A couple of weeks ago I spoke at the ND County Roads Conference in Fargo, North Dakota. My presentation was “Generational Communication: How to Connect and Communicate in a Multi-Generation Workplace.” Effective Communication is critical for organizational success.
Each generation had significant events during their formative years. These events and trends have affected the way each generation sees the world.
Veterans or Traditionals experienced the Great Depression and World War II. So, they don’t spend money freely and patriotism is very important to this oldest generation.
The Baby Boomers, grew up during the Vietnam Era, the Civil Rights Movement, and Women’s Liberation. This generation experienced being change agents and believe individuals can make a difference.
Generation Xers grew up with Watergate and corporate lay-offs. Gen Xers may not be able to fully trust government institutions or big business. Xers grew up in single-parent homes and are self-reliant and are independent.
Millennials or Generation Y grew up with school violence, terrorism, and multiculturalism. So, Millennials have a concern for personal safety and expect diversity in the workplace.
Gen Z grew up with the internet and leverage technology to simply their work and life. They work for organizations where they feel purpose and passion.
Different life experiences create generational sub-cultures. A culture that has been shaped by the values, standards, and policies of one generation isn’t necessarily going to be compatible with the next generation. Throw in a big dose of technology and the friction gets worse.
If you need to find a keynote speaker, plenary speaker, breakout speaker, concurrent session speaker, seminar leader, or workshop facilitator who can deliver in-person, virtually, or via prerecorded session, Kit Welchlin, M.A., CSP, CVP, is a nationally recognized professional motivational speaker and author and can be found at www.welchlin.com or www.SeminarsOnStress.com.