Several weeks ago my 12 year old cousin came to visit. I don’t get to see her that often since she lives in Philadelphia, and I live in Greenville. Obviously, I was glad for the opportunity to catch up with her and have some good conversations. Something else happened that I wasn’t quite expecting though: we don’t communicate the same way. More than anything else, while talking with her, I realized that I am not part of the really young and misunderstood generation anymore. I’m the generation who’s trying to understand the “misunderstood” generation. How did this happen?!
Apparently, there is a difference in the way each generation communicates with one another. I’m learning this more and more as I communicate more frequently with the spectrum of generations that are prevalent now. The four generations in society right now are composed of 1)Traditionalists (1900–1945), 2)Boomers (1946–1964), 3)Gen X (1965–1980), and 4)Millennials (1980–1999). I recently read the book “When Generations Collide.” The book was written in 2002, so their sections on Millennials are quite outdated, but it was interesting to think about the many factors that go into workplace success. We already know that every company has its own corporate culture and that there are many things like race, socioeconomic status, religion, gender, and education that change the way different groups communicate with one another. But now we have one more differentiating factor to be aware of — generational differences.
We might be tempted to think that each generation will become more like the previous generation as they age, but casual observation has proven this to be untrue. Generations begin to identify even more with others from their generation as they age. This makes it important to do a better job of understanding what makes your clients tick and how they communicate.
Even though I may not like the movie Twilight, I found that it was important to try to relate and understand it to provide the context of a good conversation between my cousin and me. In the same way, if you and I take time to understand our clients, coworkers, and those we interact with, we can do a better job of meeting and anticipating their needs.
I really understand where you are coming from. I often feel like a man without a country so to speak. My dad looks at me like I’m crazy when I don’t understand his old sayings and at the same time I find myself really annoyed buy how those younger than me communicate or dress. I do however make it a regular exercise and make a concerted effort to be plugged into what is new and to have an open mind to it. I think to become a wise person of the older generation we should always be open to learning and listening to the younger generation.
Patrick,
Thanks for the comment. So true! Very wise words.