The Language of the Generations

Every generation introduces words into common parlance, some of which enter the mother tongue and others of which fade away. The hippies of the Baby Boomer generation elevated phrases like, “can you dig it,” and “scarf” (as in, to “scarf” up marijuana brownies) into the American language. ”Can you dig it” now seems as antiquated as Nehru jackets and bushy Afro hair styles. But the unlikely new usage of the old Anglo-Saxon word “scarf” persists among today’s youth culture as a legitimate word.

When Generational Advisor talks about the critical need for the Trusted Advisor to “speak the language of each generation,” we’re not advocating that you bone up on ‘60s-era hippie slang as a means to “relate to” a 58-year-old, Baby Boomer executive. We’re talking about something much deeper: You need to understand how words that everybody uses carry very different emotional freight for members of different generations.

Terms like “recession” and “financial security,” for instance, will trigger different reactions from a member of the Silent Generation whose father worked in the Work Projects Administration to feed his family than it will from a Gen Xer who has never experienced, or even witnessed, true economic hardship (until now).

The successful Trusted Advisor uses seemingly every-day words carefully, keenly aware that clients and prospects may not always hear them the same way he means them.

Coming Up

In the next four Generations 101 emails, we will address the different meanings of the words “recession,” “retirement,” “control” and “security.”

As opportunity arises, we will explore other terms in future “Daily Takeaways.”