Every Generation Has Its Own Underwear

By Angelique Rewers, ABC, APR

My grandmother used to say, "Every generation has its own underwear... and their mothers never like it."

Indeed, it seems with every new generation, undergarments get smaller and smaller. And, right on queue, the generations that came before it roll their collective eyes, grumble about the "inappropriateness" of the too revealing garments and take pleasure in discussing "how uncomfortable those skimpy new pieces must be to wear."

Just take for example the uproar baggy pants and boxer shorts have caused! While many of us may not approve, it is after all just a fashion statement, and yet has led to numerous town ordinances banning the look. I'm no historian, but GenY might just be the first generation in history to have had its underwear choice outlawed.

But what does this have to do with communications? Well, a lot. Between 2008 and 2010, some additional 30 million young people ranging from late teens to their early 30s will join the U.S. workforce. And, if organizations are to be successful in recruiting, retaining and engaging this age group, as well as targeting it from a customer, investor and other stakeholder perspective, communicating effectively with them will be crucial to an organization's success.

According to Carmine Gallo, author of the book "Fire Them Up!" it's important to offer GenY "more than a paycheck and a free on-site massage. This group wants to know that its work is adding up to a great cause. They want to add meaning to their lives and to the world. The old command-and-control style of managing won't work with this generation. Lip service won't fly."

In other words: Millennials are wearing their own brand of underwear, they're not going to change, and we need to learn how to deal with it.

The style of underwear we wear, figuratively speaking of course, is due in large part to the fact that each generation has its own defining life experiences and events. Some of the events that helped shape Generation Y, for example, include Columbine, 9/11, global warming, the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the influence of emerging nations like China and India. Their defining life experiences include unprecedented parental supervision, attention and advocacy from "helicopter" parents who swoop in to "save the day," as well as immersion in technology from the time they were born. In fact, they've never experienced life without computers and cell phones.

At the other end of the spectrum are Baby Boomers. The major life events for this generation were the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Jr., Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, the Civil Rights Movement and the first moon landing. Baby Boomers grew up in "traditional" households with stay-at-home moms, experienced economic security, and were shaped by the introduction of television and its ability to create shared experiences.

It's no wonder then when you look at the drastic differences in life experiences between these two generations that their perceptions, preferences, attitudes, needs and desires would also differ. For communicators, therefore, the implication is that a one-size-fits-all solution to communications simply won't work.

According to Watson Wyatt's 2005/2006 Communication ROI Study, organizations with the most effective employee communication:

Have a 19.4% higher market premium compared with companies that communicate the least effectively
Report employee turnover rates below or significantly below those of their industry peers
Have a 57% higher shareholder returns over the prior five-year period
Are 4.5 times more likely to report high levels of employee engagement

With so much at stake, it's important that we continue to push the envelope forward in developing communications plans that address the needs of all four generations in the workforce. These plans should include:

Research. You must have a current and complete demographic picture of your employees, as well as a thorough understanding of your employees' communications preferences. It's important to use scientific research methods that allow you to understand if preferences are tied to age, office location, type of position, comfort level with technology, and so on.

Create multiple communication channels. Because one size does not fit all, organizations need to embrace multiple channels to deliver messages to employees. A common obstacle for communicators is the reluctance of more senior (and therefore often older) leaders to resist new technology simply because they don't understand it. However, with the proper research, communicators can build a business case to drive acceptance and change.

Train managers. As everyone reading this article knows, communicating across generations is both complex and dynamic. Managers are a critical cog in the communication and employee engagement wheel and organizations need to arm them with in-depth training focused specifically on communicating with the multiple generations in the workforce. (This training, by the way, is something Bon Mot Communications offers. See: http://www.bonmotcomms.com/workshops.html)

Most importantly, communicators need to recognize that the differences between generations are not inherently good OR bad. They simply are what they are. Passing judgment on what type of underwear the younger (or older) generation wears is not only wasted time, it's counterproductive to helping our organizations achieve their goals through the proper application of strategic communications.

Copyright © Bon Mot Communications LLC 2009

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