Bridging the Generation Gap – Building Successful Youth/Adult Partnerships
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Bridging the Generation GapCommunicating and Collaborating in a Multigenerational Workplace
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About Me
Melissa HenleyDirector of Customer ExperienceLaserfiche@ECM_marketeer
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01Why Multigenerational Communication Matters
02 The Technology Generation Gap
03Communication Techniques that Work
04Three Ways Technology Can Unite a Multigenerational Workforce
05 Takeaways and Q&A
What We’ll Cover Today
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Why Multigenerational Communication
Matters
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Five Generations Working Together
Silent Generation(1928-1945)
Boomers(1946-1965)
Gen X(1966-1980)
Millennials(1981-1996)
Gen Z(1997-2009)
2%Age in 2020: 75+
25%Age in 2020: 55-74
33%Age in 2020: 40-54
35%Age in 2020: 24-39
5%Age in 2020: 19-23
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Characteristics Silent Generation Baby Boomers Gen X Millennials Gen Z
Transformative Experiences
• Second World War• Rationing• Rock ‘n’ Roll• Nuclear families
• Cold War• “Swinging Sixties”• Apollo Moon landings• Woodstock• Rise of the teenager
• End of the Cold War• Fall of the Berlin Wall• Reagan/Gorbachev• Challenger explosion• Latch-key kids
• 9/11 terrorist attacks• Social media• Invasion of Iraq• Reality TV• Google
• Climate change• Energy crisis• Arab Spring• Self-produced media• Wikileaks• COVID-19
Aspiration Home ownership Job security Work-life balance Freedom and flexibility Security and stability
Attitude toward technology
Largely disengaged Early IT adopters Digital immigrants Digital natives
“Technoholics” – entirely dependent on
technology, limited grasp of alternatives
Attitude toward career
My job is for lifeMy career is defined by
my employerI’m loyal to my profession,
but not my employerI work “with” my
organization, not for itCareer multitasker
Signature product Automobile Television Personal computer Tablet/smartphoneAmazon Echo, 3-D
printing, driverless car
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It’s Easy to Stereotype. Don’t Do It.
•Age isn’t the only factor that impacts communication
•Consider industry, corporate culture, gender differences
•Don’t automatically default to the negative
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Strategies to Consider
•Don’t underestimate the importance of relationship building
• Encourage staff to discuss differences and learn from each other
•Don’t assume, explain!
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Communication Techniques that
Work
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The Communication Disconnect
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TRADITIONALISTS
• Let’s have an in-person conversation
• Respectful• Formal• Letterhead, handwritten
note, memo
BABY BOOMERS
• Call me on my cell• Step into my office• In person• Phone calls• Semi-formal
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GEN X
• Send me an email• Irreverent• Call me only at work … but
don’t leave me a voicemail, I’ll never listen to it
• Direct and immediate
MILLENNIAL
• Text me• Informal• Social media• Don’t send me email, I
won’t read it
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GEN Z
• Snap me• Meme culture• TikTok, Snapchat• Born digital• Activist
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Types of Business Communication
Internal Upward
From a subordinate to a manager
Internal Downward
From a manager to a subordinate
Internal Lateral
Between peers or colleagues
ExternalTo customers or
citizens outside the organization
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Build an Arsenal of Communication Techniques
Silent Generation(1928-1945)
Boomers(1946-1965)
Gen X(1966-1980)
Millennials(1981-1997)
Prefer formal communication
Try one-on-oneBe direct; balance the
professional and personalUse technology
(text, emails, social media)
Gen Z(1997-2009)
Meet in-person; they want to be taken seriously
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Don’t Forget Authenticity
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Takeaways
•Develop – and document –ground rules
• Establish email guidelines
•Understand individual team members’ preferences
•Offer regular technology training to employees, regardless of generation
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The Technology Generation Gap
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Tech is Key to Attracting Talent
• Technology = flexibility
•71% of millennials say tech influences whether or not they take a job
•80% of Gen Z want to work with cutting-edge tech
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But Tech Use Differs Between Generations
• 92% of Millennials own smartphones, compared with 85% of Gen Xers and 67% of Baby Boomers
• Younger generations prefer smaller screen sizes, while Gen X and Boomers own more desktops and tablets
• 65% of Millennials and Gen Z interact more with each other online than they do in the real world
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The Technology Generation Gap
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Generational Work Preferences
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Defining Communication Channels
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Three Ways Technology Can Unite a Multi-Generational
Workforce
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Engagement
• Technology can’t replace personal contact
•Don’t overlook the benefit of training (especially multi-generational mentoring)
• For success, your corporate culture must support the goal of any technology
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Collaboration
•Collaboration technology should be a part of business processes
•Helps older workers document and transfer knowledge
• Shows younger worker how they fit into the bigger picture
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Flexibility
•All generations appreciate the flexibility of being able to work remotely
• Think about how tech can help: video conferencing, chat, collaboration tools, project management software, workflow automation, web forms, etc.
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Takeaways
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Takeaways
•Don’t overuse technology. It should solve problems – not create new ones
• Technology needs to support HR policies, not do the heavy lifting
•Be open to new ideas from employees of all ages/roles
Get in touch!
Melissa [email protected]@ECM_marketeerlinkedin.com/in/melissahenley