When Carole Heine took on the role of Director Business Development at a startup called OneClick.chat, she was a bit overwhelmed with the monumental challenge ahead. Tasked with growing the early-stage technology company, she would also be working with an intergenerational founding team. As it turns out, the diversity in age–from having a CEO who is decades younger than she is, to co-founders in their late sixties–would be one of her favorite aspects of the job.
Video conferencing for the longevity market
In a world where learning to set up a group video call can often require taking a class (on the same complicated platform), OneClick.chat stands out for its ease of use. Its platform was designed for and with older adults, thanks in part to a Small Business Innovative Research Grant from the National Institutes of Health and a partnership with the Human Factors and Aging Lab at the University of Illinois.
OneClick.chat’s name is its brand promise: It only takes one click to join meeting rooms, where for larger groups that may even include small breakout discussion groups. The program creates live video opportunities for older people to connect, such as in meetups to discuss books, movies and reminiscing about hometowns.
Mentoring across the generations
Now, almost two years in, how have the team dynamics gone? Heine exudes enthusiasm as she describes the positive effects. “In a way, you mentor the young people and they mentor you as well,” she says. Everyone approaches problem-solving differently, so everyone brings something unique to the table no matter the age.
Are there differences in work styles between the generations? She notes, chuckling, that the older adults get up and begin work earlier, while the younger ones stay up later. But as long as they get the work done, it’s all good.
Despite the enthusiasm, Heine advises going into a startup with eyes wide open–about the company and the personalities. Perhaps the best advice of all, she offers, “Be ready to learn, and to ask questions. We think questions are dumb, but sometimes yours is a question that should be asked.” She looks back at a few times when she should have questioned a situation but was reluctant to, assuming the younger minds knew better. The value of intergenerational thinking is that you have a number of different perspectives solving a problem, so it pays for everyone to ask questions.”
Intergenerational respect
Many Boomers find it challenging to work with a much younger boss (or vice versa), but not so for Heine. Working for 26-year-old OneClick CEO Dillon Myers has actually been a very positive experience, which she attributes directly to his character. “I’m respectful that he’s my boss. And I value his leadership; I’ve embraced it.”
A common pitfall for older employees is to parent the younger. Heine says she avoids this by having compassion for the whole person: “I usually just say, ‘How are you doing?’” This elicits peer-to-peer conversations about how the work is affecting them holistically, rather than giving advice in a parental manner.
She also says the team, which generally works remotely, holds periodic work days together. For those, they make a point of trying to cook a meal together, which binds them as whole people, rather than just co-workers.
Still ripe for problem-solving
Is work/life balance an issue at this age? Having raised four children, the youngest of whom just graduated from college, Heine wants to spend time with them, but she’s not done with her career. She says of her generation: “Our minds are still looking at ways to solve problems and bring people together.”
Heine’s people-centric worldview–and genuine respect for her peers–informs her very positive view about what it’s like to be a Boomer working cross-generationally: “If you get to work on an intergenerational team, you’re really lucky.”