The book is set in the context of the wider force factors, challenges, and opportunities in business – and how unlocking our generational diversity can result in more collaborative, creative organisations – with all the benefits that it brings for our people, and for our customers.

At a wider level, we have raging crises across geopolitics, a climate crisis, and the acceleration of tech. If we look at the big inflection points in history, maybe we are living through one now. Five Generations at Work is about being part of the solution, as the problems that we are solving in business and society are more connected and complex than ever before.

It draws on a body of research and evidence about our generational diversity, as populations are ageing, and we shall want and need to work for longer. The core focus is on solutions, unpacking leading work from global corporations, family businesses, nonprofits, and educational and government institutions.

There were some fundamental and universal challenges that showed up in our research across different sectors, across businesses of all sizes and scales, markets, and (four) continents. The challenges were consistent. First, understanding each other. Second, communicating with each other. And third, figuring out how we can maximise both our individual differences and our collective potential. The opportunity is far greater, as evidenced in the case studies and conversations in the book.