Ward’s Words SARAH WARD
GIFTWARE ASSOCIATION
Inter-generational
communication Is your business communicating effectively across the generations? Sarah Ward looks of some of the communication issues facing businesses today.
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n 2017 generation Z entered the workplace. For the first time there were five generations sideby-side as customers and employees. How does this broad demographic influence the way you communicate with customers and manage staff effectively? Problems can arise due to stereotyping and miscommunication making staff harder to manage and potentially leading to conflict. George Orwell said, ‘Each generation imagines itself more intelligent than the one before and wiser than the one after it.’ The rapid pace of change in so many areas of life can lead to friction between generations. The generational cohort theory suggests that people born within 15-20 year blocks do things in a similar way because they had similar experiences in adolescence, such as Gen Z, Millennials and Boomers. These divisions are stereotypes, people are all different and the fields are too long. However, possessing some generational empathy is key, as understanding the way a generation grew up and how it affects their attitude can be helpful. In fact, the differences between peoples’ values and preferences are actually very small, the perceived differences are more stereotypes than reality. It is worth considering the profile of your
customers and considering if you might be using stereotypes in your marketing and communication with them. The generations have more in common than differences and a marketing strategy to appeal to a broad age range should build on common things. All generations value family most, look for appreciation and recognition, seek work-life balance and are concerned about debt and savings. Communication platforms cause the most problems with communication as the style used can cause barriers. Is the tone of emails too formal, reflecting business letters for example? Also how do you speak to your audience on newer platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok. Considering and understanding the personal communication preferences of customers and in the workplace and how to flex them is particularly valuable in building relationships and avoiding misunderstanding. ■ Is the preferred method of communication by phone, text, email, face-to-face or something else?
What is the tone, level of formality in greetings, sign offs, layout, punctuation? ■ Consider the message length, one stop detailed communication or more frequent concise messages? ■ Look at the format, including the preferred font, spacing, and even the use of bullet points ■ What grammar rules apply and do they vary on mobiles? Are abbreviations or text speak appropriate? ■ Are there expected response times? ■ Can you utilise video or audio messages or voice mail to clearly convey your message? ■ What is your policy on the use of emojis? Always, occasionally or never? It is important to review your communication policies to identify current challenges and make sure your message is getting through clearly to the recipient, no matter what method of communication is being used. ■
Sarah Ward is Managing Director of the British Allied Trades Federation which includes the Giftware Association. The GA is at the heart of the gift industry supporting members by offering invaluable advice and assistance. Coming originally from a retail background, she then worked at Penny Kennedy gaining extensive knowledge in the card, wrap and stationery sector, and now utilises these skills across a broader environment. www.ga-uk-org
