Blog Post: Henry the Eighth --- English Monarch or 1965 musical hit by Hermans Hermits?

Our generational ‘culture’ influences our interpretation of words, phrases, etc.

Each generation has been shaped by the events which occurred during their lives….particularly those which occurred during formative years….

Do you remember…..

•    When construction began on the Berlin Wall in 1961?
•    Sitting by the radio listening to news of John F Kennedy's assassination?
•    Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster in 1986?
•    The dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989?
•    Your parents being laid-off from jobs they had expected to retire from?
•    Watching television coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995? 

 
Experiencing events like these shape how we look at the world.  Imagine witnessing these events at the age of 10 vs the age of 30 and the impact that experience would have on you as a result.

Last fall I was in Beijing with a friend (who has a different generational reference than I).  As we walked through Tiananmen Square I was thinking to myself “this is where it happened 18 years ago...this is where ‘The Unknown Rebel’ had stood up to the tanks”…....  I looked over at my friend and realized she had a very different perspective of this place.

This did not represent a massacre site to her --- she had not heard news coverage and seen photographs of the events of June, 1989 flash across the television screen. 

We were looking at the same thing at the same time and having completely different experiences.  Neither “right” nor “wrong”….just different.  

Sometimes when I say “tomato” and you say “tomahto” we are, indeed, referencing different things. 

An understanding and appreciation of our differences.....developing the ability to communicate effectively to benefit from these different perspectives is key to developing innovative and sustainable working relationships......which leads to enhanced bottom line results. 

All my best,

Nora A Burns, SPHR

Nora A. Burns, SPHR is Founder and President of Insightful Endeavors International, (IEI), Inc.  IEI specializes in building innovative, sustainable teams to drive bottom-line results.  In addition to working with corporations and associations, IEI offers public workshops  across the United States. 

Registration for Nora’s upcoming workshop “V+BB+X+Y=??? : Managing Multiple Generations” is available here.