In Robert Heinlein’s 1966 Science Fiction novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, one of his main characters, Professor Bernardo de la Paz, states that it is his belief, “that under no circumstances can the state justify placing its welfare over mine.” While stated in a work of fiction, this concept of the individual being more important than the entirety of the state is actually something very intrinsic to the United States.

The United States is an individualistic culture. Today, one of the issues many Americans have is that we often encounter people from very collectivist cultures. We are a “me first”, the power of the person, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, being a rugged individualist is the way to go society. So what’s wrong with that?

Nothing actually, if we are willing to take the time to understand that not everyone sees things the same way we do. The problems arise when we dismiss those who favor taking care of the group as being somehow inferior and we dismiss their concerns. In the corporate world, where borders only exist on paper and people are able to interact with each other via emails, teleconferencing, and other technological methods, communications can break down. When we consider that a large percentage of the world lives in collectivists cultures; some studies suggest that close to, if not more, than 70% of the world’s population lives in a collectivist culture then there is the real possibility that small differences can become major obstacles.

Those who follow these beliefs often talk about sharing rather than keeping for oneself. Needless to say, when those who believe this encounter others who don’t believe the same way, there is a great chance for conflict. That conflict is most often seen when a person who believes in collectivism tries to convince a person who believes in the individualistic way of life. Therefore, if you are making a presentation or even having a casual conversation with a person who believes in collectivism, if you focus on the good for all versus the individual you will often have a more positive impact on the receiver.  On the other hand, when presenting to a group or person that is highly individualistic, if we use terms that apply to group, class, or society as a whole many of the audience will tune out. Therefore, using a personal approach will often work much better.

In addition to the overall nationalistic culture groups, there is also a cultural difference between generational cohorts. There are generally accepted there are five (5) groups.

Traditionalists—born 1925 to 1945, born between 1925 and 1945, these folks lived through the Great Depressions, World War II, their lives were harder than the lives we live today. They also laid a lot of the groundwork for where we are. Important to understand they view the world much differently than most of us today. Many of these individuals are strong believers in the individualistic culture. They saw how hard life can be, now there are also numerous ones who because they saw how hard life can be, have empathy for others. They are more likely to support social welfare programs and when talking or communicating with them if you spend your time listening to them, you will have a much easier time communicating.

Baby Boomers—born 1946 to 1964, this is my generation.  We came along right after WWII and grew up in a time when there seemed to be unlimited optimism in the 50s and then societal turmoil in the 60s.Television was a large part of our lives and it tried to paint an idyllic setting. However, as the 60s progressed, we witnessed the Vietnam war and the quest for civil rights. Many in this generation would prefer to return to the old days, so when presenting, make certain to try and avoid emotional terms. Judging this group by today’s mores causes the audience to shut down and stop listening

Generation X—born 1965 to 1980, to me this is an interesting group. Born right at the height of the civil rights movement and into a society that was becoming more socially aware, they tend to be more liberal socially, and interested in a good work-life balance. They are also used to being called names, such as “slackers, whiners”, and as a result tend to sometimes be hyper alert to insults. When addressing this group, I have found success by just being straightforward and logical. Listening to them and understanding they have a unique viewpoint on the world helps.

Millennials—born 1981 to 2000, talk about a group that doesn’t get much respect, this is the one.  I have sometimes seen a very defensive attitude taken by some members of this age group. They were raised in an age of incredible technological and societal change. They are bombarded on all sides by messages from older generations and now younger ones and they haven’t even had time to truly figure out their place in society.  From experience working with them, I can say they accept change, they value teamwork, and they are curious. DO NOT TALK DOWN TO THEM.

Generation Z—born 2001 to 2020, the newest cohort, they are just now entering the work force, so it’s a little too soon to be able to discuss the best way to communicate with them, except to say, treat them with respect and understand they have spent their lives around technology and communicating in ways many other generations had never even considered.

 The cultures and generations are all different and as such, quite often you will not receive the type of response you thought you would receive from a presentation or speech. You will also often run into trouble with simple one-on-one conversations. We see this in the day-to-day business community. People are easily offended because one person did not fully understand how to communicate with another. If we are willing to listen and learn about the differences then those barriers can be overcome.