Brace yourself. Here come the twentysomethings. Questioning everything, overly confident, self-asserting, and little or no company loyalty to boot. Yes, this is exactly how early Baby Boomers were viewed by older generations.
Now, as Baby Boomers begin to retire, the Gen Y generation is entering corporate America alongside Gen Xers in massive numbers. Thus, planning corporate meetings in today’s multigenerational workforce environment can prove to be challenging for even the most seasoned planner.
Yet, communicating to vastly different age groups is made easier by understanding the general characteristics of each.
Talkin’ ’Bout My Generations
First, there’s the Baby Boomer. This group is accustomed to traditional meetings with long breaks. Elements of a corporate meeting such as structured meeting agendas, keynote speakers and award banquets appeal to this generation. In addition, classic hotels providing comfortable accommodations and reward points for frequent stays are what this older generation seeks.
Then there’s the Gen Xer. Constantly clicking keys on a BlackBerry or PDA, the Gen Xer loses interest at the mere mention of a keynote speaker. Additionally, this value-minded group prefers short meetings and no breaks. Forego traditional team-building exercises; this independent generation is not interested. Instead, opt for community-based activities such as Habitat For Humanity or a bicycle-building competition where the bicycles are then donated to a children’s charity.
And finally, there’s Generation Y. Always plugged into the iPod and wired on gourmet coffee, the youngest and most pampered of this generation is here to be entertained. Only trendy hotels will do, and reward points are an afterthought.
They have a passion for interconnectivity (MySpace and YouTube) and tend to be the most tech-savvy. Gen Ys prefer to work in a team environment and thus are stimulated by team-building exercises. Additionally, this generation believes corporate meetings are about two-way communication. Gen Ys are quick to give their opinion and expect feedback in return.
Once corporate meeting planners are armed with this information they’ll find bridging the generation gap during corporate meetings isn’t such a daunting task after all.
Here’s how planners can build successful meeting programs to engage the younger generations without alienating the Baby Boomers and vice versa.
Entertain Me!
First impressions are everything.
Instantly grab attendee attention by rethinking the meeting room set-up. Rows and rows of chairs with one large center aisle will immediately disengage the younger generation before the session even begins. Boomers will covet the front seats while the Gen Y crowd will scramble for chairs in the back, making it easier to slip out during the 20-minute keynote speaker introduction.
Instead, try engaging all generations with something unexpected, such as separate quadrants of tables and chairs. These smaller, intimate groups will provide the interaction the Baby Boomers and Gen Ys need.
Short and Sweet
Speaking of lengthy introductions, skip these, as well as drawn-out thank-you’s. Gen Xers want to get straight to the point with relevant information that can’t be found on the Internet. Likewise, appeal to Gen Y by including a humorous clip from YouTube to support the meeting message.
Instead of a traditional Q&A session, use technology to stimulate involvement. For example, have attendees e-mail or text questions in advance and then post them during the session on the big screen. Yet another option is to offer a separate, more intimate Q&A session for those who are interested.
Team-building exercises can be a great way to stimulate group interaction during corporate meetings. However, be mindful that there are not only physical limitations between the generations but mental and emotional differences as well. For example, an indoor rock climbing exercise will definitely appeal to the adventuresome Gen Xers, but many Baby Boomers might not feel comfortable with the physical challenge. Similarly, avoid team-building games based on pop culture and instead put the focus on the corporate message.
While the gap between generations is nothing new, today’s generation gap is deeper and more complex, thus making corporate communication that much harder.
And though the ultimate goal for planners continues to be creating successful programs with content relevant to attendees, it’s also about layering in the extra details that appeal to different generations.
Corporate meeting planners that do both are well on their way to closing the generation gap.
