Bridging Generations at Work: How Appreciative Inquiry Creates Connection Across Ages

I was asked recently how can Appreciative Inquiry help in a workplace that has several generations in the same space?

In today’s workplace, it’s not unusual to find team members from four or even five different generations working side by side. With this diversity comes a rich mix of experience, innovation, and perspective—but also, at times, misunderstanding and disconnect.

So how do we move from tension to trust? From assumptions to appreciation?

Appreciative Inquiry is a powerful approach that will make a difference.  Appreciative Inquiry is a successes and strengths-based method grounded in the belief that every person, team, and organization has untapped potential worth exploring.

What makes Appreciative Inquiry effective across generations?

Appreciative Inquiry isn’t about ignoring problems. It’s about shifting the focus from what’s broken to what’s possible. In intergenerational settings, where communication styles, work habits, and values may differ, Appreciative Inquiry encourages curiosity, empathy, and connection.

Instead of asking, why can’t we work better together? Appreciative Inquiry invites us to ask, when have we worked really well together—and what made it work?

This simple shift in mindset helps teams: 

• move beyond stereotypes and assumptions;

• discover shared values and experiences; and

• build mutual respect based on strengths, not age.

Three Appreciative Inquiry questions that can spark intergenerational connection

If you’re looking to open up meaningful dialogue in your workplace, try asking these questions in team meetings, one-on-ones, or informal gatherings:

• Can you share a time when you felt truly valued on a team—what was happening, and what made that experience stand out?

This question encourages reflection on positive experiences and surfaces what inclusion and belonging look like to different people.

• What strengths or skills do you think your generation brings to the workplace—and what do you admire in other generations?

This opens the door to mutual appreciation, breaking down age-related assumptions and highlighting the power of diversity.

• What does a great day at work look like for you?

A deceptively simple question that reveals how different generations define success, satisfaction, and motivation.

Why this matters

Workplace connection doesn’t happen by chance. It happens through intention. Appreciative Inquiry helps teams members see each other through a lens of strength, humanity, and shared purpose.

When people feel safe to speak, curious enough to listen, and open to learning from one another, everything changes. Productivity increases. Engagement rises. Conflict softens. And the richness of each generation becomes a resource, not a roadblock.

If you’re navigating intergenerational dynamics in your workplace, Appreciative Inquiry offers a powerful place to begin.

Let’s stop asking, what’s wrong? and start asking, what’s possible?

Want to explore how Appreciative Inquiry can support your team or organization? I’d love to talk. Send me an email: aderonke@abwilsonconsulting.com