One barrier is arrogance on both sides. The younger generation thinks they have nothing to learn from the un-hip unconnected ones, while the older generation sees this as 'nonsense' ("In my day..." or variations on that theme). We need to recognise that we all have something to learn from one another.

I'll probably get shot down in flames for saying this, but I wonder if this loss of mutual respect isn't a natural outworking of the breakdown of the family unit. Where there is no precedent for inter-generational collaboration and co-operation, how does the idividual transfer that experience to the work place?