Co-Mentoring Across Generations: Bridging the Age Gap in Organizations with Margaret McDonald

In this episode of the "HR Mixtape" podcast, host Shari Simpson welcomes Margaret McDonald, an international speaker and pro-aging advocate, to discuss the critical topic of ageism in the workplace. Margaret, the author of 100 Words on Everyday Ageism, shares her insights on how cultural beliefs about aging can impact employee well being, productivity, and organizational dynamics. As the workforce becomes increasingly multigenerational, understanding and addressing age-related stereotypes is more important than ever.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understanding Ageism: Listeners will learn how common language and phrases contribute to ageism and how shifting this narrative can foster a more inclusive workplace.
2. Pro-Aging Advocacy: Margaret emphasizes the importance of being a pro-aging advocate rather than an anti-ageism advocate, promoting a positive view of aging as a natural and valuable part of life.
3. Co-Mentorship Strategies: The episode explores the concept of co-mentorship, where employees of different ages can learn from each other, enhancing skills and breaking down generational barriers.

Margaret McDonald is a pro-aging advocate, an international speaker, and an award-winning writer. She’s the author of 100 Words on Everyday Ageism, an online series of tiny essays that spread awareness about aging and misconceptions, every day. She’s also a member of the American Society on Aging’s advisory council on Ageism and Culture, where she helped develop and launch the annual Ageism Awareness Day. Margaret’s work focuses on how cultural beliefs about age affect us all, and how we can improve our lives, our happiness, our productivity — even our longevity — by understanding and internalizing more accurate views about growing older.

Tune in to gain valuable insights on creating a more inclusive and age-friendly workplace!