Interdependence: Why Teams Struggle When Generations Work in Silos
In sport, moments of adversity often reveal how interdependent a team truly is. When a player is sidelined due to injury or a foul, the response of their teammates tells you everything. In sports like basketball or ice hockey—where teams are small and roles are specialised—the absence of even one player can materially affect performance.
Workplaces operate the same way.
When teams rely too heavily on one group, capability gaps emerge. Performance slows. Decision-making narrows. Risk increases.
Understanding Interdependence at Work
Interdependence sits between dependence and independence.
• Dependence places responsibility on others.
• Independence prioritises self-sufficiency.
• Interdependence recognises mutual reliance.
In intergenerational teams, interdependence acknowledges that no single generation holds all the capability required for sustained performance. Experience, institutional knowledge, adaptability, innovation, and execution are distributed unevenly across age groups. High-performing organisations learn how to combine these strengths rather than favour one over another.
Why Interdependence Matters in Intergenerational Teams
In many organisations, generational collaboration exists in theory but not in practice. Teams may work alongside one another while remaining functionally siloed by age, tenure, or role.
When this happens:
• Certain generations become over-relied upon
• Others are underutilised or sidelined
• Knowledge transfer becomes fragile
• Succession and continuity are put at risk
True interdependence ensures that capability is shared, not hoarded, and that contribution is recognised across generations.
When a particular age group is absent from decision-making, leadership pipelines, or key projects, the organisation doesn’t just lose representation—it loses resilience.
Interdependence and Diversity of Thought
Interdependence also requires leaders to embrace difference rather than smooth it over.
Generational diversity introduces different assumptions, working styles, and perspectives. While this can create friction, it also strengthens outcomes when managed well. Respectful disagreement exposes blind spots, improves decision quality, and prevents groupthink.
Many organisations unintentionally avoid this tension by clustering similar generations together. While more comfortable in the short term, this undermines adaptability and long-term performance.
Practical Ways to Build Interdependence
Leaders can foster interdependence intentionally by:
• Designing cross-generational projects that require shared responsibility
• Establishing two-way mentoring, where experience and emerging capability flow both directions
• Distributing leadership opportunities across age groups rather than defaulting to tenure
The goal is not balance for balance’s sake, but operational strength through shared contribution.
Why Leaders Should Pay Attention
When interdependence is weak, organisations become vulnerable—to turnover, capability loss, and stalled performance. When it is strong, teams become more resilient, adaptive, and future-ready.
Interdependence is not a cultural “nice to have.”
It is a structural requirement for intergenerational performance.
