The Generations ARE different…and while generations may express things in diverse ways, their wants and needs from a workplace environment have similarities.
For example:

The desire to be respected and heard. Though Generation Y/ Millennials get the label for craving recognition, being recognized is a desire shared by all generations and people. People want some level of assurance that their contributions are noticed, and while the preferred method of praise may change person to person , the desire to be respected, understood, and heard is common to all.

The desire to make a difference. All generations and people want to feel that what they do counts. Again, they have
dissimilar ways of expressing this desire – from rallies and social movements, to consumer decisions and brand support, but the motivation and desires are shared! It is important for each generation to know how their “piece of the puzzle” contributes to the whole and without their doing their best, the product or service or ideal is compromised.

The desire to transcend their stereotypes. No generation is particularly keen of the negative aspects of the stereotypes they’ve been assigned. Millennials don’t like to be described as lazy, just as some Baby Boomers dislike
being labeled technology-illiterate. All generations desire to define their own individual characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. So while it’s important to keep trends in mind, we need to avoid stereotyping people and pigeonholing them by their generation or any other stereotype. Just as each generation has defining factors, each individual does as well!

We should use generational differences as a guide, but recognize that each person is unique in his/her personality and tendencies and learning and responding to each person’s individuality is good, not only for the individual but for the organization as well.