Are your communications reaching Gen Z?
In large organizations today, you can find FIVE generations of employees: the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Change and Communication practitioners understand that knowing your audience is crucial for effective communication. Awareness of each generation and how they prefer to communicate becomes an important input into plans to engage stakeholders. So how can one design a communication and change management strategy that will work for all generations? Cheryl Badger, an organizational change manager with 20+ years of experience, shares how she’s mastered the art of leading change for all generations.
First, recognize the importance of understanding the generations:
The Silent Generation are people born between 1928 and 1945. While this generation is 77+ years old, many are still active in the workforce.
Baby Boomers are people born between 1946 and 1964.
Generation X are people born between 1965 and 1980. Gen X-ers are one of the largest generations in corporate America.
Millennials or Gen Y are people born between 1981 and 1996.
Generation Z or Zoomers are people who were born 1996-2012.
Next, take note of how generations prefer to communicate:
Silent Generation or Traditionalists prefer phone calls or face-to-face communication. This generation doesn’t mind walking into your office and having a conversation.
Baby Boomers tend to prefer face-to-face communication, phone calls, and e-mail. Boomers are generally heavy E-mail users.
Gen X-ers prefer e-mail or instant messaging over face-to-face or phone communication. This generation prefers a more casual communication style.
Millennials prefer text messages, instant messaging, and social media over face-to-face or phone conversations. Millennials value transparency and tend to ask a lot of questions; they aren’t willing to let Baby Boomers or the Traditionalists easily make decisions for them.
Gen Z-ers prefer to communicate via social media and generally avoid face-to-face meetings. Gen Z-ers also prefer receiving bite-size communications verses reading a long e-mail.
Lastly, embrace the differences and meet people where they are:
When change management and communication consultants are scheduling meetings with subject matter experts or leaders to create their stakeholder assessments, they should take note of which generation the person is in and observe their preferred communication style. For example, if the OCMer plans to meet with a Millennial who’s in Technology, consider scheduling a meeting via Zoom verses face-to-face.
Communication styles vary across generations so it’s important that change management and communication practitioners use a variety of channels to reach people. A rule of thumb is, the younger the generation, the more likely they are to prefer electronic communication over face-to-face. If you meet people halfway with their style of communication, you’ve won half of the battle. So, for your next big change initiative, schedule “old-school” town halls, write newsletters, and leverage “modern” social media tools to show people that you care about their communication style and that you’re in the change together.
Contact ChangeStaffing to learn more about creating change and communication plans that reach every generation!
A very special thank you to Cheryl Badger for her thought leadership and for collaborating with us on this blog.
Written by Kylette Harrison