offers

• Tools, checklists, and recommendations for collaborating, evaluating, and engaging in professional learning that meets multigenerational needs
• Professional development activities that cultivate an understanding of generational differences and strengthen workplace culture
• Real-life stories and case studies that bring the topic to life

With this honest, practical, and often amusing look at generations at work, you’ll learn to improve communication, retain staff, and look toward succession―a multigenerational plan for school success.

"Few people today are taking on this topic, particularly in the U.S. One of the greatest leadership challenges of this age is how to work across generations. Newer generations are not flawed versions of previous generations―each has its own compelling perspective to contribute. This is the best book to add to an issue that affects all educators and will open up many people’s thinking about leadership."
― Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair
Lynch School of Education
Boston College, MA

Jennifer Abrams is an international educational and communications consultant for public and private schools, hospitals, universities and non-profits. She trains and coaches teachers, administrators, nurses, hospital personnel and others on successful instructional practices, new employee support, supervision and evaluation, generational savvy, having hard conversations and effective collaboration skills.

In Palo Alto USD (Palo Alto, CA), Abrams led professional development sessions and provided new teacher and supervisor trainings at both the elementary and secondary level. From 2000-2011, she was lead coach for the Palo Alto-Mountain View-Los Altos-Saratoga-Los Gatos Consortium’s Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program.

In her educational consulting work, she has presented at annual conferences such as Learning Forward, ASCD, NASSP, and the New Teacher Center Annual Symposium, as well as at the Teachers’ and Principals’ Centers for International School Leadership. Her communications consulting in the health care sector includes training and coaching work at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula and Stanford Hospitals.

Her publications include Having Hard Conversations, published by Corwin Press in 2009, the chapter “Habits of Mind for the School Savvy Leader” in Art Costa’s and Bena Kallick’s book Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind: 16 Essential Characteristics for Success, and contributions to the book Mentors in the Making: Developing New Leaders for New Teachers published by Teachers College Press. Her most recent book with co-author Valerie Von Frank, Generational Savvy: How to be Effective with Educators of All Generations, was published by Corwin Press in 2013.

She considers herself a “voice coach,” helping others learn how to best use their voices, be it in a group, in front of a classroom, coaching a colleague, in a supervisory role and most recently in writing for the stage, as she does as a Board Member of the National New Play Network. Abrams holds a Master’s degree in Education from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree in English from Tufts University. 

Watch clips of Abrams′ interview with NPR′s Claudio Sanchez, from the ASCD Master Class Leadership Series

Valerie von Frank has written extensively about education over several decades as a daily newspaper reporter in multiple states covering public schools and, over the last decade, for NSDC publications, including JSD, Tools for Schools, The Learning System, The Learning Principal, and T3. She is a former editor of JSD, worked as a daily newspaper editor, served as communications director in an urban public school district, and was communications director for a Michigan nonprofit school reform organization. She is co-author with Ann Delehant of Making Meetings Work: How to Get Started, Get Going, and Get It Done (Corwin Press, 2007). She is currently NSDC’s book editor and a freelance writer and editor.