When Generations Make Music: Lessons from the GENergy Jamboree
When I walked into Consumers Energy Thursday morning and told the doorman I was here for the GENergy Jamboree, he smiled and asked, “Oh, are you a musician?”
I wish I could’ve said yes. Because honestly? What we were doing that morning wasn’t so different from making music.
Bringing together four generations in the workplace is a lot like gathering musicians who each play a different instrument.
Anyone can step forward and play a solo—predictable, safe. But creating a piece of music that brings out the best in every player?
That takes real ensemble artistry: listening, adjusting, blending, and sometimes stepping back so someone else can shine.
And that’s exactly what happened at the GENergy Jamboree.
What Four Generations Sound Like Together
I wish I could replay the entire conversation, but here are a few moments that captured the power of intergenerational collaboration at Consumers Energy:
1. The moment generational differences truly “hit home.”
Byron, a Boomer with 39 years at CE, shared that it struck him the Christmas he received a digital notebook. He stared at it, unsure what to do—until his two-year-old grandchild climbed onto his lap and got it working. Reverse mentoring at its sweetest.
Jessica, Gen Z, realized it while standing in the break room on 9/11. Her coworkers described where they were that day. She hadn’t been born yet.
“That’s when I understood how much experience and institutional knowledge they carried,” she said. “And that I had a responsibility to learn from them.”
That’s wisdom beyond her years.
2. Technology is shifting everything — especially communication.
Olivia, Millennial, sends internal communications and said she’s learned it’s not enough to use the mediums she prefers.
“I’ve become comfortable picking up the phone to call my Boomer colleagues when something is important. Intergenerational communication isn’t about what works best for me — it’s about what helps the receiver.”
She gets it.
3. Analog skills still matter. Sometimes more than we think.
Several panelists laughed about paper maps, but the point was serious: what happens when digital systems fail?
Iggy, Gen Z, told a story about a day the team couldn’t locate a water source using any of their high-tech tools. Then a teammate pulled out a divining rod — and boom, found it.
Jessica chimed in: “I’ve seen divining rods work on the farm.”
A beautiful reminder that “old-school” doesn’t mean obsolete — it means essential.
4. Trust grows fastest when people are invited to contribute.
As a new hire, Iggy described being out in the field when his supervisor turned to him and asked,
“How would you solve this?”
To me, that was a mic-drop moment.
With one question, the supervisor acknowledged Iggy’s perspective, assessed his knowledge, and opened the door for fresh thinking.
That’s how trust is built: not by always teaching, but by inviting.
“What would it look like for CE to be known as a best-in-class intergenerational workplace?”
I always end my panels with this question.
Their answer came without hesitation:
“We already are.”
And I believe them.
Consumers Energy is a legacy organization — generations of families choose to work there not just for the work, but for the culture.
Co-mentorship is alive and well. Older generations offer their wisdom generously. Younger generations step forward with curiosity and courage.
It takes a skilled conductor to bring out strengths that might otherwise go unnoticed — to bring one section forward and soften another. After eight years of “conducting,” I’m beginning to understand the joy of helping multigenerational teams find their harmony.
In an age when uncertainty is its own kind of background noise, creating harmony across generations isn’t just a nice idea.
It’s a business advantage.
It’s culture-building.
It’s leadership.
And honestly? It’s beautiful to witness.
P.S. One thing the GENergy Jamboree reminded me of: great teams don’t rush. They tune. They breathe. They reset together.
Warmly,
Mary