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Source: Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.迷你倉Sept. 22--Nancy Sutton Bell is used to overcoming assumptions and generalities in the workplace after fighting them for most of her life as a woman in a male-dominated business world.That's part of the reason that the baby boomer isn't eager to put negative labels on each generation of employees in today's unique and rapidly changing workforce."I really hate stereotypes because they have been used to put hurdles and obstacles in people's way for years," said Bell, a management professor at the University of Montevallo. "I think you have a far more productive conversation if you just look for the best in each of your employees. If you look for faults, you're going to find faults."People are finding plenty of both in their coworkers, according to a new study by EY, a global network of financial firms that includes Ernst & Young.The study found that workers gave Generation Y, a group mostly in their 20s, high ratings in tech and media skills, but most also described them as "entitled" and poor at team building. Boomers were seen as the most hard-working but the slowest to adapt.In fact, some of the negative views about each group came from people talking about their own generation.Still, the comments don't surprise Taylor Williams, a 28-year-old who manages economic and community development for PowerSouth Energy. Williams is part of a massive surge in Gen Y managers across the nation, and their approaches sometimes can create misunderstandings.Williams said he has been embraced by coworkers at PowerSouth. But he also said it's easy to see how a lack of communication between workers can lead to the kinds of generalities and misperceptions that were found by the study, about every generation."From just observing the folks and working with them, I think people eventually see that those negative stereotypes are not necessarily true," Williams said.Carmen Douglas, the vice president of human resources at Alabama State University, said the tech-savvy approach that makes Gen Y appealing as managers also fuels some of those misconceptions."Sometimes people judge hours spent at the office as 'work' instead of the amount of output," Douglas said. "(Gen Y) can work from anywhere, and they use technology to be more productive in less time."Other generalities about the younger group, like the idea that they are poor team players, simply are not true, Bell said."They were raised with the Power Rangers," she said. "You look at the computer games they play -- you've got to work together. They work together all the time, they just don't do it with the same formality."At the same time, she said they crave feedback from older employees and see them as parental figures, in part because "they're the first generation who didn't 迷你倉最平ebel against their parents." Because of that, Bell said they are eager to learn from boomers.That mentor role is one of many reasons that experts say older workers are gaining value in the business world. While they often cost more to hire, they bring in more experience, more connections and require little training or supervision.They're also staying in the workforce for longer than some may have thought, thanks to the recession. Between 1977 and 2007, employment of workers 65 and older doubled, a trend that has stayed on track and is projected to continue as boomers move toward old age.For many boomers job goals have always been about stability and a measured approach. Steve Bucherati, chief diversity officer for the Coca-Cola Co., said for him that was the result of being raised by children of the Depression."They preached, 'Get an education. Get a good, secure job with a good, secure company,'" Bucherati said. "They raised you in this structured mentality."The way we've raised our kids is very different. We don't preach the same kinds of things, nor do they want us to, nor would they respond to it."Childhood also shaped Generation X in a unique way, Bell said. That may be why that group -- now mostly in their 30s and 40s -- have never dominated management roles in massive numbers even though the EY study found that it's the most highly-regarded generation in the workplace.Bell said Gen X was raised as latchkey kids, often with the television as a baby sitter, and became very independent adults. That led them down a path of entrepreneurship and niche job roles, with an emphasis on a work-life balance.It's an attitude reflected in the study, which shows that Gen X prefers job flexibility over all other perks."A lot of them are in specialty fields and have done very well where they are," Douglas said. "They're not in a position now where they would want to change their (area of work)."The experts agreed that businesses must encourage communication in order to take advantage of the unique skills that each group brings to the table."Each of the different generations has strengths and you have to respect their value and leverage the strengths," Bucherati said. "The more you understand about that, the easier it is to manage and value."Generation Z's just a decade away."-- The AP contributed to this storyAdditional FactsHow they're viewedGeneration YTech savvy, social media experts, entitled, not hardworkingGeneration XProductive, team player, relationship builder, problem solverBaby boomersHardworking, nurturing, slow to adapt, poor brand ambassadors--EYCopyright: ___ (c)2013 Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) Visit the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) at .montgomeryadvertiser.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉