“If you’re not texting—YOU are the problem of the future.” — Millennial Aaron

In a consulting engagement, a Boomer manager argued that the amount of time spent on Facebook and Twitter was negatively affecting productivity so he wondered how to control it. However, upon further exploration, we discovered the team members were meeting all their production goals and productivity, and across the team, productivity was actually up. Before you take a militant stand on the argument of social media being a drain on productivity, take a closer look at what it’s truly costing you and what it could potentially cost you in lost morale and turnover.

Proactive and generationally relevant rules about use of social media are absolutely essential for every organization to put in place and review frequently. While many organizations have been escalating the “corporate parental control” functions to manage the flow of communications and block social media outlets, the maxim “That’s just how we do it here” is going to be very costly to stand by as companies quickly find that it is dramatically decreasing morale and retention of top talent.

Millennials entering the workforce are coming from a world of being a split second away from updates, insights, and entertainment by their friends, parents, and peers. They walk into your organization expecting to have immediate access and communication with whom they want in the media they favor.

This expectation is causing friction points for many organizations that have protocols and policies that dictate how and with whom you communicate up and down the chain-of-command. In a Pew Research Survey1 of Millennials in the workplace, 75 percent of Millennials say it’s critical to their job satisfaction to have access to social media in the workplace. The point will soon become a mute one since, as personal technology becomes more accessible in pricing, employees will bring their own access. In a follow-up question, respondents shared that if social media outlets are not allowed on their work computers, they will just access them on their personal phones.

Millennials have grown up only knowing communication with the integration of technology. Much of the self-broadcasting and sharing about their lives, friends, and feelings begins at the Millennial HQ, otherwise known globally as “Social Media.” Through participating in online communities where information is shared visually, audibly, and in text format, Millennials’ home base foundation for their lives is social media. The expectation that Millennials will go cold-turkey in the office from 24/7 access to friends and family is somewhat akin to expecting every smoker to be able to stop in one day with no problem. The minor difference in this metaphor is that Millennials don’t see their reliance on social media interactions as a negative addiction.

Common Generational Communication Styles:

• Traditionalists: Stiff, Formal,  Snail Mail, Abundant Description
• Boomers: Relaxed-Formal, Fax,  Data-Centric
• Xers: Informal,  E-mail,  Bullet-Point, Concise
• Millennials: Casual, Text ,Texting, Shorthand

Conclusion:
The key to good communication in the workplace is understanding the preferred communication styles of the different generations and using them to your advantage to communicate. While one generation may not like, understand, or believe in the effectiveness of another generation’s preferred communication style, failure to be aware of the differences in styles and to meet one another across generational lines will only result in a breakdown in communication and a lack of productivity in the workplace. When a Gen Xer takes the time to get to know a Baby Boomer, he can sell a product that might not be sold if he just “cuts to the chase.” And a Baby Boomer who understands that a Gen Xer views time as precious and wants to “cut to the chase” will be appreciated for not wasting the Gen Xer’s time. A middle ground can be found where everyone can flourish in the work environment and feel listened to and appreciated.