Zoomers vs. Boomers
I’ve been working on a new presentation for a workshop I’m delivering in April. It’s all about how to do business within the generations. My first taste of this concept was when I had my first sales job in media. My boss said you have to make at least 50 calls a day. I made the calls and the 2 or 3 people that actually answered the phone had one thing in common, they were Boomers.
If you are not familiar with the term, Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. They brought about massive change in the workplace and society. They are hard-working and very goal-oriented. They like to do business face-to-face or at least have a conversation about it. Hence, they answered the phone.
Zoomers on the other hand were born between 1997 and 2012. They are the newest generation and are very tech savvy (they have grown up with the iPhone while the Boomers had stationary rotary phones with a short cord (you were royalty if you had a long cord). This generation is very independent and knows how to adapt. They also place a very high priority on work-life balance, whereas Boomers were very loyal to their companies.
These two generations are out there doing the same business, but from very different perspectives. Going back to my sales calls, Zoomers don’t answer the phone because they don’t communicate that way. Their preferred mode of communication is digital and that could be via text or Snapchat. That’s hard for a Boomer because he/she wants to talk with their mouth and Zoomer talks with their thumbs.
The key here is awareness. You have to be aware of the situation before you can even start to address it. Once you do, you may begin to communicate. I have a clear advantage over other Boomers in the fact that I have a Zoomer at home, our daughter Morgan. Everytime I have a question about why this generation does something, she is there with the answer.
Back growing up in Brooklyn during our high school days, we used to frequent a club called 2001. It’s the famous club where John Travolta danced in the movie Saturday Night Fever. One day I was giving a talk and asked who remembers that movie. I got that deer in headlights look. Most of them have never heard of it. And there it is, the AHA moment.
What works for me may not work for them. You have to look at things from a different lens, their lens. It’s not easy because I don’t keep up with the current movie offerings. But one thing I do keep up with is TikTok. I just love the platform. You can find anything you want in a short condensed version. I actually learned a lot of things on TikTok before the general public.
Now the reverse is true for the Zoomer. They have to change their lens to survive in the workplace. One of the things I imparted with Morgan was Rock-n-Roll. Morgan knows who AC/DC is and enjoys their music. Most Zoomers, not their cup of tea, but Morgan can engage all about Angus to the older folks in the room.
Isn’t that what it’s all about, building relationships. You have to make the effort to see how things are done from a different perspective. You have to be able to relate and try to understand. It’s very hard not to judge but you have to stop yourself. Now I’m not going to show up at the City Club in Air Jordan kicks and a bow tie, but you have to be able to understand why that’s OK.
Watch for more Zoomers vs. Boomers coming soon.
