Alana Muller:
Welcome to Enterprise.ing, a podcast from Enterprise Bank & Trust that's empowering business leaders one conversation at a time. Each week, we'll hear from top business professionals about lessons on leadership and entrepreneurship that they've learned along the way.
I'm your host, Alana Muller, an entrepreneurial executive leader whose primary focus is to connect, inspire, and empower community. We at Enterprise Bank & Trust. Thank you for tuning into another episode.
Welcome back, listeners. We're living in an unprecedented time in human history. In this moment, six distinct generations are actively participating in our society, each bringing unique perspectives shaped by the events, technology and social changes that defined their formative years. From the Silent Generation, born between 1925 and 1945, who witnessed the aftermath of World War II and the birth of television to Generation Alpha, born between 2013 and 2029, who will never remember a world before COVID-19.
Each cohort approaches life, work, and communication through a distinctively different lens. That Silent Generation valued traditional roles and collective responsibility. Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, embraced individualism and witnessed the dawn of technological revolution. Generation X, born between 1965 and 1979, bridged the analog and digital worlds while pioneering tech startups. Millennials, born between 1980 and 1994, emerged as digital natives, highly educated, but often misunderstood. Generation Z, born between 1995 and 2012, is reshaping social norms and championing inclusivity. While Generation Alpha is growing up in a world where virtual and physical realities seamlessly merge.
These generational differences are profoundly impacting our workplaces and society. Remote work has become normalized. Traditional office hierarchies are flattening, and mental health awareness is rising. We're seeing shifts in everything from birth rates to political engagement, from communication preferences to views on collective versus individual good. In fact, Enterprise.ing podcast guest Whitney Kenter, founder and CEO of Glowe Connective, had this to say on the topic during our podcast recording.
Whitney Kenter:
I think that a couple of pain points that we're getting brought in to solve is low growth, no growth. How can they think about that? The big one, the big topic that I'm talking to almost every leader about is how are we going to bridge this generational divide? There's a huge amount of concern and fear and anxiety around the rising generations not knowing how we do business and not having the same work ethic and not having the same point of view, and they're concerned about succession or transitioning leadership to people that aren't like them and don't have the same core beliefs.
Alana Muller:
The challenge and opportunity lies in bridging these generational gaps. Each generation brings valuable perspective. The Silent Generation's resilience, Boomer's entrepreneurial spirit, Gen X's adaptability, Millennials' tech savvy, Gen Z's social consciousness, and Alpha's inherent understanding of our interconnected world. In fact, during my conversation with Whitney, I asked her how we draw lines from generation to generation. She had this to say.
Whitney Kenter:
When we hear a lot of the frustrations with, “let's go one way,” the older generation… Understanding and having compassion for the fact that because of the stage of life that they're in and everything that they've experienced that has contributed to being who they are and how they've led their lives, at a certain level, you automatically start to try to outrun irrelevance, and that does change your thinking about things. Because you're kind of hanging on, but you know you shouldn't be holding on. You need to be transferring that knowledge, but you're feeling like there is no place for me anymore. And so I mean, understanding kind of where people are in their life cycle is as important as understanding their generational characteristics and their own individual human characteristics. And I think if you look down, I think it's because... I was just talking about this this morning, we have basically been the creators of the characteristics that we're seeing in these younger generations that we no longer like.
We've created an environment in school that gives them a very clear direction. You do this thing, you get this award, you get the national honor... And so when we get into business and they say they want a clear path, they want more communication, more transparency, things like that, it kind of blows our mind a little bit because it isn't what, in business, our experience has been. It's been more top down, it's been told to us. So all of that to say, it is time to reimagine. I mean, whenever you have this amount of friction, I guess in the system, it's time to reimagine it, and that's okay. We've done it for hundreds and hundreds of years. When things start to have friction and they start to break a little bit, it's time to reimagine. So I think it's a great opportunity for us.
Alana Muller:
Listeners, to Whitney's point, as I have looked into intergenerational interactions to explore those opportunities, I have sought insight from my friend and colleague, Joni Wickham, co-founder at Wickham James Strategies & Solutions, whose research on this topic helps explain the implications on intergenerational interactions. She expressed that the key is not just acknowledging these differences, but actively leveraging them for better understanding, collaboration and communications. When we appreciate that a Boomer's preference for in-person meetings comes from valuing personal connection, or that a Gen Z's advocacy for flexible work stems from prioritizing work-life integration, we can build stronger, more effective relationships across generational lines. So how do we move forward? How can we bridge the generational gap?
Consider these ideas. First, create mentorship programs. Pair together employees from different generations, fostering knowledge exchange, and mutual understanding. Younger workers can share digital expertise while learning from their seniors' industry experience. The second idea is to implement flexible communication protocols. Seek to accommodate various preferences from traditional phone calls to instant messaging, ensuring everyone can engage comfortably and effectively. The third idea is to engage multiple generations in decision-making. Develop decision-making processes that intentionally incorporate perspectives from multiple generations leading to more robust and inclusive solutions. And finally, offer relevant training. Design development programs that help teams understand and appreciate generational differences, transforming potential friction points into opportunities for growth and innovation.
The future belongs not to any single generation, but to those who can effectively bridge these generational divides. By taking time to understand and appreciate each generation's unique contributions, we can create more dynamic, innovative, and harmonious workplaces and communities. The question isn't who thinks about what and why, it's how we can think better together. That's all for this week, friends. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the high-energy Enterprise.ing podcast, episode number 78, featuring Whitney Kenter entitled, “Glowing Brighter: Rethinking Business Leadership.” Whitney will also be leading a webinar on this subject in March 2025 through Enterprise University. Thanks for listening. See you next time in Enterprise.ing Podcast.
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The views expressed by Enterprise.ing presenters or guests are those of the presenter or guests, and not necessarily of Enterprise Bank & Trust or its affiliates. All content of this podcast and any related materials are for informational purposes only. Enterprise Bank & Trust does not make any warranty express or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, and specifically disclaims any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information presented. Enterprise Bank and Trust is not under any obligation to update or correct any information provided in this podcast. All statements and opinions are subject to change without notice.