The #1 Symptom of Generational Disconnect (and How to Spot the Others)

“You know what gets on my nerves?”

That’s what a Gen Z geriatric specialist said to me right after I finished leading a workshop on generational teamwork for a group of social workers and therapists.

“Older folks assume that because I’m on my phone, I’m checked out. Playing games. Texting.
But it’s the opposite—I’m working. The phone is one way I do it. And I’m tired of being told to put it away in meetings, because people don’t understand different ways of communicating.”

Boom.
She nailed the #1 cause of generational disconnect: communication clashes.

Older generations often feel ignored when younger colleagues are glued to their phones.
Younger generations can’t figure out why anyone would call someone “out of the blue.”
Meanwhile, someone’s quietly wondering, ‘Why are we still printing this out?’

These little disconnects don’t stay little.

When teams don’t name and navigate generational tension, it builds.
Pretty soon, you’re dealing with:

🔹 Collaboration breakdowns
🔹 Mistrust between age groups
🔹 Resistance to change—on all sides
🔹 Talent walking out the door before you know why

How do you know if it’s happening in your organization?

That’s why I created the Symptoms of Generational Disconnect Checklist—
10 subtle signs your team is slipping out of sync (and how to catch them before they snowball).

It’s a quick, free download that helps you spot the early warning signs—so you can start the fix before things get serious.

👉 Download the Checklist Here

What Happens Next?

Generational disconnect isn’t a personality problem.
It’s not about “kids these days” or “out-of-touch boomers.”
It’s about learning new ways to connect, collaborate, and lead across generational lines.

That’s the work I do with teams, managers, and leaders through my Gen IQ programs.
(We’ll talk more about those next month.)

For now—start with the checklist.
Because good teams don’t happen by accident—they happen by design.

Download the Checklist

or reply to this email if you’d like to chat.

Mary Cooney, PhD