Wise Decision Maker Guide 10

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How do you collaborate effectively across age-based divides?

First, let’s do away with some myths. Generational labels can be very misleading, so be wary of people telling you that they can explain "Baby Boomers" (the term for those born before 1964), "Generation X-ers" (born 1965-80), "Millennials" (born 1981-94), or "Gen Z-ers" (born 1995-2010). Stereotyping people just because they were born during a specific time bloc of 15 years can get you into a lot of trouble.

There are very many people in each of these age cohorts who have much more in common with those born during a different 15-year bloc than with those born in the same 15-year bloc. In fact, factors like socioeconomic status, geographic location, education, political leanings, and religious beliefs usually explain more about an individual than to which "generation" that person belongs.

"Generation" is often a mental shortcut that harms more than it helps. While it’s so widespread in our society that it’s sometimes necessary to use such labels when communicating with others, it’s important to avoid falling for these terms yourself.

Having said that, there are some meaningful similarities between people who come of age during times of rapid transition. These major social changes usually don’t correlate to the handy but misleading 15-year blocs, and we have to think a bit harder and look a little deeper to avoid making unwarranted assumptions.

The biggest transformation in recent history, at least of relevance to the workplace, comes from the digital revolution. Those who grew up with access to the internet as part of their childhood - whom we can call "digital natives" - tend to be more introverted and prefer to interact socially via digital tools compared to previous generations, among other changes.

Note that "digital natives" does not equate to "millenials." As someone born in 1981, I can assure you I didn’t have access to the internet in my childhood. Neither did those born in the later part of the "millennial" generation whose parents could not afford or chose not to have internet in their homes.

Still, the tendency is there, and this tendency requires a somewhat different approach to digital natives in professional settings. This blog gives one story that is illustrative of this difference:

Help Me Serve Your Needs

What’s your experience working across age divides, either with younger people or older ones? How much does someone being a digital native impact their professional activities, in your opinion?

Let me know, and always glad to hear any other thoughts about my work! My goal as always is to help you make the wisest and most profitable decisions: your feedback is invaluable in helping me do so.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

P.S. Got your copy of Never Go With Your Gut: How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters? Don’t forget the digital bonuses you get for ordering! Just fill out this form, and you will get 1) free digital copy of my Assessment on Dangerous Judgment Errors in the Workplace; 2) A decision aid business card or poster of 5 Key Questions to Avoid Decisions Disasters that you can get printed and keep in your wallet, on your desk, and give to members of your team; and 3) A decision aid poster for you to print out for your work or home office and for your team to print out for the Eight-Step Decision-Making Model on Making the Best Decisions

Decisively Yours,

Gleb

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