“How many of you can name the four Beatles,” I asked a group of 50 business people attending my session last week.About two-thirds of the participants raised their hands. Several were shocked that every hand didn’t go up.
“How many of you were born prior to 1960?” Nearly all of the same hands were raised. “Now, how many of you can name the three Jonas Brothers?”
This time only about one-third of the participants responded. Almost all the hands raised were attached to the same people who could not name the four Beatles. This group was clearly younger, likely parents of young teens or children.
Case in point: Age does matter. Different ages, and therefore different generations, don’t create conflicts in their own right. It’s just that each generation is influenced by different events that shape attitudes, values, and even music tastes. What I remember as a child is mere history for my children and today’s youth. Sure, they can listen to the music but they can never experience the feeling of watching the Beatles for the first time on Ed Sullivan or hearing the news that JFK was shot. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen movies of the bombing of Pearl Harbor but until the terrorist attacks on 9/11, I couldn’t empathize with the anger and fear that my parents and grandparents felt on that December day in 1941 Older generations can re-live the moment; anyone born later can merely read about or listen to it. It’s the assumption that people from different generations are all viewing the world through the same lens that causes conflict.
What moments in history stand out in your childhood that today’s youth find irrelevant? What significant events are shaping today’s youth that you (as a Gen X, Baby Boomer, or Veteran) feel are insignificant? Putting yourself in the shoes of different generations is a great way to start an inter-generational conversation.
Join the Bizmore discussion: "How can you best ask a Baby Boomer when they plan to retire without being accused of age discrimination?"
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