Different generations have vastly different styles of communication. I’ve seen information on this before but I recently attended a Social Media class offered by UF and taught by Jim Spellos. Jim helped bring these communication differences to the forefront.
This concept has tremendous implications for all organizations, including Extension, that need to communicate with employees, colleagues, and clients. Many people assume that the way they communicate is the way everyone communicates. Nothing could be further from the truth. This lack of understanding is at the root of some serious problems.
The bottom line is that everyone needs to be tolerant of the preferences of others. If we really want to reach our full audience, we need to adopt, if not embrace, multiple forms of communication.
Here is a brief chart of communication preferences and communication obstacles for the various generations.
| Communication Preferences | Communication Obstacles | |
| Traditionalists 1925-1945 | Face to face communication Formal typed or hand-written letters | E-mail Fax Cell phones (most use cell phones for emergency only) Text Social networking sites |
| Baby Boomers 1946-1964 | Telephone Face to face Fax E-mail (and a lot of it!) Group/team meetings (and a lot of them!) Cell phones for talking (not necessarily for texting) | Social networking sites Blogging Texting Technophobia |
| Gen X 1965-1978 | Let “me” choose my communication and how often I do it Cell phone Text Blogging Instant message Online forums | Face to face communication Formal letter writing Team discussions (better one on one or alone) Difficulty with communicating up or down a generation Some barriers with social networks |
| Gen Y 1979-1997 | Text Online social networks E-mail (but only for work or school) Instant message | Face to face conversations Telephone conversations Professional or even casual letter writing (what’s that?) |
This information is part of an excellent article that helps explain the differences between the generations and the differences in communication styles. Source: http://bit.ly/a1kFKY
If you’re interested in reading more on this topic, here are a couple of books:
Generations, Inc.: From Boomers to Linksters–Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work
Y in the Workplace: Managing the “Me First” Generation
When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work
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Good information Dave. Thanks for this. My son (Gen Y) thinks email is for old folks (like me) and he communicates by texting and through Facebook. I find texting very convenient and useful, but not Facebook, although I realize that I could use it more effectively for communicating with certain people and groups. Maybe when I have some time …. .
Dave, good information. Thank you.
Could you give your readers a brief synopsis of various modes of internet and cell phone communications, including each one’s unique advantage and usage. Mostly I’m thinking of: a blog, Twitter, Face Book, and cell phone texting, but would be interested in others as well of which you are aware and are of significant usage.
Hi DeWayne, Good question, but the answer is long enough to justify a complete post, if not several. I’ll post a response shortly.
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