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As colleagues from different generations (x and millennial), Marci Alboher and Duncan Magidson have been leading talks and workshops sharing their insights about working across generations. As they plan, they usually text furiously, sharing ideas and reflections. Here’s a peek into what those text convos look like. In this edition of Overheard, they wrestle with a tricky question: what happens when the generational stereotypes… are kind of true? They unpack the tension between avoiding clichés and embracing the real dynamics that make their partnership tick.
Duncan Magidson (CoGenerate Director of Digital Communications & Engagement): Throwing a new thought into the mix — something I think both of us have been chewing on: How do we talk about cogeneration when the stereotypes are actually true? We tend to shy away from examples where young people share (for example) tech expertise and older people share advice and access to their networks…but those things are actually so much of what makes our intergenerational partnership work!
Marci Alboher (CoGenerate Chief Engagement Officer): I’m SO glad that you raised this. Here we are giving talks every week about the harms of generational stereotyping, and then I ask you to bail me out of some digital hole I’ve found myself in or lean on you to make the slides for our next presentation. I’ve got some thoughts, but I’m guessing you have a theory, so do share!
Duncan: I’m not sure I have a theory, but it definitely bothers me, and I can tell it bothers you as well. Sometimes when I describe my work, people ask for specific examples of how younger and older can help each other, and I hate to cite these kinds of examples because they feel like stereotypes. But when I try to avoid the “Millennial helps Gen X with tech” “Gen X helps Millennial with networking” trap, I lose track of how natural/mutual it feels. I wouldn’t want to give up the help and support we offer each other, but it’s probably important to name the tension.
Marci: +1 on naming the tension. And we know from endless surveys that digital natives add value with their tech skills, and people who’ve been on the planet longer tend to have more robust networks and more experience in nurturing those relationships. As our friend Chip Conley says, DQ (digital intelligence) plus EQ (emotional intelligence) is a winning combination. But of course it’s way more interesting when we encounter pairs or teams that tweak that tried-and-true recipe.
Duncan: Right — so maybe the move isn’t to avoid those patterns, but to reframe them. They’re not clichés because they’re false — they’re clichés because they’re incomplete. The interesting stuff happens when we build on them. When we say “yes, and.” And when the DQ-EQ mix works, it’s not just about swapping skills — it’s about trust. Relationship-building. Those “easy” synergies aren’t exactly the point, but they are the starting point. The bridge to something bigger and deeper.
Marci: AND, we can still smile when our collaboration and the others we learn about defy the age-related stereotypes. Like the fact that both of us are voracious readers, but only you take on books in the 500+ page category (when the word on the street is that younger folks have shorter attention spans). On that note, I think it’s a wrap.
Duncan: 1,000 pages is my minimum, tbh. 😜
Read our previous installments of Overheard on Text.