COMMUNICATION CHALLENGE
CLOSING THE WORKPLACE GENERATION GAP
It seems that the job of effectively communicating with all generations has never been more challenging for businesses and organizations. Baby Boomers get their information and make their decisions from entirely different sources than do Gen Xers, Millennials and beyond. So how can leaders best communicate with all?
“People are people, no matter when they are born,” said Chairman of the GOA Board M. Eileen Brown, vice president/director of sales and marketing for The Daily Herald newspaper. “A good manager always tries to understand the personalities, talents and inherent characteristics of their individual employee. For instance, handling extroverts and introverts in the workplace can be very different. They definitely need to be approached differently.”
For instance, she added, “I think that Millennial employees need to be appreciated for the skills they bring to the table. They are digital natives and are completely comfortable with anything related to digital communications. Those of us who are digital immigrants, so to speak, can learn a lot from them in this realm.”
But just because they seem very tied to their electronics, certainly doesn’t mean that they lack social skills, Brown continued. “Some do and some don’t – just like any generation.”
When dealing with employees, especially new ones, keep in mind that employees need opportunities to grow and learn. Older employees need to take seriously the mentoring of newer staff members.
“Also, be mindful that many employees today appreciate a flexible work schedule and really want to be able to have some sort of work/life balance. I say, good for them!” Brown stated.
“In particular, young people starting their careers realized the value of business organizations and meeting and interacting with other young professionals when they were isolated at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that things have returned to normal, there is a hunger in these young people to make up for lost time and get to know their contemporaries. So, they are adding a lot of energy to the GOA organization as they work to make connections,” she explained.
“Fortunately, the GOA has risen to the occasion, coming up with fun events to help everyone get to know each other again (or for the first time) like foot golf and the lip sync contest,” she continued. “And more people have joined the GOA, too.”
“Suffering through COVID literally revitalized many business organizations as people have hungered to see others in person and make ‘real’ connections again,” Brown stated. “Chamber events are super important in making these vital connections, but many didn’t realize just how important they were until they were taken away by the pandemic.”
Finally, she said, “chances are, if any employee is really good at their job, they may not stay with you long. The days of employees staying with an employer for their entire career are over. I always wish them well and take pleasure watching them grow and expand their careers.”
