Take age – it’s no longer just the youth and the adults you need to consider, now, according to Econtent magazine’s article “The Generational Divide” there are four generations in the workforce, each with different values:
Traditionalists |
Baby Boomers |
Generation X |
Millennials (or Generation Y) |
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Wikipedia explains the generation distinctions as:
Gender is another well document variance. According to Dr. Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist at the University of California in San Francisco and author of The Female Brain in a Canadian Living article, women have 11 per cent more neurons governing language and hearing then men. And it isn’t just about brain circuitry, according to an article on Microsoft’s site “6 tips for bridging the communication gap”. In general terms:
Understanding learning types is critical if you want to transfer knowledge. There are three basic types of learners:
Then there is jargon relative to a role, industry or company. Just check out some of the sites explaining IT jargon: Top 10 IT Jargon You Love to Hate (slide show) on Network World; IT Jargon Busted; and IT Jargon Buster. But when a communications person asks an IT employee for something and they are told “we can’t because of the firewall” the communications person just hears “No blah, blah, blah” - like that Far Side cartoon by Gary Larson on “What we say” and “What they hear” – with “they” referring to dogs, who apparently only hear their name and blah, blah, blah.
The way in which people receive information can impact how receptive they are to it. Different generations prefer different methods, for Millennials instant messaging and social networking sites are the norm but Baby Boomers are less comfortable with text messaging and traditionalist prefer face to face. Therefore, one method will seldom reach all audiences; consider the variety of communication methods and channels:
There is a lot to consider when communicating and it is important to match the message to the medium and the medium to the audience. Don’t assume because you have a website that everyone can hear you – Generation Xers and Millennials probably won’t know of your existence. If you don’t have any imagery - a visual learner will move on. If you use jargon or acronyms you’ll lose people at the beginning of their search. And if your message isn’t interesting, why bother? Even dogs are trained with audio and visual cues, as well as a treat or two.
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