I take it all back. Well, some of it, anyway. In my last blog (“Millennials are Not Younger Boomers”), I made the case that what Millennials value, think important and can’t do without, is different from what Boomers cherish. Next day, I receive another intelligence report from HBR (http://harvardbusiness.org; July-Aug 09), How Gen Y & Boomers Will Reshape Your Agenda, with the tag line: Your oldest and youngest talent cohorts demand many of the same things in a workplace.

What? We like the same things? Shut-Up! (OK, this expression of surprise still sounds odd to me.) Sure, I felt younger by the minute as I read about how much I had in common with the younger-something’s. I felt older by the word as I, once again (and not for the last time), had to rethink yesterday’s well-reasoned view. [Sidebar: Rethinking is the new pink in 2009, replacing the know-it-all orange of 2008. The Good News Tip for 2010 and beyond: Thinking will not go out of style, like color. More about rethinking in future blogs, for now, it’s back to the shared bed.]

As it turns out, both the Millennials and I like flexible work arrangements and the opportunity to give …

… give back to society, that is. The authors, (find them at www.worklifepolicy.org), conclude that this synchronicity of viewpoints creates a new “center of gravity for human resources management”. Meaning, companies need to rethink how they relate to their workforce because the GenYs and the Boomers may pull the work place environment into a similar orbit, the one that matches their shared values.

But don’t let this shared value revelation blind you. We still must pause (and care) to ask and not assume what the value means to each person, regardless of age or anything. A GenYer and I may both say ‘giving back’ is important, but, what it means and how we go about fulfilling it can look very different.

One of my giving backs is the Global Women’s Leadership Network (www.gwln.org), dedicated to developing the leadership capacity of women who dare to transform the future of their organizations, communities, and the world. A GenY may want to swing a hammer for Habitat for Humanity. That’s cool. My point is we can share the same value bed, as long as we each say what our side of the bed means to us. As for the HR management team, it’s their job to figure out how to give us the ability to adjust the firmness of our respective side of the corporate mattress so we both feel supported and can give our all at work and all over. One side does not fit all.

I like that I share values with GenY. It kinda makes me feel young, not like I feel old, mind you. I got a new burst of youth watching the National Senior Games at Stanford this weekend (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aytfWYT1-yQ.). The Boss just turned 60 (http://www.aarpmagazine.org/entertainment/bruce_springsteen.html).

Camille Smith understands what it takes to change at the individual, team and organizational levels. It’s not easy, it’s worth doing, and it’s required of today’s leaders and their workforce. Specializing in transformational leadership, she provides the knowledge and coaching to teach others to create and sustain breakthroughs in performance. She can be reached at camille@wipcoaching.com.