According to Teresa Schoch (2012) the eighty million individuals who are a part of the Baby Boomer generation were born between the years of 1946 and 1964. These individuals witnessed many historical moments that define our country to this day, ranging from the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. to man’s first step on the moon. These individuals are vastly different in their work place characteristic then those of other generations. According to Leigh Elmore (2010) these individuals would be considered workaholics, work is who they are, and they are motivated by being valued and needed. These individuals love to have meetings and leadership is consensual. Baby Boomers feel rewarded when they receive money or title recognition (L. Elmore 1010). These individuals are the bosses and coworkers who have plaques all over their walls documenting their success. Those from the Baby Boomer Generation prefer to communicate in person, face to face. These individuals are the ones who avoid the usage of technology, whether it be because they are unable to understand and learn how to use it, or they make the argument if somethings not broken why fix …show more content…
According to Andal, The first step in bridging the generation gap is being aware of the different forms of communication. Older generations understand that in person communication allows for a more close personal relationship. While the younger generation uses forms of communication such as instant messaging or email, these forms of communication allow for an individual to communicate with an individual who may be a great distance away. Andal second skill states that individuals need to understand the relevance of formality. The older generation has to understand that language is always developing and changing (Andal). While the younger generation has to understand that the older generation will take time to adapt to the new forms of language (Andal). The third skill in Andal’s skill tree is that individuals need to respect that values differ between generations. Andal’s fourth skill states that values also differ amongst the work place. Andal’s fifth skill coins the term rabbit ears; this term means not only listening to what is being said but also listening to how it is being said. Having “rabbit ears” allows for a person to gain understanding of each side’s values and opinions. According to Andal, the six skill to bridging the generation gap is being aware of sensitive topics. The two main topics to avoid while communicating between generations or strangers are the topics of