{"id":20316,"date":"2025-05-28T07:08:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T07:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/?p=20316"},"modified":"2025-05-28T13:48:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T13:48:58","slug":"hack-the-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/hack-the-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"From Boomers to Gen Z: Let&#8217;s Hack the Gap and Unlock the Power of Generational Dialogue\u00a0\u00a0(Re:Generation Lab)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p data-block-type=\"core\"><strong>When generations collaborate, more future-proof decisions follow. As part of the Re:Generation Lab at the 54<sup>th<\/sup> St. Gallen Symposium, this co-creation session turned insight into action toward next-generation ready leadership.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">By Jonas Friedrich &amp; Enya Eggenberger<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">The Re:Generation Lab, launched in 2022 as part of the St. Gallen Symposium\u2019s \u201cNew Generational Contract\u201d with the Club of Rome, is a core element of the annual programme, co-creating solutions to key intergenerational equity challenges such as intergenerational leadership, future thinking, and sustainability + innovation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">In times of rapid transformation, the expectations of customers and employees are evolving. Yet leadership structures\u2014especially at the board level\u2014remain largely shaped by age and seniority. This disconnect limits innovation, reinforces silos, and risks leaving valuable perspectives untapped.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">At the 54th St. Gallen Symposium, a co-creation workshop\u2014organized in collaboration with the Board Foundation and ZEAM\u2014brought together Leaders of Today and Tomorrow to explore what truly inclusive, cross-generational leadership could look like. The goal: to translate the often abstract concept of age-diverse leadership into tangible ideas that can be (easily) implemented at the highest levels of organizational decision-making.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-eb2ac2a\" id=\"strong-where-generational-collaboration-matters-most-strong-br\" data-block-id=\"eb2ac2a\"><style>.stk-eb2ac2a{margin-bottom:0px !important}<\/style><h5 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\"><strong>Where Generational Collaboration Matters Most\u00a0<\/strong><br><\/h5><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">Participants identified several domains where age-diverse thinking is particularly powerful: from sustainability, customer behavior and strategy to education, healthcare, and human resources. In these areas, younger leaders bring digital fluency and unfiltered curiosity, while senior executives contribute experience and resilience in the face of uncertainty. When these strengths are combined\u2014not contrasted\u2014they lead to more future-proof decisions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-8b9e8c2\" id=\"from-insight-to-action-prototyped-ideas-br\" data-block-id=\"8b9e8c2\"><style>.stk-8b9e8c2{margin-bottom:0px !important}<\/style><h5 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">From Insight to Action: Prototyped Ideas\u00a0<br><\/h5><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">Inspired by impulses from Michael Hilb (NextGen Board Leaders) and Ya\u00ebl Meier (Reverse Mentoring), participants then cross-generationally co-prototyped practical interventions during a four step hackathon: rotating \u201cYes Days\u201d where junior voices shape bold decisions without veto; temporary leadership swaps that allow Gen Z to take the reins\u2014and responsibility\u2014for one week; anonymous decision-making formats that flatten hierarchy and elevate ideas; and structured spaces for informal exchange like intergenerational breakfast dialogues or the \u201cSherpa model,\u201d pairing young talent with senior mentors in reverse roles.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-5736e2c\" id=\"making-it-work-what-enables-change-br\" data-block-id=\"5736e2c\"><style>.stk-5736e2c{margin-bottom:0px !important}<\/style><h5 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Making it Work: What Enables Change\u00a0<br><\/h5><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">To make such initiatives stick, three enablers stood out. First, mindset: generational exchange must be seen not as a risk to authority, but as a strategic opportunity and as an investment in relevance. Second, culture: psychological safety and mutual respect are essential to unlock honest cross-generational collaboration. Third, proof of concept: visible success stories help build senior-level buy-in and make the abstract real.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-image stk-block-image stk-block stk-da4c9d4\" data-block-id=\"da4c9d4\"><figure><span class=\"stk-img-wrapper stk-image--shape-stretch\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"stk-img wp-image-20317\" src=\"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250528_Screenshot_hacking_the_Gap.png\" width=\"1645\" height=\"879\" srcset=\"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250528_Screenshot_hacking_the_Gap.png 1645w, https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250528_Screenshot_hacking_the_Gap-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250528_Screenshot_hacking_the_Gap-1024x547.png 1024w, https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250528_Screenshot_hacking_the_Gap-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250528_Screenshot_hacking_the_Gap-1600x855.png 1600w, https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/250528_Screenshot_hacking_the_Gap-1536x821.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1645px) 100vw, 1645px\" \/><\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-heading stk-block-heading stk-block-heading--v2 stk-block stk-8161735\" id=\"what-concrete-steps-can-we-take-to-improve-the-situation-br\" data-block-id=\"8161735\"><style>.stk-8161735{margin-bottom:0px !important}<\/style><h5 class=\"stk-block-heading__text\">Impact<\/h5><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">The St. Gallen Symposium has long championed cross-generational dialogue. Yet across the DACH region, the average age of board members is 60\u2014and rising. To counteract this trend, the Young Leaders on Board Initiative was launched in 2022. In collaboration with partners such as the Board Foundation (on board readiness) and ZEAM (on reverse mentoring), the initiative promotes structural change toward more inclusive and future-ready leadership.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-text stk-block-text stk-block stk-7f72c26\" data-block-id=\"7f72c26\"><p class=\"stk-block-text__text\"><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\">Author: Jonas Friedrich, Enya Eggenberger\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p data-block-type=\"core\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When generations collaborate, more future-proof decisions follow. As part of the Re:Generation Lab at the 54th St. Gallen Symposium, this co-creation session turned insight into action toward next-generation ready leadership.\u00a0\u00a0 By Jonas Friedrich &amp; Enya Eggenberger The Re:Generation Lab, launched in 2022 as part of the St. Gallen Symposium\u2019s \u201cNew Generational Contract\u201d with the Club [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":20318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,14],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[18],"class_list":["post-20316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","category-sympact"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"acf":[],"featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1.jpg",2160,1440,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"xl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1-1600x1067.jpg",1600,1067,true],"xxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1.jpg",2160,1440,false],"xxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1.jpg",2160,1440,false],"xxxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1.jpg",2160,1440,false],"xxxxxl":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1.jpg",2160,1440,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/DSC03373-1-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"<p>When generations collaborate, more future-proof decisions follow. As part of the Re:Generation Lab at the 54th St. Gallen Symposium, this co-creation session turned insight into action toward next-generation ready leadership.\u00a0\u00a0 By Jonas Friedrich &amp; Enya Eggenberger The Re:Generation Lab, launched in 2022 as part of the St. Gallen Symposium\u2019s \u201cNew Generational Contract\u201d with the Club of Rome, is a core element of the annual programme, co-creating solutions to key intergenerational equity challenges such as intergenerational leadership, future thinking, and sustainability + innovation.\u00a0 In times of rapid transformation, the expectations of customers and employees are evolving. Yet leadership structures\u2014especially at the&hellip;<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"<a href=\"https:\/\/symposium.org\/category\/insights\/\" rel=\"category tag\">INSIGHTS<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/symposium.org\/category\/sympact\/\" rel=\"category tag\">SYMPACT<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Kaspar Koechli","url":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/author\/kaspar-koechli\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","authors":[{"term_id":18,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"st-gallen-symposium","display_name":"St. Gallen Symposium","avatar_url":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/gravatars\/190aabef85c14d92eed157195be986a7","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20316"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20321,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20316\/revisions\/20321"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20316"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/symposium.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=20316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}