When dealing with wide range of ages, mutual respect is key

Q. I supervise a group of 25 individuals in a managed healthcare organization. It is a real mixed group in terms of age, experience, race, and culture. More and more I am noticing tension and bickering among the group about everything from getting people to pitch in to how to complete a project. Though I know with any group of 25 individuals, there are bound to be disagreements and different view points, I am sensing some real friction here. Any thoughts?

A. Not only do you have a diverse group in terms of race and culture, but it also sounds like you may have up to four different generations working in your department. There are bound to be different approaches, different viewpoints of how to get the work done. There are many good books and articles written on the topic of managing four generations in the workplace, and I encourage you to read some of them. Here are some highlights of what you might be seeing, but I want to caution you that these are generalities and there will be broad differences among each group:

Traditionalists are the group born before 1946, and so they are workers in their 60s or older. They respect authority, don't like to make waves, like to do things "by the book," will carry out orders, and are extremely loyal and dependable.

Baby boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964 and are generally, workers in their 40s and 50s. They are very hard workers, sometimes called workaholics, but have a love-hate relationship with authority. They take risks, but it is not always easy for them to do so. Baby boomers are big consensus builders and like to manage by consensus.

Generation Xers were born between 1965 and 1978. This generation watched their parents and possibly grandparents get laid off in droves so they have a different view of work. They do not have the sense of loyalty that the traditionalists and baby boomers have toward work. They are also known as the latch-key generation. Many of these individuals grew up with both parents working and learned to be independent at an early age. They like order in the workplace, have no tolerance for poor performance being ignored, will work hard during working hours but value their time off, and seek feedback on their performance often.

Generation Yers were born between 1979 and 1997. This generation was born during the technology boom and as infants were introduced to personal computers, video games, and every kind of electronic gadget. They know no other way of communicating and assume everyone else communicates the same way. They have a low tolerance for people who do not use the technology as they do. They respect authority and will be engaged at work as long as they are learning and developing new skills.

As you can see, there are significant differences among the generations on how they view work and how to get the work done. Here are some tips on how to have the four generations work together more harmoniously:

Demonstrate respect for different viewpoints. In fact, encourage a wide range of perspectives. Have a zero-tolerance policy for behavior that disrespects anyone's opinion or suggestion.

Try a team approach. Manufacturing companies have used quality circles for years to identify best practices for getting work accomplished. Try dividing your 25 employees into smaller teams based on their knowledge and expertise. Let them work out together best approaches to solve work problems.

Ensure everyone gets training in your department, particularly technology training. Somehow, older workers are not always in the training loop, and that is one of the reasons they are not always able to keep up with the technology.

Encourage mentoring relationships. For example, match a generation Y with a traditionalist for technology training for the traditionalist and on-the-job training for the generation Y. Many companies are trying this and it has been a successful arrangement.

Understand what motivates each group. For example, additional dollars might motivate a boomer but an additional week of vacation might be far more important to a gen Xer.

Accept that different generations might go about problem-solving differently. They may end up with the same result, but the process of getting there might be quite different.

Check your own assumptions and stereotypes about each generation. That may get in your way when managing a multigenerational workplace.

Remember, often it is not what you say but how you say it that counts!

Disagreements are bound to happen in any workplace, but if you lay down some ground rules and stick to them, you will have a rich and productive department that is focused on getting the job done in the best possible way.

Q. Maybe you can settle an argument for me. I am 40 years old and I have just started a job with the post office that provides a 401(k) match of 5 percent. My brother says to make sure I contribute the full 5 percent of my salary to the plan so that I can get the full 5 percent match provided by the post office. I feel I need to pay off some of my debts before I can contribute 5 percent of my salary to this 401(k) plan. He keeps badgering me about this. What is the right thing to do here?

A. I have to agree with your brother on this one. You are leaving money on the table by not fully participating in your employer's 401(k) plan. Just think for a moment about the possibilities. For 5 percent of your salary, you could actually be saving 10 percent of your salary per year. Though I do believe it is important to retire your debt, and to do it as quickly as possible, 5 percent of pretax dollars to put away for a good retirement is well worth it. After a few paychecks, you won't even miss the deduction.

Select some good mutual funds to invest in. Spend the money to see a good financial planner for some recommendations on what funds to invest in given your particular circumstances. Make a commitment to not touch this money for any reason until you are ready to retire. Then, over time, watch the miracle of compound interest happen. Between your 5 percent contributions, your employer's 5 percent match, and compound interest each year, you will accumulate a very nice nest egg by the time you get ready to retire in about 25 years. Relying on social security to live on in your retirement is just not prudent anymore. We all must be proactive about saving for our retirement so that we can have good lives once we've decided to transition out of the workforce.

I cannot resist suggesting that once you have paid off your debts, that you consider an even larger contribution to your 401(k) plan. Though your employer will only match the first 5 percent of your salary, if you are able to contribute more in later years, do so. The more money you can sock away for retirement, the better life you will have. This year, the IRS will let us put away $15,500 into our 401(k)/403(b) plans. Folks 50 and older can put away another $5,000 for a total of $20,000 . Start today, and be sure to thank your brother for the good advice.

Q. I can't believe it but I have actually received two very good job offers, and I am having a hard time deciding which one to take. The money is almost the same for both opportunities, but the jobs are quite different. My degree is in marketing. One job will allow me to do research in an area that I am very interested in and to help shape the opinions of some important policymakers. The other offer is to work with a director of marketing in a well-known company where I am sure I would learn a lot. I need to come up with a decision very soon. Any thoughts?

A. First of all, congratulations! It is not often that a job seeker has two really good job offers to choose from. You are very fortunate. Only you can decide which offer is the best for you. So much depends on what your career aspirations are.

One thing that you may find helpful is to talk to people who actually work at both companies. If you don't know anyone personally that you could call, you may want to ask each company for the names of three people that you could speak to other than your direct boss who I assume you met during the interviewing process. Ask each person what your boss's management style is like. Ask colleagues what they like and dislike about their jobs. Really listen to their responses. A good job fit means that not only the job itself is a good fit, but also the company's values match your value system.

Stand in the lobbies of your prospective buildings and watch people coming and going, or sit in their cafeterias. Ask yourself if you could see yourself working in either place.

Finally, really look at the full employment package at both companies. The salaries might be similar but are the benefits different? For example, if one company has a 401(K) plan and the other doesn't, that might be helpful in making your decision. If one company has profit sharing or bonuses and the other company does not, it could also help you make your decision.

Bottom line, decide on the opportunity and company that is the best fit for you.

Joan Cirillo is the executive director of Operation A.B.L.E., a nonprofit that provides employment and training opportunities to mature workers 45 and older. E-mail questions to jobdoc@globe.com or mail to Job Doc, Boston Globe, Box 55819, Boston, 02205-5819.