At age 42, Shona Sabnis is one of the 'older' workers in the New York office of public-relations firm Edelman. Though she prides herself on being able to get along with most people, she is sometimes puzzled by the actions of her 20-something co-workers who, in turn, don't understand why the senior vice president of public affairs likes to distributephysical newspaper clippings.

While dealing with a situation at the office, Ms. Sabnis was told by a junior co-worker that she should be handling her client differently. It wasn't phrased as a suggestion, which surprised her since she knew the co-worker wasn't that familiar with the account.

She later enlisted a 26-year-old co-worker to help her to get a better sense of where her young co-workers are coming from. He told her about the motivations of individual co-workers and what their expectations were. 'I found that I was projecting my reality when I was that age on them and their reality seems very different,' says Ms. Sabnis. 'I don't always assume anymore that I know what they want. Now I ask them if I need to know.' Ms. Sabnis says she feels that she is now able to deal with young co-workers with more understanding.

With as many as four generations bumping elbows in the same office, a lack of understanding and empathy between groups can generate serious workplace tension that can alienate co-workers. That is why experts say that getting into a young mind-set through mentorships and relationship building can help older workers better identify with young co-workers and-inevitably-younger bosses. Thinking young can also offer valuableinsight into emerging millennial workplace and customer trends that can help to extend careers. Especially since millennials-people born between 1981 and the early 2000s-will make up 36% of the American workforce by next year, estimates the Business and Professional Women's Foundation.

Start with a clean slate. Don't let stereotypes color your perception of young co-workers. People tend to act on their beliefs, which makes it difficult to establish productive workplace relationships if you automatically believe, for example, that all 20-somethings are narcissistic or lazy, says Ellen Langer, a professor of psychology at Harvard University who's written books on successful aging and decision-making.

'People think they should be compromising or tolerant of certain behaviors but, instead, we should be understanding. It is more important to be mindful of an individual's motivations. Make sense of why people do what they do,' says Ms. Langer. 'You might drive behind somebody that is driving slow and be angry because they're old. But in reality, that individual might be driving as fast as they are capable and it could be dangerous to do otherwise. If you saw what they saw, you'd probably respond the same way.'

Catch up on things that you feel like you're falling behind on by participating in a reverse mentorship or group training. Many companies will pair an older employee with a younger employee who can offer fresh insight on technology, communication styles and social media as well as offer inside insight into the needs of other young co-workers, says Lisa Orrell, a workplace consultant from San Jose, Calif., who specializes in generational management. 'The reverse mentorship can also give insight into the new generation of buyers and decision makers who are also millennials. Social-media channels [are] how they are all communicating, collaborating and doing research on what to buy.'

Keep an open mind about organizational shifts that companies will be making to accommodate new modes of working. Millennials enjoy working in collaborative and decentralized work environments, for example, that de-emphasize protocol and hierarchy. This may include a more open workplace culture that encourages frequentcommunication and unprecedented outspokenness, says Ms. Orrell.

Don't dwell on the past at the office or talk about how things used to be unless you're using past accomplishments to bolster present and future goals, says Russ Hovendick, president of Client Staffing Solutions in Sioux Falls, S.D. 'Your young co-workers are in the early stages of their careers and motivated by what's happening now. They're not thinking about retirement-nor should you out loud when you're trying to put yourself into a relevant context.'