L.A.

Love this post. I totally agree that there is as much diversity within generations as between them, and categorizing us this way makes no more sense than categorizing us by hair color, how tall we are … or dining preference. There are more exceptions than there are rules.

We at the Compensation Cafe have chosen this post to highlight for this week’s Friday Special at the Cafe!

http://compforce.typepad.com/compensation_cafe/2009/06/friday-special-at-the-cafe-3.html

Cheers!

Too often we get caught up in stereotypes and completely miss the mark for what a particular person is trying to communicate or simply needs to do his job well. That said, understanding our differences play a huge role in providing a space for our commonalities to surface.

When our differences, regardless of what they are, get in the way of sharing with and getting to know each other, it’s difficult to focus on our commonalities. The benefit of understanding the generalities is a greater sense of curiosity and acceptance.

Perhaps not all people fit into a particular paradigm, but understanding that people are different and having some notion of why is incredibly beneficial in letting go of our righteous and embracing our differences.

A comment from one of my clients that articulates the importance of understanding the differences:

“Both managers and employees tend to blame ‘communication’ for bad working environments or as major contributors to the underachievement of a mission…your gift to them is in helping both groups, management and nonsupervisory, learn how to hear each other and themselves, and, therefore, develop the skills to then translate goals and desires into accomplishments that ultimately effect the business’ financial bottom line.” – Tim Overstreet, Associate Dean, U.S. Army Logistics Management College

As a speaker, author and executive coach who focuses on creating a bridge between generations, I have seen the difference it makes when professionals of all generations understand there is another perspective. Yes, there are many perspectives, generations being one. The more we learn about these differences, the more we can use our differences to propel each of us to a new level.

Spending our time and energy focusing simply on what makes each generation different and learning how to communicate in general terms with all people of a particular generation IS a waste of time.

On the contrary, understanding why the differences among generations exist can aid greatly in letting go of the “right” vs. “wrong” conversation and allow us to refocus on what matters most – the vision/mission of both the organization and the individual. A lack of understanding can lead to disaster resulting from egos crashing into each other.

Offered with Respect,

Misti Burmeister, author of “from Boomers to Bloggers: Success Strategies Across Generations” (Book and Workbook).
http://www.MistiB.com

That is MONEY, buddy. I like how you go beyond what some brazen Gen Y “experts” say and show the clearer and more subtle view. Really great article.