The rise of a new “Hero”

Posted in Cultural Change, Demographics | 1 comment

I just finished reading, The Fourth Turning, by William Strauss and Neil Howe. In the book, they apply their generational theories to the cycles of history and predict that we are now in the “Fourth Turning.”  They describe it like this:

The Fourth Turning is a Crisis, a decisive era of secular upheaval, when the values of regime propel the replacement of the old civic order with a new one.

Strauss and Howe go on to say that each Turning has its own mood. During the Fourth Turning, they suggest that we will see families being strengthened, gender roles widening, ideals championed, and new institutions founded. We will become practical as a culture, our social priority will be building our community, and our greatest sense of need will be to fix the world beyond ourselves.

It sounds like the world we are living in now, doesn’t it?

If you are familiar with Strauss and Howe’s previous book, Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069, you know that the last Hero (or civic-focused) generation is known to most as the Greatest Generation, while the current Hero generation are the Millennial’s. The current Hero Generation has brought us Facebook, Twitter, and other online social networks. This generation is pushing to fix the problems of America and regularly puts their words into action at the voting booth. This generation strives to make a difference in the world and consistently delivers on their promises.

As the Millennials move into adulthood, they are merging their needs, values, and expectations into every detail of their lives. They need to feel that they are making a difference. They value consensus, relationships, and family. They hold the government, institutions, corporations, their peers, society, and themselves to higher standards than any other generation. Along the way, their idealism is resetting the expectations not just for their own generation, but also for all.

Organizations and corporations must take note of these changes because it is redefining the way success will be measured as it relates to the customer, member, or donor. Consider these points critical for the future survival of nearly every business and organization:

1.  Be trustworthy in all your encounters. You have to earn the business.
2.  Be transparent in all your actions. You must walk the talk.
3.  Stand for something bigger than profits. Greed is no longer acceptable.
4.  Make a difference in the world around you. You must care and show it.
5.  Build meaningful relationships with your customers. People like to do business with those they like.
6.  Ask for input from constituents and use what you are given. Collaboration and consensus means everything.

While these points could essentially be summed up into the Golden Rule, they are often lost in the business world. The Millennials are reminding us all that there is something larger than ourselves that needs tending. This is the attitude that must prevail in our businesses, our colleges, our communities, and our government.

If Millenials are successful in driving change in this Fourth Turning, our world will undoubtedly change for the better. And, they will have earned the label of Hero.

It’s all in the tone of your voice

Posted in Change Management, Cultural Change, Demographics, Strategy | 1 comment

Growing up, I learned quickly how to determine when my dad wanted my attention. He could add a certain tonal quality, let’s say, to the delivery of a sentence that let me know I needed to focus on what he was saying. He never raised his voice, but I often heard him “yelling” when he used “the tone.” On the other hand, my mom’s voice often had a constant level of exasperation that allowed me to lose every word she shared to the white noise that surrounded us.

I thought about “the tone” as I watched President-elect Barack Obama’s acceptance speech last evening. His entire campaign was delivered with a different tone. It was a tone crafted for and deftly delivered to a generation–the Millennial Generation. CNN’s exit polls last evening noted that 68% of voters 18-24 and 69% of those 25-29 voted for Mr. Obama–a solid victory for the Millennial Generation. Conversely, the same exit polls placed the majority of McCain’s supporters over age 45 and a great number over the age of 65.

If you have been unable to see these change markers in your every-day life and work, it should be clear from this election that the Millennial Generation, more than other generations, responds as much to the tone of your voice, as they do to your message. This realization presents an interesting dilemma for marketers, I think. Most of us understand “the tone” concept in our gut, but do not put it into practice in our marketing or advertising campaigns. A good many of us are using a tone in our voice that is heard well by Baby Boomers, but is generating white noise to pretty much everyone else.

The November 4, 2008 election should be a wake-up call for marketers. It is time to adjust the tone of our voice if we hope to be heard by a new generation.