Today, I wanted to discuss how different generations communicate. The more you understand how to reach people properly, the more successful you will be with responses. Imagine yourself as the receiver before you send messages. This discussion will wrap around new and traditional methods of communication and serve as a resource for you, prior to engaging in conversation or sending a message to another person.
The Facts
There are 3 major age brackets: gen-y (also called millenials), gen-x & the baby boomers. Gen-y members are between the ages of 15 and 27, while gen-x is between 28-42 and the baby boomers are older than 42. There are 74 million people in gen-y, 49 million in gen-x and 77 million baby boomers.
- 37% of US adult internet users use social networks (projected at 50% in 2011) eMarketer
- 70% of US teen internet users use social networks (projected at 84% in 2011)
- 50%+ Facebook users are not students
- The majority of new Facebook members are people over 35
- 69% of US female gen-y’ers use Facebook eMarketer
- 56% of US male gen-y’ers use Facebook
- 98% more people in gen-x visited Facebook in the past few months. MarketingCharts.com
Gen-y Communication Protocol
I think it’s obvious at this point that gen-y is the most tech savvy group that communicates through fast paced messaging, with little detail and more visuals. They express themselves in a way that commands attention and want to be judged on more than just age.
- Facebook: Those of us that registered before Facebook opened up to the masses are
still uncomfortable with the transparency and visibility to our professional contacts or colleagues. I’ve been Facebooked by 2 managers at my current company and a few at past ones. How can you not accept? Don’t you feel obligated, but at the same time nervous? This social network is being used in various ways and deep inside there are a few communication devices that stand out. The first is “the wall,” which is a place where gen-y’ers post “happy birthday” messages, or videos/images.They may talk about what they did on a Friday or Saturday night on their wall as well. The next method of communication is “private messages,” which still pass through our email accounts, but they are used to keep secrecy. Aside from the many applications, the third (brand new) vehicle is “Facebook Chat,” which launched to the world this week. It will take between 2-4 years for it to succeed and for other instant messaging sources to lose popularity. - Instant Messaging: Employers, please don’t email gen-y’ers on our instant
messaging devices, such as AIM. We use this specifically for communicating with friends and possibly people at work, depending on the company culture and the people we trust. Instant messaging works well for us because it’s fast paced communication and we can get our answers, ask our questions or show our personalities (emoticons) to everyone on our buddy lists. It’s also great for speaking with members of the opposite sex if you aren’t someone who enjoys the phone. - Email: Gen-y’ers have to use email because we need to speak with the older
generations and that is their preference. Also, we receive notifications from all our social networks through email, such as LinkedIn invites, Facebook group invites and direct tweet messages. I’m still a big fan of email and with the proper filters (Gmail is great), you can sort through your messages automatically and prioritize them with stars (Gmail option). Gen-y prefers and expects employers to contact them through email or phone for job offers, questions, consulting, etc. - Blogging: If you are in gen-y and still don’t have a blog, here is a toolkit I made a
while ago for you, which I will update soon. Gen-y is fine with any generation commenting or responding to a blog post. It works well because written content forms “talking points” with your community and in order to get a full perspective on each post, you want people in different generations to chime in.
Gen-x & The Baby Boomers Strike Back
They own the workplace right now, unless you are an entrepreneur. That being said, you need to be able to communicate with these groups and both of them have almost identical preferences. A lot of baby boomers don’t know what blogs are, and certainly not Twitter or Kite or UStream or even Ning. Due to the incredible placement of Facebook and blogs in the media, these generations are well aware of them, but maybe not so much what they can accomplish in the corporate world. They rely on gen-y to figure it out and gen-x to manage them. 
- Phone: If you want to have a conversation with someone in these generations, just pick up a phone and call them. A phone is perfect if the person is in another building, state or country. If you can’t meet face-to-face, then setup a call, conference call (multiple people) or a live meeting using Webx or Microsoft Live Meeting software.
- Face time: If you want to succeed in the workplace as a gen-y’er, then you better get
in front of the people with the political power to make change or at least middle management. Remember what I say: if you aren’t visible, you don’t exist. This works just as much with Google as it does in a work setting. Competitively, if others are being seen more than you, then they have a much better chance of getting promoted, even if they lack the experience or knowledge you have. It’s a vicious world out there, so make sure you get mentors in the company and force yourself into situations where people can identify you as noteworthy. - Email: I’ve made the mistake of treating email like IM or Twitter in the workplace and
I’m sure you have to if you’re in my generation. There is an expectation that management sets that you will send them an appropriate email fit to their preferences. If you are trying to be persuasive to get a point across, then include many details. You can’t send people 2 words or a single sentence and have them take you seriously. To them, it’s an insult.
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Great insights on tailoring the medium and message to the intended recipient.
I’d suggest always including a step of getting to know the individual’s communication preferences. Often the generational generalizations are true, sometimes not. I’m a baby boomer who blogs obsessively, uses Twitter, Facebook, IM and SMS, and prefers to avoid the telephone whenever possible. Those are my preferences – if you want to communicate with me it will reward you to know them rather than assuming ‘old guy, not tech-savvy or Web 2.0-enabled.’
In the same way I try to know the preferences of those I communicate with. I manage a multigenerational workforce. I didn’t use SMS much prior to working with one person who uses it frequently; when I want to reach him, I get the best traction by using his preferred mode.
One other point: while I’d agree that email isn’t Twitter or IM, I think most emails are far too long. Email would be more productive if folks would hold themselves to a <140 character limit.
I am not great at text messaging. I can do everything else: IM, Twitter, and Short Emails. I like to listen to people’s voices and see their faces from time to time. I just got back from visiting my birthplace and it was great hugging all of the people I IM and write emails to daily. Guess what generation I belong too?
Good post!
Dan, good stuff here – and very relevant for Gen Y as they take a much more significant role in development of Corporations and Organisations for the future. Great advice on the right medium for communication. I actually hope that the importance of face time never reduces, as I believe this is where all the work done on Personal Branding really comes to the fore. I have never seen anyone close an important deal or settle a dispute over email or twitter? Only time will tell?
I think that whatever communication method you use, you need to be polite. I had a boss who would leave me a crabby voice mail and e-mail about once a month.
Rita
I write a blog for boomer consumers called The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide at http://boomersurvive-thriveguide.typepad.com.
This is something so true when we look at the world around us, where even employees of the same organization tend to know more about each others life all through social networking sites !
I might be a boat by myself here but I really feel that the increased use of informal technology is erasing the line where work and personal life separate. I was offended when my HR representative added me on facebook. While I completely understand that how one carries themselves outside the workplace still affects their work life I feel like I am unwillingly giving up part of who I am by having to ensure that my facebook looks professional.
Hey Dan! Great post, as always! And, in general I’m in agreement with what you’re saying.
In additional to the generational cultural differences there’s also regional cultural differences to consider, too. And, sometimes that has must to do with the technological access that people have. For example, in a region where many kids are raised by their grandparents as opposed to their parents they might not have the access nor the same “thought” as to utilizing technology that others who are in the mainstream.
Overall, great guideposts yet I find it ultimately important to always “check in” with someone and see what they like.
Me, for example, I’m a Gen Xer and would rather get an email or a text than a phone call – Good Lord! Who needs to have a “meeting” about the “meeting” over the phone. So, my preferences are not standard GenX yet I’ve had technological access available to me all my life and was one of the few back in 1996 to take graduate course at the University of Phoenix online.
A client of mine, is a Gen Yer but has lived rurally and has never had internet access. She doesn’t like text messages, much prefers a phone call, and will check email once a week (egads!).
It’s important to check in and that’s my only caution. When we “think” we know how someone is or will behave we have a tendency to “judge them” (that’s just human nature – no right or wrong here just the nature of interactions). How do you feel when you’re judged? Often, the first reaction, is to judge back. Now, they and you have put up your walls of defense making it difficult to drill between these barriers and make a great connection.
In the AGE OF ENGAGE that connection, not speaking TO someone but interacting WITH someone, is critical.
So great guidelines yet do understand when you interact, you’re dealing with an individual.
Maria Elena Duron
http://www.buzz2bucks.com
I love this post. As a marketing person, I often get senior managers confused and annoyed by these “new ways” of doing things. However, I find it completely exciting. Though I recognize that we have to use the phone and email, why not move forward with new and exciting technologies, too? So very interesting.
[...] “Professional and Personal Communication Across Generations” on the Personal Branding Blog. How many baby boomers are using social networking? How many millenials still prefer face-to-face communication? The results are quite interesting. Find out here… [...]
Blogs and other online solutions allow people to complement their real life interaction. So wathever enhances communication is good.