Shared Learnings
| October 1, 2026
Managing the Multigenerational Workforce
Today, four generations are working side-by-side. Each brings their own perspectives and strengths that can spark new ways of solving challenges — but effective management is key.
At Spring Point Partners’ September 2026 Learning Session, Dr. Alison K. Dougherty focused on communication styles, sharing practical strategies to build clarity and cultivate an inclusive culture where workers at every stage of their careers can thrive.
Generational differences are real, but shared needs matter more.
The workforce now spans four generations (Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z), each shaped by different formative experiences — but what they all want from work overlaps heavily: respect, purpose, growth opportunity, work-life balance, support, fair pay, and security. Leading well means designing for those shared needs rather than managing to stereotypes.
Trust is built differently across generations — so bridge-building has to be deliberate.
Loyalty earns trust with Boomers, competence with Gen X, transparency with Millennials, and psychological safety with Gen Z. Practical bridges include reciprocal/reverse mentorship, skill-swap sessions, mixed-generational task forces, and clear communication norms (including things like onboarding “communication cheat sheets” and training on email-timing etiquette).
A team charter turns good intentions into practice.
The session’s actionable framework: get teams to explicitly answer how they communicate, how everyone gets heard, how disagreements get resolved, and how diverse strengths get leveraged — then write it down as a living team charter, reinforced with regular 1:1 questions about accountability and trust.
Missed the session? Watch it below or on YouTube. You can also download the presentation slides.
Dr. Alison K. Dougherty is an accomplished nonprofit executive and higher education leader with more than twenty years of experience in human resources, talent management, organizational culture, Title IX, and crime victim advocacy. She currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Human Resources at Lafayette College, where she leads strategic initiatives focused on employee engagement, talent development, organizational effectiveness, and cultivating an inclusive and thriving campus community.
Prior to joining Lafayette College, Alison served as the Assistant Vice President, Civil Rights Compliance at Drexel University, Interim Vice President, Human Resources at Saint Joseph’s University, and as Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, and Title IX Coordinator at Widener University.
Recognized nationally for her expertise, Alison served on the United States Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking panel responsible for implementing the Violence Against Women Act amendments to the Clery Act and collaborated with Senator Bob Casey (D–PA) and colleagues on the development of the legislation. She has contributed to numerous scholarly publications.
Alison earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish from The Catholic University of America, where she was recognized as an Academic All-American in cross country. She received a Master of Science in Sociology from Saint Joseph’s University and earned her Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from Northeastern University in 2020. Her doctoral research explored institutional courage and proactive organizational responses to organizational change, with a focus on leadership, culture, and compliance.
In recognition of her commitment to social justice and higher education, Alison received The Catholic University of America’s Alumni Achievement Award in 2015.
