Communication is something that can make or break a team. Effective communication can help organizations solve problems and accomplish their goals. Poor communication can cripple organizations, creating even more problems and preventing them from focusing on achieving their goals.
The (Communication) Barriers Between Generations
There are several factors that make communicating difficult, but one of them seems to be playing a more prominent role in our society these days. From my conversations with older mentors and younger peers, the primary reason communication seems to break down in organizations today is the generational differences between our leaders.
A few weeks ago, I ran across this quote that sums up the communication barriers between older and younger leaders:
“There are two barriers that often prevent communication between the young and their elders. The first is middle-aged forgetfulness of the fact that they themselves are no longer young. The second is youthful ignorance of the fact that the middle aged are still alive.” ~ Jessamyn West
If you’ve been part of a multi-generational team in any capacity, you’ve probably seen both of those mindsets in action. Thankfully, we don’t have to settle for dealing with these issues.
Two Resources to Break Down the Barriers
After thinking about how we can effectively work around the communication difference between older and younger leaders, I came across two resources that can help us solve this problem. In essence, they provide a foundation for everything leaders of all ages should know about effective communication.
1 – A resource for younger leaders looking to be heard.
There’s no denying the fact that the communication preferences of generations are different. For younger leaders, it’s important to identify the communication preferences of older leaders. This resource provides an in-depth look at each generation and the communication style that resonates most.
Many young leaders fail to fully realize that how we communicate can be just as important as what we’re communicating. If we want our ideas to be heard, we must start by presenting them in a way that they can be heard. Doing so will not only help you communicate more effectively, it’s also one of the quickest ways to earn more influence in your workplace.
2 – A resource for older leaders looking to be heard.
I’ve talked with several older leaders who feel like their biggest leadership challenge is being able to motivate younger generations. This video explains the worst mistake a lot of older leaders make when it comes to communicating with a younger demographic and how to overcome those challenges.
Understanding how to attract, motivate, and communicate with Millennials starts by listening. Being heard is something almost every Millennial values.
For many organizations, the potential for accomplishing our mission is directly tied to our ability as leaders to effectively communicate our thoughts and ideas. My hope is that these two resources will help you take the first steps toward improving communication between older (or younger) leaders on your team.
As a 78 year old, pre Boomer, still very active and even working professionally, and by choice, part time, I find one of the challenges is what I call learning gaps. As a lifelong learner over seven decades, I experienced many things that younger people have not even thought about. And while I grew up during World War II and the prosperity that followed, today is a very different picture. My watershed learning experiences shaped and influenced me in ways that are simply not available today and some of that is a good thing. My grandchildren and I connect easily and well but their lives are eons apart from mine at their age and of course today.
We paid our dues and we are fortunate to be living the good life. No one ever said it would be easy but it’s been a great ride and I wouldn’t trade my experiences for many of what I have seen in the past few decades. I don’t find many barriers although I am still surprised at what I call the lack of general knowledge and information. This rather embarrassing short, 3 minute video is a small sample of what I mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRZZpk_9k8E Multiply that across the country and expand the questions into other areas such as science, and you will have a much better understanding of some of the differences in generations.
Gary —
I definitely think you make some good points. In addition to some of the traditional knowledge gaps our generation seems to lack, I still think there’s other areas where our generation doesn’t seem to “get it.”
Although there are only certain things you learn with time, I do think our generation is poised to make a difference in some different ways than our parents and grandparents. It will be interesting to look back one day, if I get to enjoy 78, and see how future generation are different than mine.