How To Communicate Across Generational Lines

We often despise what is most useful to us. What comes to mind, among several things, is how multiple generations view modes of communication, especially with each other. From time immemorial, youth and adults have chosen ways to communicate that confound the other. The nature of youth is to communicate with each other in ways that shut out adults. The nature of adults is to "teach those young folk to ‘communicate correctly' so that we can understand them" because surely, we adults know best. The reality is that each generation is exposed to different technologies and that which is common to one generation becomes obsolete to the next. Each generation adapts the communications technologies and modes under which they matured. That translates into these generations using the technologies and modes with which they are most comfortable.

Why should one generation change for the other? Why should one generation try to communicate in ways that are uncomfortable for themselves in order to accommodate the other generation for whom those very ways are "unnatural"? Why not make the others adjust in reverse?

Are these questions familiar to you? Are you the younger generation or the older one? With whom are you trying to communicate? Are you frustrated with the ineffectiveness of your communications? Is it you or is it "them"? Does it matter as long as communications remain ineffective? How can you adjust your communications so that others receive your messages more effectively? How can you "hear" others more effectively?

First and foremost, know that you can seldom change other people; you must take responsibility for yourself and make your own adjustments in attitude, knowledge, and actions.

Next, consider the current workplace and school environments. As of this writing it is the second decade of the 21st century. (Reference: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010s) The generation of people born after 1985 are in school, have graduated, are in the workplace, and are advancing to leadership positions. This generation was born into a world of portable computing and communications made available to "every household". Portable communications consist of cell phones and portable (or personal) digital devices, laptop and tablet computers, instant text-based messaging, easy access to video and audio technology, and more. The "natural" modes of communication in their personal lives carry into their school and workplace environments. They communicate effectively with each other and wonder why they must adapt to generations for whom such communications modes are difficult to practice. Why adapt? After all, the rules change as the new normal takes over. The answer: because if you are of this generation, you must work for, learn from, get work done by, be hired and evaluated by, team with, serve, earn your living and profit from, volunteer with, and possibly care for people older than you who communicate using different modes and technologies from those with which you are comfortable.

The generation of people born prior to 1985 are currently well-established in the workplace or retired. They are decision-makers, owners, teachers and professors, executives, supervisors, presidents, parents and grandparents, and many other categories of "experienced". For the sake of this article, "this generation" includes people born into technologies from the telegraph to desktop personal computers. Communicating on paper, by telephone, and by e-mail are the comfortable modes for this generation. They either reject, or find difficult to regularly practice, methods of communication that are common for those born after 1985. Why adapt? After all, they were in the world first. The answer: because if you are of this generation, you must work for, learn from, get work done by, be hired and evaluated by, team with, serve, earn your living and profit from, volunteer with, and possibly still care for people younger than you who communicate using different modes and technologies from those with which you are comfortable.

Wait a minute! The answer to "Why adapt"? is the same for both generations. How can this be, and what do we do about it? The answer to the first part of the question is obvious as we look at multiple generations because there are multiple generations co-existing in school and in the workplace. The answer to the second part of the question is also obvious, yet difficult to accept and act on. The obvious part is that each generation must adapt to the other in order to communicate effectively with each other. Each needs the other in order to learn, live, and thrive. We achieve the difficult to accept and act on part by practicing the following five actions.

Identify the communications platform(s) most comfortable to your target audience and seek to understand why they are most comfortable with their platform. Did they grow up using the technology with which they are most comfortable? Are there physical considerations that facilitate their use of certain communications platforms?

Determine the purpose of your communication. Is it personal? Private? Do you need to broadcast your communications to the widest possible audience? Is a formal, professional mode required for the specific message? Is turn-around response time crucial to continued communication or further action? Can you use an alternative form of communication to accomplish the same objective? Your answers to these questions help you determine whether to communicate by texting or by telephone (or other platform).

Adjust your attitude from "I reject even considering a communications platform that is different from that with which I am most comfortable" to "I am open to considering—and learning to be competent with—alternative communications platforms". The platforms may be older technology or newer technology depending on your target audience.

Learn about and become competent with multiple communications platforms. The same advice may be said of languages in an international society. Note that competence and expertise are two different skill sets. Being a competent texter (person who can communicate via text messaging) is akin to being a competent keyboarder—you might be a hunt-and-peck typist using your index finger (or your thumb on a tiny smart phone keypad). You know how to use the device and can use it to communicate, yet you choose not to build your skill level to expertise status nor do you need to in order to communicate effectively.

Use the appropriate communications platform for the situation. When you need to reach someone immediately to receive an immediate response from them, are they most likely to have their cell phone "on" and available, or will you have a better chance of reaching them immediately by calling them on their land-line phone or instant-messaging them through their open e-mail account? When you communicate your job qualifications to a corporate decision-maker are you more likely to get positive results from texting an abbreviated message or sending a printed paper document by mail?

"I pray that this article empowers you to Get A L.I.F.E."

Why Hire A Life Coach

Whether we like it or not, everyone experiences a crossroad in his life. In fact, for some people, crossroads are constant in their lives. As such, while most people normally manage decision making well, others do not. On the other hand, there are also some people who can actually manage to make life changing decisions, but would just want to seek for a better perspective. Thus, when you feel the need for assistance in making decisions about certain transitions in your life, or if you are trying to find balance between your work and home life, you can always seek for the services of a life coach.

A life coach is actually a professional that helps you out with important issues and challenges in life. More than anything else, a life coach is simply someone who listens to your problems and challenges. For most people, hiring a life coach is to them having someone to listen to their problems without being judged and criticized. Indeed, this aspect of life coaching is really very helpful because most often than not, most people just actually want someone to listen to them.

Technically speaking, life coaching is basically about goal setting, career path assessment, enhancing leadership skills, and improving health and physical fitness. Moreover, it is also about anger management, coping up with grief and bereavement, and even overcoming eating disorders. The scope of life coaching is just so wide that it covers almost all the essential issues in a man's life.

As such, if there is ever a point in your life when you need to build self confidence and self esteem, you can always hire a life coach. Life coaches are equipped with the knowledge, skills, attitude, and techniques necessary in helping you gain your self confidence back. Moreover, if you feel that you are not happy with your job anymore and you need to get out of your workplace, you can hire a life coach to help you out in your decision.

Indeed, there are certainly a number of circumstances which calls for life coaching. In order to achieve successful life coaching though, it is very important that you recognize that there is a challenge that you are currently facing in your life. This challenge can be personal, business, family, career, or physical. For as long as you acknowledge that there is a pressing issue that you cannot manage on your own anymore, there is no reason why life coaching would not be successful.

Today, people are fortunate because there are a lot of life coaches that can be contacted for consultation and eventually, for services. Life coaching services offer free consultation. Thus, if you feel that there is something wrong in your life, or there is something that you need to do with your life, do not hesitate to contact me.

I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."

Reach Your Goals With Me

Have you ever felt that something is wrong with your life despite the perfect routine that you have? Moreover, have you experienced feeling that things could have been better than they are now?

These things are just but some of the common situations that a lot of people are in. In fact, many people with high paying jobs suddenly realize that they are not happy with their jobs anymore and want to do something else. However, changing careers is one of the hardest things to do, most especially if the career that you have is something that you had for most of your life. More than anything else, the greatest fear that you will have to face in shifting from one career to another is whether you are going to succeed in the new career or not. To make matters worse, most people who want to change careers do not even know what they really want to do at all. As such, when this happens, there is a great need to seek for professional help.

Life coaching is a process that helps you look at where you are now and where you would like to be in the future. It is inspiring, motivating, and life changing. More than anything else, life coaching encourages individuals to rise to their own particular challenges and reach their goals.

This may sound very simple, but life coaching actually involves a lot of hard work and commitment. Thus, if you are facing a challenge in your life right now, it is just about the right time that you get yourself a life coach. Moreover, if you feel that you are ready for change to take effect in your life, then you certainly should see a life coach.

On the other hand, life coaching should not be perceived as finding the solutions to your problems, but rather, encouraging individuals to take responsibility of their lives, challenges included. This means that individuals will be guided on making life changing situations. Furthermore, a life coach is actually just someone who will guide you on what you need to do, but everything is still up to you in the end.

Life coaching helps you reach your goals. A life coach helps you challenge the limiting assumptions and beliefs that you are holding. By conquering these limitations, you will surely be able to reach your goals. A life coach teaches you how to move forward toward your goals.

Therefore, if your low self esteem is stopping you from reaching your goals, try to gain back your self confidence with life coaching. If you need to contact a coach, do not hesitate to call me and set an appointment. Do not be stuck with any unresolved issue in your life, face your challenges and reach your goals with me today.


I pray that this article empowers you to "Get A L.I.F.E."