Looking to be a better leader and manager? It pays to note: As we recently learned while researching bestselling book Millennial Marketing: Bridging The Generation Gap, there are more generations actively participating in the workplace and marketplace than ever before. As a result, it’s vitally important to learn how to connect and communicate with audiences of different age groups. In fact, right now, there are as many as five individual generations participating in virtually all aspects of life and business. According to the Pew Research Center, today’s workplace alone can be exactly broken down into widely-varying demographics, as follows: Silent Generation (2%), Baby Boomers (29%), Generation X (34%), Millennials and Gen Yers (34%), and Post Millennials, a.k.a. Generation Z (1%). In addition, Millennials have now surpassed members of every other age group to become the dominant generation in the workforce – there are 53.5 million Millennials compared to 52.7 Generation Xers in the US alone.
That means each set of three different age groups – Millennials, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers – represents roughly a third of all modern professionals out there today, making each generation its own powerhouse to be reckoned with. And all operate in widely different ways, having been exposed to hugely varying cultural, social, and professional influences. Consider this: A touchstone for Boomers was the assassination of JFK; for Gen Xers, it was the Space Shuttle disaster; and for Millennials, it was 9-11. Likewise, Boomers listened to eight track tapes and records and Gen-Xers enjoyed music portably with Walkman cassette players and boom boxes, but many Millennials have never set foot in a music store, having downloaded virtually all of their tunes digitally to mobile devices for as long as they can recall. With such vastly different perspectives and experiences, it’s now more crucial than ever before to learn what drives each generation, what shapes its viewpoints, and how to meet the needs of these disparate audiences, both as consumers and as future leaders.
Happily, our new series of articles on connecting with and engaging Millennials can give you all the insights, skills and strategies necessary to more effectively speak to and learn from different generations, discover how to connect with different generations, and – most importantly – reveal how to provide different generations with all the tools that they need to succeed in today’s rapidly-changing world.
Each features exclusive insights from the top experts in the world on Boomers, Millennials, Gen Xers and more. Together, their collective wisdom will help you stay ahead of the curve, stay in tune with tomorrow’s audiences’ needs, and help you navigate a most diverse marketplace and workplace, giving you the tools necessary to be an effective leader to help both your business and brand. A trusted source of inspiration and insight, we’re hoping these insights and case studies will serve you well as you go forward, hand-in-hand, helping all age groups to work together to build a brighter tomorrow.
