Social Networking: Fad or Fixture?

Debra Fiterman is a speaker, researcher, writer, and consultant at BridgeWorks. She often writes from the perspective of Millennials—her generation of plugged-in and tech-savvy 20–somethings.

Last week, my colleague Lynne Lancaster wrote about the world of social networking from a Boomer’s perspective. As a Millennial, it really made me appreciate just how much change she has seen in her lifetime, how much she has had to adapt to, and perhaps most importantly, how much is still to come.

When we speak about social networking in the workplace, and how four generations are responding to it, we often hear people saying that it is just a trend, a fad. We recently came across this amazing timeline from alexa.com and techcrunch.com that chronicles the history of online community sites like Facebook and LinkedIn.

If this is a “fad,” it looks like one that is here to stay.

Click to view a larger image.

Should the Grinch Steal the Office Party?

Sunday night I went out to dinner with close friends and their family members. Over the years, I have converted them all into generational junkies—so when we get together the topic always turns to generations.

Sunday was especially rich because two Boomer friends, their Millennial daughter, a brother who is a GenXer, and two Traditionalist parents were all sitting at the table. From World War II to the World Wide Web we were covered.

So . . . my Boomer friend, who works as an HR generalist for a large construction company, was telling us that she decided not to host a holiday party this year. Before she could say another word, her Millennial daughter interrupted, “That’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done at that job. Are you nuts? You can’t take the party away now. Those guys need it. The karaoke, the gift auction, that lady’s poem. I think you’re crazy.”

“This coming from the person I have to bribe to come with me each year?” the mother replied.

“Whatever, mom. I might not like going, but all those workers really look forward to it.”

Immediately all eyes darted to me because it was clear this was a generational issue.

“Well, I’m sure your mom has a good reason,” I responded carefully.

“We’ve just raised our prices again, and our vendors are not happy. We had another round of layoffs, and we’re not giving any bonuses this year. I think spending money on a party sends the wrong message,” explained the mom.

Her Traditionalist dad piped in. “I agree with you, now is not the time to spend frivolously. It does send out the wrong message. I remember when we had the oil crisis in the ’70s, and everyone was lining up for gas. We canceled our executive retreat that was always held at a golf resort. We just couldn’t justify flying out of town.”

The Millennial stood firm. “But grandpa, this whole year has been about difficult messages. They just lost many of their coworkers, they found out they are not getting a bonus . . . and now you’re saying they don’t even get to have a holiday party? How do you ever expect to motivate these people?”

The Millenial’s Xer brother jumped in. “As much as I hate to say this, she is sort of right. I know I would love it if they canceled my holiday party, but your office really gets into it. Don’t you think this could backfire?”

She let out a huge sigh and said, “But how can I justify these dollars to the executive team who is putting freezes on everything?”

Her Traditionalist dad weighed in again. “Perhaps you can meet in the middle. I remember we still had our executive retreat back then, we just did it close to home.”

Again, all eyes went to me.

What advice would YOU have given?

Social Media: Jumping In or Opting Out?

By Lynne Lancaster

Lynne Lancaster is a Baby Boomer, generational expert, and the cofounder of BridgeWorks.

I’ve talked with several Baby Boomer leaders lately, and each have said the same thing: “I’m glad I’ll be retiring before I have to deal with all this social networking stuff . . . MySpace, Facebook . . . it’s so confusing to me.”

I have many reactions to statements like this. First and foremost, retiring doesn’t mean you’re stepping onto an arctic ice floe and drifting off into oblivion. I hope the Boomers intend to reinvigorate and reinvent the last quarter of their lives just as they did the earlier quarters. So whether we stay involved in the paid workforce or become members of the active and unpaid, do we really have the right to opt out of the most important technology transformation of the new century?

Social networking is so recent that few have realized its full potential. It’s much more than a way to tweet useless comments like, “I’m driving in my car now,” or post silly pictures. Companies are using social networks to recruit employees, build their brands, conduct consumer research, and influence public perception. Non-profits are using it to attract donors, enlist volunteers, and tout their causes. Politicians like Barack Obama wouldn’t get elected without it.

Boomers, however, feel overwhelmed by the strangeness of it all. As the generation most pressed for time, it is daunting to learn an entirely new way of communicating and doing business. Plus, a lot of us feel guilty. I recently explained to the Millennials at our company that if I’m online looking at blog sites or browsing readers’ comments, I feel I’m wasting the time I could be working.

“But,” they respond, “You are working.” Am I? How do I add this new activity into an already packed day? And what are my goals? Is it to educate myself? To create buzz about our company? Find out what’s going on with clients?

The trouble is that to get started, I’d have to admit what I don’t know. It’s painful to tell the Millennials that I’m not sure I’m using the tools wisely and to ask for help. I’m supposed to be the role model advising them on how to be successful.

It’s odd that on certain topics the knowledge pyramid has turned upside down. I have to be O.K. with being the newbie in some areas, and I have to trust that these new tools will actually help me be a better leader in the future. And shouldn’t we Baby Boomers be delighted that at this stage in our careers, with so many successes and experiences piled up behind us, we get to participate in something brand new that will irrevocably change the world? Why wouldn’t we embrace the possibilities instead of floating along in safe waters?

That’s just not our style.

Low-Tech Still Works

By Debra Fiterman

Debra Fiterman is a speaker, researcher, writer, and consultant at BridgeWorks. She often writes from the perspective of Millennials—her generation of plugged-in and tech-savvy 20–somethings.

Last week, I needed to get in touch with a woman who works for one of our strategic partner companies. Usually, I have access to their online directory and am easily able to look up any information I need. Well, as anyone who has ever used an intranet site knows, every now and then, it fails.

I was incessantly refreshing my browser, I kept restarting my computer, and I tried to look the woman up on Facebook and LinkedIn but had no luck. I had my hand on the phone to call the IT Department when I decided to walk over to my coworker’s office. I started ranting about how the online directory site was down and I couldn’t find the contact information I needed.

Dave, my Traditionalist colleague, calmly leaned over, opened his bottom desk drawer, and pulled out an actual, physical, paper, non-electronic . . . company directory. Within seconds, he had the exact information I needed. No mouse clicks. No frustration. No technology.

Of course, my first reaction was that I felt like an idiot. My second thought was: As a Millennial constantly surrounded by new technological tools, had I become blind to the most simple of solutions?

The younger generations often complain about the older generations being resistant to change, especially when it comes to technology. However, perhaps it’s the Millennials who need to remember not to be afraid to go low-tech at times.

While technology has allowed companies to do things they never thought possible, sometimes they make a simple problem much more complex than it needs to be. This may seem obvious to the more experienced employee, but Millennials may need help seeing when the low-tech option is the better one. Just as a Traditionalist or Baby Boomer may be leery to try a brand new technology, Millennials may be equally hesitant to believe that low-tech or no-tech is actually a better option. Take time to explain it to the Millennials if you are meeting resistance. Or, if you need to prove it to them, just shut down your intranet site!

A Lesson or Two from Our Furry Friends

By David Stillman

That’s right, on November 10, Ernie, Bert, and the gang turned the big 4–0!

What began in 1969 as a mission to supplement school lessons for inner-city children is still going strong and has picked up a much larger viewing audience across the globe along the way—not to mention 8 Grammys and more than 100 Emmys!

Clearly, Sesame Street has done something right.

One of the producers commented, “While our mission has remained the same, we have always known that our viewers have changed. To tackle this, we have tried to keep the team fresh and challenge ourselves to stay in touch with the times.”

Makes sense. When the show launched, the target audience was Generation X. Now 40 years later, Sesame Street has to appeal to a whole new generation of viewers.

What makes even more sense is how businesses are faced with a similar challenge—they too have to figure out how to attract new generations of employees and customers while still getting the same job done.

Perhaps leaders can take a lesson or two from the furry friends of Sesame Street:

Keep the team fresh. Millennials would be shocked to know that there was a time on Sesame Street that was B.E.—that is, before Elmo. In the early years, Xers were pleased with Ernie, Bert, Big Bird, Oscar, and Grover. However, as a new generation started to tune in, they wanted someone new, someone fresh, someone to call their own. So in November 1985, Elmo made his grand debut. With this new cast mate, viewership increased, as did business opportunities. From merchandise to movies, Elmo was a cash cow. He took the show beyond public television, making appearances on all the major primetime shows. Elmo even showed up at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in April 2002, urging support for increased funding in music education.

Do you have the same old people on the same old projects and teams? Maybe it’s time to freshen up and find your Elmo. Who knows, maybe new teammates can take your mission all the way to Washington!

Stay in touch with the times. Even Sesame Street would admit that many of its practices and procedures from the early days no longer resonate and, in fact, may even—gasp—fuel bad behavior! Take Cookie Monster. The early episodes showed the blue monster going so insane for cookies that he would hallucinate and eat everything from a rotary phone to a children’s toy! In 2006, amidst reports that childhood obesity had reached epidemic proportions, Cookie clearly checked in to rehab for junk food. Check out Cookie Monster today, and his diet is much more balanced. He now has adopted the philosophy that cookies are a “sometimes food.”

Sesame Street has not only embraced cultural changes like these, but it advertises them. Now, at the beginning of any DVD featuring early episodes, it states, “These early Sesame Street episodes are intended for grown-ups and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”

What signs of the times should change the way you do business? Whether it’s starting to use social networking to reach out to new people in new ways or relaxing rules on in-office face time as employees can now easily work from home, are you in touch with the times enough to cater to new generations of employees and customers?

• • •

But as much as Sesame Street can teach businesses how to change with the times, it is also an example of making sure some things don’t change.

One thing is for sure: the world around 123 Sesame Street has evolved over 40 years, and the unflinchingly genuine attitudes of its residents have never changed. Every time a parent and child turn on the show, while they may not know what will be discussed, they can count on Ernie, Bert, and the gang to do it in a comforting, consistent manner.

Ask yourself, as the world around you changes, can your fellow employees count on the same, consistent person showing up?

Again, we can learn from our furry friends—well, maybe not Oscar the Grouch.

From Scratch

By Debra Fiterman

Debra Fiterman is a speaker, researcher, writer, and consultant at BridgeWorks. She often writes from the perspective of Millennials—her generation of plugged-in and tech-savvy 20–somethings.

Anyone who has ever eaten a chocolate chip cookie knows that when it’s “from scratch,” it is always better. However, when one generation defines from scratch as flour and eggs, and another defines it as putting refrigerated cookie dough on a pan and baking, you might run into some problems.

The younger generations have been given “from-scratch-shortcuts” since we were kids. From coloring on paper that helps you stay in the lines to having templates in Microsoft that make resume writing a snap, Millennials are able to get things done quickly and with less effort. But at what cost?

From the moment my generation, the Millennials, started entering the workplace, it didn’t take long for the other generations to label us as entitled and lazy. As experts and consultants, we hear that Millennials just don’t seem willing to put in the same effort as the other generations did.

It’s not that my generation doesn’t want to yield good results. Of course we do. But when we don’t see a difference in the end result if we do it the long way or if we take a shortcut, we might think, “Why not just use the pre-made, refrigerated cookie dough?” Or at the office, “Why not just use the ‘find-replace’ tool and resubmit this proposal to all of our clients?”

Of course there is often a price to efficiency and convenience. Details get overlooked, mistakes are made, and it can affect the bottom line. But to be honest, it might be difficult for Millennials to see it. This is when my generation needs the guidance of the more experienced generations to help us. And Millennials—we need to be listening!

But be warned, it will not be enough to convince Millennials to change by saying, “We do it that way because it’s the way it’s always been done.” However, if you can explain why the long way is better, Millennials will listen.

On the other hand, I’d like to challenge the Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, and Gen Xers to ask themselves if there isn’t a new way to go about things. Because let’s be honest, those cookies that come out of a tube are pretty darn good! And they can be made in half the time with a fraction of the dishes.

So ask yourself, what can you do in your company that will save you some effort, some clean-up, and maybe even some money?