What You Need to Know About Age Stereotypes

There’s a lot of buzz out there about generational differences. Baby Boomers have one way of looking at things, Generation X has another, and those Millennials—well, they’re a totally different breed altogether.

While there may be some truths in these suppositions, eying your coworkers, managers, or customers only through a generational lens may be quite limiting.

For example, yes, it’s true that Millennials were born digital natives. This is the first generation that has grown up with the Web, Mobile devices, and social media from the time they were children. However, that doesn’t mean that anyone over 30 is a digital has-been. Many Boomers have been adopting technology at high rates and are likely to be nearly as digitally savvy as their younger colleagues.

Furthermore, not all members of any group will act the same. Some will be more motivated on the job. Others will be looking for satisfaction outside the work environment.

Some will be parents; others will not. Of the parents, some will be extremely focused and career minded; others will not. There’s no one-size-fits-all model here.

It’s important to look beyond the generational stereotypes and see the people around you as individuals. Learn what matters to your coworkers. There will be some people who would prefer to communicate via text messages. Others will prefer email and still others phone conversations or video chats. This may be as much a style preference as it is a generational issue.

If you are in a customer-facing role, get to know your customers as well as you can. What’s on their minds when they come to see you? What issues might they be dealing with that might impact how they interact with you and your organization? How can you be seen as adding value and helping them?

Avoid the temptation to treat people exactly the way you would like to be treated (the Golden Rule). As it turns out, many people will want to be treated differently from the way you might in a similar situation. Instead, go for the Platinum Rule: Treat people the way they would like to be treated—regardless of their generation.

-Linda Popky, President, Leverage2Market Associates