BridgeWorks was founded January 1, 1998, by business partners Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman. Their objective was to educate organizations about the four distinct generations at work and identify ways to bridge the gaps that can have serious bottom line effects on business.
In their prior roles as consultants, Lynne (a Baby Boomer) and David (a Generation Xer) could see that organizations were experiencing generational clashes in the workplace—as they tried to recruit and retain four generations of employees—and in the marketplace trying to reach four generations of consumers.
They launched BridgeWorks to bring the significance of generation gaps to the attention of corporate America using research, savvy business solutions, and humor, and quickly became highly regarded keynoters on the national speaking circuit. Lynne and David soon gained distinction for their meticulous attention to customizing presentations to clients’ business issues and for their ability to make the “generations” topic both hard-hitting and highly entertaining.
In 2000, BridgeWorks fielded a national survey of employees across many industries that resulted in their best selling business book When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. (HarperBusiness, 2002). The book received excellent reviews and made two best-seller lists. When Generations Collide continues to sell briskly and is one of only two offerings published by Harper in 2002 that has sold more copies with each ensuing year.
With their book receiving national attention, Lynne and David were approached regularly by the media to serve as expert commentators on generational issues and to write articles on the topic for a variety of publications. They have been guests on CNN, CNBC, and the TODAY Show, as well as on numerous national and local TV and radio programs. And, they have been featured in such prestigious print media as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Washington Post, and TIME Magazine.
As the costs of human capital skyrocket and the supply of talent tightens, the importance of developing savvy talent management strategies is coming into sharp focus. Organizations are realizing that to remain competitive they must staunch the coming brain drain and become adept at transferring knowledge among an increasingly mobile workforce.
As BridgeWorks moves into its second decade, it is positioned to recognize the new challenges and go beyond creating awareness to implementing solutions.