• One attribute that makes Generation NEXT unique is the presence of "helicopter parents." These are the parents who have been and remain closely involved in their children's lives. Expect their continued involvement as Generation NEXT enters the workforce.

• Workers of different generations actually share many values. Research indicates that "Family," "Integrity," and "Love" are ranked equally high among Boomers, Gen Xers and NEXTers. How generations express those values, however, may differ dramatically.

• In the office setting, feel free to follow your religious beliefs, but do so in a manner that neither offends nor requires others to jump through impossible to manage hoops. 

• The Millennials bring some real assets to the workplace. They are natural multi-taskers, technologically savvy and like to collaborate with others.

• Born between 1976 and 1994, the Millennials are the generational cohort that is now entering the workforce. One characteristic that distinguishes this group is strong parental involvement from birth through adulthood.

• Each generation brings certain attributes to the workplace. The Millennials, those born between 1976 and 1994, is the most ethnically diverse generation to join the work force. They are smart, confident, optimistic, multi-taskers.

• A generation ago, seven out of ten American workers were men and often fathers of families. Today’s workforce is increasingly comprised of women and ethnic minorities.

• Once, we were called upon to look past differences and acknowledge that everyone was alike. Now, we increasingly need to acknowledge, accept and respect the cultural differences that exist in the workplace.

• Negative attitudes and destructive conflicts are less likely to exist when employees respond to each other on the basis of individual behaviors and characteristics.

• Call people by their correct names. If you are uncertain how to pronounce someone’s name, ask his/her help. In the workplace, avoid using nicknames.

• Gender differences exist in how we communicate, and as a result, female and male managers may handle work situations differently. Keep in mind, there is no one right work style.

• Sondra Thiederman coined the term "guerilla biases," ones that are concealed behind good intentions, kind words and thoughtful acts. (Example: All Asians are good at math.) Beware of them. They can easily distort your perception of what a person is really like.

• The genders may bring different communication styles to the workplace, with women seeking to build consensus, while men seek to establish hierarchy. Neither style is better than the other. They’re just different.

• Let’s say you, as well as all of the members of your group, have just received an e-mail and that message has hit every one of your hot buttons. Hold off on responding immediately and give yourself some time to cool down. Then respond to the sender alone.

• It’s important to remember that gestures accepted in an American workplace can easily cause confusion or offense when working abroad. The thumbs-up and “V” signs, while acceptable in the US, have very different meanings in other cultures.

• Whenever we need to work with other people, personality clashes are bound to occur. If you find yourself clashing with a co-worker, bring in a third party to mediate the dispute. That mediator may be able to provide an unbiased analysis both as to the cause of the clash as well as to best practices for moving forward.

• Be aware that unintended consequences can easily flow from jokes and off-the-cuff remarks. In the workplace, avoid any comment that could leave another person feeling demeaned in any way.

• If you feel that you’ve become the target of the office bully, seek the input of someone else in your office. Ask them if they have observed the interactions and whether your perception of being bullied is accurate.

• Microinequities. What is a microinequity? It’s a snub, often unintended, but nevertheless, insensitive. For example, saying “so is everyone still trying to kill each other?” referring to civil strife in a colleague’s home country is certainly insensitive especially if you don’t know that the person’s family is caught in the middle. The problem is that we often don’t recognize microinequities, but the damage is equal to that of any gender-biased or racial statement that we would immediately recognize as inappropriate and rude.