Skills for Closing Generation Gap

[Archie David]

My colleague, Hoshang Secknem, asks, "Are skills for closing generation gap the new buzzword? Where can we go to find out more about the topic?"

I agree that it is a good question and one that needs some thoughtful reflection. "Generation gap" is a phrase that are creeping into public discourse, but there is no real consensus on its meaning. The most recent book that defines the term is "Generation Gap: Marketing & Sales Techniques to Close the Generation Gap," by Don Reo, Jethro Coombs, and Terrence Petty (Prometheus Books, 2020). This is an interesting book, but not an exhaustive definition of the term.

A number of respondents in the online survey asked for a specific definition of the term. In my response to Hoshang's question, I use this term in one sentence with another "Generation Gap" phrase in the same sentence. The issue of what the term means remains unresolved.

My definition of "generational gap" is one in which a consumer gap exists between the generations. Here are some examples:

* Careers that are centered on selling, marketing, or advertising are generational gaps. An advertising executive who sells an online classified ad, or who runs a store near her office. Or, maybe a "fashion store" (for example, would "boutique "be more appropriate?) also fits into the generation gap. These people may not be making a killing from their work, but their educational attainment is similar to that of their younger counterparts.

* Products and services that include ingredients and tools that cannot be sold individually fit into the generational gap. And, of course, they can only be sold collectively as a group of products and services, especially if there is a service as well.

* Globalization is also a part of the generational gap. When we make a global vacation, or buy a product in another country, we experience a change in our lifestyle. It may be something intangible, like a little relief from the daily grind, but we certainly appreciate it. And, if there is a difference in cost between buying a product or service locally and internationally, we suffer from the change.

* This is not to say that our behaviors, attitudes, or ways of doing things are any less or any more healthy than those of others. These changes are just "occasional"accidental." However, we do feel differently when we are able to put our best foot forward.

Another feature of the generational gap is that it is quite abrupt and not very well defined. Some generation gaps are not even perceived by other generations.

And how do we define "close the generation gap"? How do we close this gap? How can we improve our knowledge of the concept? What can we do?

I have already suggested some short-term ideas that we can take up to close the generational gap, and some long-term goals that we can pursue to improve our knowledge of the concept. We also need to be mindful of our own definitions of the term, and our own interests and strengths . It is often easier to "connect the dots" than to form a conclusion.

My next column will offer more insights into the concept of "generation gap" and the factors that we can look at to determine its existence. We all need to be aware of the phenomenon, and what it means. Our lives may change because of it .