If You Want to Know Something… Just Ask!

Welcome to the 142nd edition of “In Touch”. As always, I would love to continue the conversation so please hit reply and let me know what you think.

Story of the Week: “If You Want to Know Something… Just Ask!”

I recently attended a conference that focused on young professionals – mainly Millennials and Gen Z – in the workplace. The speakers were knowledgeable, experienced and had plenty to say about what members of these generations want, what motivates them and how organisations need to adapt to their needs.

What struck me, however, was that all the speakers came from my generation, Gen X, or were even older. And whilst many of their observations were interesting, I found myself wondering how many had come directly from conversations with the generations being discussed.

I remember my father telling me more than once, “If you want to know what is happening in a village, ask the people who live there.” The older I get, the wiser I find that advice. And if we genuinely want to understand a generation, surely one of the best ways to start is by bringing members of that generation into the conversation.

I found myself thinking about it long after the conference had finished because it reminded me of situations that I have seen many times. In boardrooms, leaders discuss what their employees want. Management teams spend hours debating what motivates people. Companies invest significant amounts of time and money trying to understand what their customers need. Yet surprisingly often, the people being discussed are not even at the table.

Sometimes the simplest solution is also the one that is most overlooked: ask the customer. Ask the employee. Ask the people who represent the generation you are trying to understand. Ask the people living the reality rather than relying exclusively on reports, assumptions or stereotypes.

Generational labels can be useful. They help us identify trends and spot patterns. The danger comes when we start treating those patterns as people. One Millennial may dream of travel, adventure and new experiences. Another may have three children, a mortgage and be far more interested in healthcare coverage and financial security. Both belong to the same generation, yet they want entirely different things.

The more people I meet, the more convinced I become that conversations reveal far more than labels ever will. After all, the people closest to a problem are often closest to the solution. The real question here is not whether we understand Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X or any other generation’s wants or needs.

It is much simpler:

Have we bothered to ask them?

Words of Wisdom

“It is safer to ask a question and get confirmation rather than thinking that you know.” Kathleen Strickland

"Wise enough, if I want to learn about milking cows, it is most effective to visit a dairy farm in person.” Iqbal Ahmad Bhatti | Friend of InTouch

A Question to Ponder, dear friend.

What might you learn if you asked instead of assumed?