Managing diverse teams includes cross generational facilities teams. Managing boomers to Gen Z brings so much to absorb. Different communication preferences, technology adoption gaps, how different generations learn, how they collaborate and, most importantly, what they value.
As a facilities manager your team becomes your main source of knowledge and many times they are your eyes and ears on what’s going on in the building. While designing hybrid spaces, I formed a committee from each generation on our team to get their input instead of imposing my Gen X preferences. The one question I asked was "what do you need to do your best work?” The answers were so fascinating and surprising.
My Boomer maintenance team member wanted a proper desk with filing cabinets which reflected his ideal permanent workspace where he could spread out plans and track his ongoing projects. This works for him because he thinks better when he can see everything laid out.
My millennial coordinator wanted more collaborative tables with whiteboards and even digital smart boards to create spaces where teams could gather freely and spontaneously to problem solve as a team. Her mindset was that the best ideas come from impromptu conversations.
My Gen Z technician wanted flexible seating and multiple monitor options. What they value was the ability to work from different spots that depended on the task. They could focus better when they changed locations throughout the day.
I was intrigued and excited to hear such personalized and thoughtful responses and it allowed leadership to understand the facilities needs of our own team with different perspectives and lived experiences.
They all provided diverse wants and needs, but at the same time displayed ways that met their productivity needs as well as displaying a rich and collaborative design for all to work well cohesively.
As a result, we created a quiet area with traditional desks for focused work, a collaborative area with movable furniture and whiteboards, and a flexible area with hotel desks and varied seating. Nobody got everything they wanted, but everyone got what they needed most.
The collaborative design process itself became team building exercise, bringing all generations together for one common goal. The Boomer supervisor gained appreciation for why younger team members prefer variety. The Gen Z technician understood why the veteran needed consistency. And I learned that the one size fits all model in office design actually fits nobody.
Managing a diverse team of generations means that the goal isn't to make everyone work the same way. The goal is to create systems where different approaches strengthen each other and this makes my job easier as the team connects.
In order to engage the teams, I believe starting with gathering all ages represented and asking collaborative questions like, How do you prefer to communicate and why? What kind of workspace helps you think best? What does flexibility mean to you specifically? What do you wish other generations understood about your approach?
Then sit back and listen. Really listen. Not to pick the best answer, but to build systems that honor diverse truths at the same time.
The future of facilities management belongs to teams that leverage generational diversity as their competitive edge. So build collaboration into your systems. Create communication frameworks together. Design spaces with input from all ages. Build flexibility collaboratively. Pair different generations on complex problems intentionally.
What I have learned over the years is that the buildings don't care how old you are. The systems don't care which generation you represent. They just need to work. And the teams that make them work best are the ones where decades of experience and 3 months of fresh perspective learn from each other every single day.
We're all just trying to keep the buildings running. We're better when we do it together.
Maria Ruiz is a Facilities Operations Manager at UNICEF USA with 15+ years of cross-sector expertise. Overseeing multiple national offices, she applies Lean Six Sigma methodologies to create sustainable, efficient workspaces supporting humanitarian missions. Her writing champions women in facilities management by blending technical knowledge with practical insights that empower professionals in this traditionally male-dominated field.
