Show notes
There is a fundamental difference in how the generations of the workforce see and experience the world because of the role technology has played in their lives. These generations can be split into two groups: native analogs and native digitals.Native analogs: Silent, Boomers, Gen X, and even some older Millennials remember a time before the Internet. They view technology one of two ways: (1) a helpful, occasional resource or (2) as a distraction from everyday life. Native digitals: Millennials and Gen Z, on the other hand, grew up surrounded by new technological advances at a rapid rate. They integrated technology into everyday life.This fundamental difference of perspective is why we often see executives and employees talking past each other.Key ideas and highlightsTransformation of Communication w/ Workplace Generations:When someone tells us we have to do something (i.e. going back into the office), it’s human nature to not want to do that thing. To employees, it’s not about their personal preference, they just want the flexibility to choose.The sustained happiness from experiencing something is far more than the instant hit of dopamine we get from something tangible. Things get lost; experiences create memories that will last a lifetime.Money can’t buy love…or happiness. Receiving something meaningful, even if it’s small, is better than receiving something impersonal, like cash (or gift cards).How many of us are actually putting our undergrad degrees to use? It used to be that you had to go to a university to even have a chance at getting a “real” job. Native digitals understand the value of on-site training or internships/apprenticeships in the field they love instead of spending thousands in tuition.“Thinking about trying to lead a company ourselves, I think we just need to be flexible. We need to be really open-minded. We just need to not think about things like pedigree in the same way. We need to not think about where people work and how they work in the same way. And we need to understand that people need different things. And the only way to provide such a diverse group of people and opportunity to be successful in the way that they need to be successful is to be incredibly flexible.”Word of the day: CacophonyTimestamps(0:00) Intro(4:20) Native analogs vs native digitals, explained(5:20) Fundamental difference in how generations see the world(6:50) Could the online world be “real life”?(10:20) What was the world like for native analogs?(13:50) Maybe filming the moment IS the new living in the moment(15:30) How much of the world has changed for native digitals?(17:50) 62% of employees already report to a Millennial boss(22:02) How has communication changed for these two groups?(25:24) Experiences > stuff(28:20) Experiences provide more sustained happiness than things(28:59) Seinfeld and cash gifts (31:05) Some benefits programs do more harm than good (38:22) How to think about benefits equity for a remote team(39:25) Why flexibility matters now more than everYou can learn more about Fringe by visiting: https://www.fringe.us
