By Brian Sullivan
A friend and client was
recently shocked and dismayed a bit by her hero, Bruce Springsteen, appearing
on the cover of AARP Magazine. The truth is this is pretty representative of
the changes happening in the workforce today as well. The rebels and rabble
rousers are now the “old timers”.
In the marketing
communications function these shifts are more important to track now than ever.
How sales are made (or, if they
are made) can boil down to how someone is approached and from whom they prefer
to buy. AARP recommends a modification of the golden rule that I thought made
sense. Instead of do unto others as you would have them “do to you”, they
suggest that we think about how each of the generations process information and
to do as they would prefer.
This takes a little more work
and understanding.
It’s also why internal
communications, strategic marketing segmentation and recruiting are hot topics
in our circles. I’ve also noticed more and more individuals and organizations
utilizing coaching services as a way of navigating the commonalities instead of
the differences.
Here’s a short primer on key
messages and ideas to favor or avoid when communicating with different levels
of generational experience.
WWII era+ Favor their civic
mindedness, self sacrifice and willingness to participate in the hierarchy.
+ Avoid flip or casual
attitudes and anything too “touchy-feely”.
Boomers
+ Cater to their highly
driven work ethic. Understand that they are team and relationship-based, but
they’re also looking for Quid Pro Quo.
+ Avoid the sense of bureaucracy
or any indication that their input is not helpful or desired.
Gen Xers
+ Appeal to the sense of
authenticity. Also know that these are folks who function in teams, but work
independently.
+ Avoid “schmoozing” a Gen
Xer, or anything that could be perceived as too flashy.
Millennials
+ Embrace their technical
savvy and don’t be intimidated by learning from them. They are civic-minded and
want to share their talents. Make them a hero in an area that they can own.
+ Avoid cynicism or
negativity.
Want to learn more? Send me
an e-mail or read the full AARP study:
http://assets.aarp.org/www.aarp.org_/articles/money/employers/leading_multigenerational_workforce.pdf
