SITUATIONAt 56, Sharon was the Executive Director of an 800-person non-profit agency. She had started working for the agency when she was 18, and had been director for the last 10 years of her 38-year tenure.I was contacted by Sharon, who told me, “I am finding it challenging aligning and getting the best out of my staff. My senior staff complains about these young kids not wanting to do anything, and the younger staff complains about how none of the senior staff want to hear their ideas.”Further discussion surfaced these issues:Within 5-8 years the majority of the agency’s management team would retire.Currently the agency has a dumbbell age effect, with Boomers and Generation-Y employees comprising the majority of their population.Many of the better and brighter younger staff are leaving the agency for other jobs.The agency, while successful, has grown stagnant; Sharon is not receiving new ideas nor innovations for the future.In further discussion and observations of several team meetings, it became apparent that the staff loved their work and cared deeply about those they served. Additionally, the talent for continued growth existed within the agency.Questions:What can be done to increase collaboration across departments? How can mature workers be utilized to enhance knowledge sharing and continuity within an organization?Why is communication important in this case scenario?How can the younger generations mentor the older generations? How can the older generations mentor the younger generations?List 4-6 strategies for managing a multi-generational workforce.