Hedging the Generational Gap

A message from Rachel...  

Whew! I got my “podcast on” this week as the Game On guest with Steve for our Laugh With podcast, and we did our best to... hedge that generational gap.

Over the last eight months, I’ve enjoyed acquiring and adding orange clothing to my wardrobe, not fully realizing I would be on brand, now aligned with the color scheme and uplifting culture of the wonderful Game On Nation team. For the podcast, I sported an orange blouse that was perfect for comfort while on camera, hiding my arm trimmers and heart palpitations as I sat across from a leader, an elder and voice in our industry, and a mentor, Game On Founder Steve Shenbaum.

Steve and I had the opportunity to explore the topic of generational gaps in the workplace, and in our personal lives. In my personal life, I am the youngest of my family, strongly holding down the younger sibling energy. And with every organization I have served within, I’ve been the youngest on staff. I’ve navigated those rooms from that youthful lens, feeling inspired, hungry, ready to listen and learn. And in other rooms, I’ve felt lower than the wheels on the bottom of the boardroom swivel chairs.

What made one experience different from the other?

Empathetic, intentional, and authentic humans who see, hear, and value one another.

So, how can we do this? I still have tons of experience and wisdom to acquire in this course of life. However, I have practiced three things throughout my engagements on both sides of the figurative “counter” (as the elder and as the youth) to help me invest into others, honoring age and the phase of development of life we are in: 

1. Seek Clarity: Ask good questions to be build trust and try to avoid making assumptions based on how people are showing up.

2. Be Kind. Giving yourself and others space and grace can pay dividends.

3. Honor the Story: Know, acknowledge and respect where we’re all coming from mentally, emotionally, culturally, spiritually, so you can meet people – of all ages – where they need to be met.

As a middle school teacher, and being 10+ years older than my students, I’ve had to learn how to be intentional to build authentic connection, and what I like to call “hedging the generational gap”. I find it interesting that the definition of hedging in the financial industry is “to limit the potential for losses on an investment”. Every day we make the figurative “deposit” and “withdrawal” in our relationship accounts, hoping we don’t go into overdraft (or overplay, whether positive or negative). Some of those relationships we may be the elder and in others, we may be the youth. In either position, the idea and hope is that we don’t take a loss, but that we make a gain, and work together to keep hedging that generational gap. 

Rachel Goff is the Client Experience Specialist at Game On Nation.

Connect with her at [email protected]!