I had to quote that line from Rush Hour, because it is pretty much what I am talking about today. I have been thinking a lot about how we communicate with different generations on multiple levels. I am going to keep it concise and note the subjects so you can skip ones that you may find lame...
Personal: If you were to compare Baby Boomers to GenX and GenY, you will see a huge communication problem. When I was on active duty with the Navy, I had a GenX boss (about 15 years older than me) talk with me to try and figure out how to motivate my age group (Gen Y). He was frustrated because all of the tactics he used on his own age group had very little impact on us, and he had no idea. This piqued my curiosity, and it is something that individuals need to figure out to effectively lead.
Church: This brings up a greater problem though, concerning the church. Whatever it is that motivates Gen X to go to church does not motivate Gen Y. One issue that I have found is that churches are often times started solely for evangelism purposes but they do not understand something that can appeal to all generations. You can also see a distinct personality difference between the pastors who represent the different age groups. If a pastor gets up there and makes cheesy jokes and talks about how God is going to give us prosperity, my age group will probably roll their eyes. Meanwhile, if the pastor is in my age group and if the church plays music geared towards my age group, a lot of older people will call it "too loud" and reject the "authentic and unpolished" message. These are actual discussions that I have had that capture common themes, and I think it is important to move towards a happier medium.
Work: Simply giving a promotion or a pay raise does not always work as motivation. After watching parents and older friends get laid off, retired with a swift kick out the door, or give their lives to companies that do not care about them, we can be sort of jaded towards big business that has little interest in anything but money. Notice the companies that my generation really gravitates towards and see how many of them support humanitarian causes. Also, what about the way in which they are appreciated by their employer? If the boss or coworkers are able to show appreciation to an individual and let them know that they are valued, they are more likely willing to stay... sounds basic, but not many places do that.
Family is another area, but being that I am a single guy... I have my ideas but I don't feel qualified to talk about that. But I just wanted to talk today about how we communicate with one another on a generational level. If we want to succeed as families, churches, and businesses, it is significant that we can relate with one another and understand where the other is coming from... as the old saying goes, communication is the key to success.
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