Generational differences among project managers - how to collaborate

I will be writing a dissertation this year on inter-generational conflict and collaboration and I am interested in hearing some views and opinions from the APM community.

Inter-generational differences represent an increasing source of conflict in project management organisations, hindering collaboration between project team members.

It is commonly accepted that project management (PM) has undergone significant changes over the last two decades. The hard tools and techniques that coincided with the emergence of PM as a formal discipline are being replaced or supplemented with a more flexible or agile approach to PM steered by a focus on people rather than tasks.

In many organisations, such changes in PM have resulted in a visible generation gap, comprising of “baby boomers” – (born during the Post-World War II baby boom), and “millenials - those born between 1980 and 2000” (Rasmus, 2007). Having learned their trade during different eras, the two generations can display contrasting, and often conflicting approaches to PM.

I do not seek to prove one way 'right' or 'wrong', but more to highlight the perceived areas of conflict, i.e. what difficulties have people experienced working with an older/younger PM team member, and how have these issues eben overcome.

Would love to hear some thoughts!