It's easy to forget in a multigenerational workforce that work is ageless, not age-sensitive. Nowhere might this be clearer than in clashes between older and younger generations.

As more retirees return to the workforce, coping with such clashes will be a challenge.

A Midwesterner recounts his return to work from a retirement of about 30 months. At 71, he had the maturity and presence of mind to tell his interviewer at an engineering firm that a question about age was inappropriate, but that he'd respond – and then tell a joke to deflect tension and change the subject.

He'd been seriously job hunting for six weeks to return to "what I'd done for so many years – creating successful marketing campaigns," said the man, who asked that his name not be used. The stellar salary, the highest he'd ever earned, came with three weeks of vacation in the first year.

"The firm didn't know the difference between sales and marketing [and had] never employed anyone with either skill," he said.

After 15 months of what he described as nightmare conditions with an extremely difficult and much younger supervisor, he resigned.

Other people successful in working retirement indicate that leaving may not have been the only way to solve the problem. Perhaps if the Midwesterner had understood that age has nothing to do with tyranny, he'd have been able to step back and develop another solution.

Orval Edwards, senior systems analyst in the wholesale loan division at Bank of America in Moorpark, Calif., developed ATMs worldwide for Citibank before he retired at 52. Now 68 and several jobs later, he continues to be comfortable on the job "by just being good at what I do, helping out," he said.

"A lot of employees come to me and ask what I think of this, and I do some mentoring," he said. "It's a matter of respect – demanding it and giving it."

Mr. Edwards, who considers bad bosses a frequent problem, said, "There are laws against having a hostile workplace. ... I'd go to his boss and present the information and ask for some assistance. If he refused, I'd take it to HR and present it as a hostile environment issue" and potential discrimination against a senior citizen.

Larry Ellingson of Fountain Hills, Ariz., retired from Eli Lilly & Co. at age 55. Today, at 62, he chairs the board of a biotech company in New Zealand.

He's represented by YourEncore Inc., which has offices in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and the United Kingdom placing experts in innovation.

On assignment, they can avoid most administrative activities, such as staff meetings, budget submissions, performance reviews and politics, thanks to YourEncore's program.

"An intelligent individual who wants to be in control, whether he's young or not," Mr. Ellingson said, "can [create difficulties] in any environment. I'd sit down with him and make sure we know what we're trying to accomplish. Do this in the presence of HR or a senior executive with a neutral position."

Finally, said Mr. Edwards, many people returning to the workforce make the mistake of letting everyone know how outstanding they are as soon as they come on board. "The way to contribute best," he advised, "is by becoming a utility outfielder. Do what they need you to do.

"People don't realize there's a season for everything," he said. "You have to look for those openings and create them gently."

Mildred L. Culp is a syndicated columnist who covers emerging trends in the workplace.