Interesting question came in by email over the weekend: 

“John – I am a baby boomer now leading a large team of SE’s, some of whom are the same age as my children. Any suggestions how I can better relate to Gen X and Gen Y?”

So first a few definitions about the generations:

Boomers    1946 – 1963

Gen X         1964  - 1981

Gen Y         1982 – 1994

Here is a very quick guide:

Gen-X

liberally use web, video and conference calls instead of face-to-face; be direct about expected behavior ;  trust but verify – be aware of family life starting up for telecommuting and flexible workhours; dislike corporate politics and used to being overlooked by boomers; limit bureaucracy; be willing to negotiate about everything.

Gen-Y

leverage social networks and team collaboration; be subtle about behavior and technology; don’t measure by hours at desk; appeal to career goals ; don’t discount because of their age – judge on quality instead of seniority; encourage suggestions and embrace change – learn from their use of technology.

These are blatant generalizations, and obviously every single member of your team is different, but I think they are great guidelines to start with.