Leadership and Communication Across Generational Lines

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Introduction

Today’s leader is faced with many challenges, and one is the generational divide that exists in the workplace today. With four different generations working together it is clear that each group has their own preference for communication. Throughout the context of this paper I will explore the generational differences, and describe the characteristics of my generation with regard to leadership and communication styles. I will also describe how technology and the information age play a role in how leaders communicate. Finally, I will identify basic communication skills that are needed and used in generational leadership.

Do leaders communicate differently due to their age or generation?

According to Huggins (2008), “it is critical to understand the communication preferences of each generation and take them into consideration when conducting business” (para. 1). In order to conclude if this is true; one must first understand the differences between the generations.

Traditionalists were born between 1927 and 1945. This generation is at or near retirement age, and was raised in an era that taught the importance of hard work and respect for people in authority. Of the four generations discussed here, the traditionalists are the least technologically savvy, preferring verbal or formal written communication (Huggins, 2008).

Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. This generation has watched technology evolve and have grown accustom to using it, however this generation is disheartened that technology is slowly replacing personal interactions. This generation is less formal, and tends to balance electronic communication with verbal communication (Huggins, 2008).

The generation X group was born bet...

... middle of paper ...

...aging the gap requires leaders to understand how their employees are different, and working with the team collaboratively to bridge the generations. The information age is here to stay and technology will continue to grow. As leaders it is important for us to do what we can to help our older generations adopt the changes, building on their own successes. It is equally as important to engage the younger generations to share their understanding of technology and how they use it in business.

Works Cited

Huggins, K. (2008). Communicating across generations. Ezinearticles. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles.com/?Communicating-Across-Generations&id=1733210

Sugars, B. (2007). Today's Global leader in the information age. Articlesbase. Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/today039s-global-leader-in-the-information-age-1917195.html

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