Generational Networking

February 2011

Social media networks are allowing us to reach across geographical borders and engage with people we can’t meet face-to-face. They are bridging generational and age differences, departments and levels within organizations, and even ethnic divides. No one can tell your age, the color of your skin, or your country of origin online, unless you choose to share it. This leveling can increase the quality of conversation by removing barriers. Instead of feeling less intimate, social networking allows Millenials (born between 1982 and 2000) to achieve more intimacy with others. Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) may be scratching their heads because the younger generation doesn’t talk face-to-face, but in the eyes of Millenials, when they get hourly updates on those they care about, they feel closer than ever. 

Millennials lead the way in using social networking to reshape the way business is conducted.  Boomers have gained a wealth of experience through years of networking face-to-face. Given these differences in communicating, is it possible for Boomers and Millenials to mentor each other with what they know best, rather than be critical of what seems foreign to them?  

Here are some tips to help lessen the gap between these two groups:

Boomers:

Think before you judge. If you see your young co-workers buried up to their eyeballs in social media, don’t assume they are squandering their time on something trivial. They might be getting work done. 

Don’t assume it is all fun and games. Social networking started out as places to socialize, but almost immediately it became much more. Those who are adept at using it are finding ingenious ways to get work done. While a Boomer might not immediately think of using the company intranet to ask for help on a report, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a valid way to work.  

Fess up to what’s really bothering you. It’s not uncommon to hear from Boomers that they feel stranded in the slow lane. Are you being left out of critical conversations because others have adopted new ways of communicating? Too often we let our own discomfort turn into resentment. These issues can be addressed, but only if you fess up. 

Millennials:

Share what you know. Why not share your favorite resource with your Boomer counterparts? It gives them a glimpse into your world, and offers them the gift of a new tool. Every generation will soon have their favorite ways to engage in social networking, if they don’t have them already. 

Don’t let the ‘real’ water cooler dry up. Even if most of your connections happen via social networks, don’t blow off the old fashioned networks entirely. The Boomers want to get to know you, and they will expect to do it their way--at least some of the time. Make an effort to sign up for the community softball team or spend your lunch in the cafeteria socializing face-to- face. 

Adapted from ‘The M-factor’ by Lynne C. Lancaster and David Stillman, HarperCollins.

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