Guiding the Generation Gap

GGC-QC’s Dream Team (District Commissioners, Advisers and Council) – a wonderful group of women that run the province, aged 21 to (I will not even hazard a guess).

NOTE: Originally posted on June 27, 2012 on the Girl Guides of Canada National Blog, please click here for the original posting.

While the generation gap is not a new phenomenon, it is a topic that has seemed to take up a lot of space in media coverage, boardroom conversations and around the dinner table in the past few years.  There was always a question mark hanging over what exactly was going to happen when all those baby boomers got old anyways?  And now we are all feeling the disconnect – in an age which connection is at a prime.

One of the things that I love the most about Guiding is that we create a space for intergenerational dialogue.  Note that I did not say interaction – the generations all interact on a daily basis anyways – but in Guiding, through working together in unit meetings, event planning, committee work and socially, we have a space for conversation that is not regulated by the rules or structure of family or work or school.

What are the generations in Guiding?

I could spend a lifetime explaining the characteristics of each generation and sub-group variant, but for simplicity’s sake, let’s use Guiding terms!

The Silent Generation – The children of the Great Depression, these are our most senior Trefoil Guild members.  They are very rarely on email, but will definitely write back when sent a hand-written note by post!

Baby boomers – This is probably a Guider or member of the Trefoil Guild who has likely been a member for 25+ years.  Most of these ladies are comfortable with email, but some prefer other methods of communication.  Some are on Facebook, many are not.

Generation X – This is also probably a Guider, but it could also be a parent (and just because they’re Gen X doesn’t mean we can assume they are Pathfinder/Ranger Moms – all bets are off with Gen X).  These ladies are rapid fire emailers for the most part and they’re probably on Facebook (if only to spy on their kids).

Generation Y – This is your young Guider, or maybe a Spark Mom, but there is a good chance she doesn’t have kids yet and is either in university or starting out in her career.  These ladies are generally delinquent emailers, but will reply to a Facebook message, text or tweet within a microsecond.

Digital Natives and Gen AO (Always-On) – These are our girls!  Try telling them you were born before the internet was created – that’ll really blow their minds!

Intergenerational dialogue can be explosive or magical – depending on how you go about it!

The glue that holds all of this together is the notion of mentorship that Guiding offers.  In a successful mentorship relationship there is learning on both sides of the coin – the mentor gains as much as the mentee and they share a mutual trust and respect for one another’s views and life experiences.  Most Guiders will agree that they learn more from the girls than they ever thought they would! – But believe it or not, that’s the easy part!  The larger the generation gap, the easier it is for traditional roles of “respecting your elders” to come into play.  How about the young Guider working in the same unit with a lifer?  It can get tricky!

By taking some general principles of communication (and common courtesy) into consideration, the exchange of perspectives and experiences can lead to an enriching experience for all generations (girls, young Guiders and lifelong Guiders alike!).

Golden Rules of Intergenerational Dialogue

1. DON’T be dismissive.  Respect – This is a loaded word that often means different things to different generations.  Some see it as something that should be given due to age or positions of power, whereas others see it something that is earned (and can therefore be taken away).  The key to intergenerational respect is to take each other seriously and not be dismissive.  In fact, there is hardly anything more disrespectful than dismissing someone’s input or opinion.  Seek to understand what they are trying to communicate and why, and acknowledge their contribution, whether you agree or not.
2. DON’T criticize in front of others.  Sounds like a duh, right?  Believe it or not, lots of people cannot help themselves from making a comment right on the spot when they feel strongly about something!  This is the fastest way to put a Baby Boomer or Gen Xer on the defensive, and the most effective way to get a Gen Yer to consider quitting.  Be kind – if you are in disagreement or have a constructive criticism to make, pull the person aside and address the issue privately and respectfully.  They will be a hundred times more likely to positively receive your feedback if they appreciate the way it is delivered.
3. DO listen…and Share.  Do a good job of listening when it’s your turn to receive information, and don’t be shy to share when you have something to offer.  Seek balanced contributions – don’t be intimidated to speak and solicit contributions from those that are keeping quiet (and if you’re the big talker, try to be concise and aware that you have the potential to derail a potentially great collaboration!).
4. DO be generous with praise. Everyone likes to know when they’ve done a good job!  Especially with Gen Y, being a part of a great team is really important for them and an essential part of teambuilding is recognizing little successes as well as big ones.  Do a post-mortem after an event to learn from your experiences and celebrate what went well – and celebrate the team as well as the achievement.  The Sisterhood of Guiding starts with each and every one of us!
5. DO embrace our differences!  When you approach intergenerational dialogue as cultural differences, just think about how much fun you’ll have learning about the native’s way of life!

Enjoy celebrating in the magic that is the Sisterhood of Guiding across the country and the generations!

NOTE: Another curiosity about Guiding is that we not only have the generation gap to negotiate, but it is often accompanied by an experience gap – sometimes the girls have been Guiding longer than the Guider!  To learn more about the experience gap, check out the Trial By Fire Series: Reflections of First Time Guider.

An Imposter’s Secrets to Awesomeness

One of the first logos I ever made was for the family farm, circa 1994. I made it in Paint (note the beautiful pixels), which only took about 8 gazillion hours – Do graphic designers get paid by the hour?

As I was writing an email to a coworker, entitled Tools that will Rock Your World, I felt a blog entry coming on!  You may have already deduced that I work for Girl Guides of Canada, as a Coordinator for Membership, Marketing and Public Relations.  In short, my dream job.  We have a new staff member at the office recently, who I have been helping to train – she is brilliant (which helps!) – but as I am passing her tips and trucs that have been enormous aid to me, I can’t help but feeling a bit like an imposter!  – And I’m darn proud of it!  So, now here comes the disclaimer:

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be a graphic designer.  In fact, let’s just get right out and say it: I am not a graphic designer.  I have no aspirations to become one, freelance or otherwise, and this is mostly due to the fact that I have enormous respect for the profession!  Anyone can acquire Illustrator or Photoshop, but it doesn’t mean you can take the place of the REAL and incredibly gifted artists that are out there making a living at it.  If you need some work done, I recommend you contact either this amazing individual or this wonderful human being.

All that bein’ said, I can do me a darn spiffy job of purty-ing up stuff.

Imagine me saying that with a really hick accent, and you should have a pretty good idea of my design skills.  Self-taught out of part-necessity, part-inkling-of-interest, I have managed to crank out a halfway decent poster, pamphlet, logo, publication, even website or two.  But mostly because I have a particular personality that reunites all of the conditions for the perfect storm: I am a compulsive auto-didact that is stubborn as all hell who won’t settle for less than perfection and isn’t willing to pay for it either.  Yikes.

But hey, you can be an imposter too!

Here is the email I sent to my colleague:

Here are some fun things that will make you feel like a whiz-kid – and it’s so easy (for your “free” time at work).

Stock photos.  Making the transition from clip art to stock photos is a quick and easy way to make a publication look professional and sharp.  Free ones here. or you can just do a good ole Google image search (ps the theory has been tested – it is now impossible to do a Google image search without turning up some naked people).

Fonts. Using a font that nobody has seen before gets people all hot and bothered.  An easy way to make your publication look fresh and original.  Learn how to download and install fonts, but remember to then PDF because people that don’t have that font installed won’t be able to see it on their computer otherwise.  Download free awesome fonts here.

PhotoFiltre.  Don’t know how I functioned before I found PhotoFiltre.  It’s like the really simple free version of Photoshop without bells and whistles.  Get it here.  Get it.  Love it.

Microsoft Office Training.  Want to become an Office Goddess and make people think you are a genius?  Well, you are a genius, but now you’ll be a trained one.  The 2007 module on Publisher has been rocking my socks since 1982: Get it here.

There.  You now know ALL of my secrets to awesomeness.  But remember, mad skills will never replace good taste and bold confidence.  Give yourself permission to be creative and let the good times roll.

I still remember the good old days when one of the first wacky fonts I downloaded for an Erotic Bingo poster was called Fuzzy Cootie. Not your grandma’s bingo.

I guess I should put together a portfolio, but then again, maybe not.  Here are some samples of my work, for better or for worse.  Be kind.

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So, go forth!  Learn!  Create!  Be Fearless, Shameless and Unapologetic!  Je vous aime!

World Thinking Day: Something to Think About

I’m proud to be a Girl Guide in Québec!

Happy World Thinking Day everyone!  

Today is a big deal for Guides and Scouts – this is my first Thinking Day as a Girl Guide and *wow* have I been enlightened!  I could not believe my eyes this morning as my Facebook, Twitter and inbox were flooded with warm fuzzies from Guides and Scouts from around the world!  The outpouring of solidarity and sorority deeply touched me, I must say.  Sometimes, oddly enough, when your heart is truly in something, it can be rather isolating.  You wonder, does anyone else feel as strongly as you do?  Does anyone else understand?

Today was a beautiful demonstration that there are women and girls – ten million strong – that are linked by Guiding and share in a common mission – to enable girls to be confident, resourceful and courageous, and to make a difference in the world.

Ironically, not really “thinking” about the fact that today was Thinking Day, I set up an appointment to meet up with another local women’s organization to discuss goals and values, and potential collaboration.  It was one of those encounters where things just click. I immediately felt the warmth that these ladies radiated and everything they said, it could have been me saying it.  There was a lot of head-nodding in agreement and as we spoke, a large circle was being drawn in my mind.  As we connected so freely and easily, sparks were going off, synapses were firing, lightbulbs illuminated my view of women, myself as a woman, of women’s issues – in a way I had never before understood.

Everything is interrelated and we are all inter-connected.  

I am fully aware of the cheesiness of what I just wrote.  There was definitely a “duh” factor in all of this sparking/firing/illuminating, so cut me some slack.  To admit, I had always seen my cause as “ending violence against women”.  I did not feel terribly called to arms by “eating disorders” or “breast cancer” or “more women executives” or the panoply of “women’s issues” out there.  Don’t get me wrong, these are great causes that I support wholeheartedly, but the one that would always get me out on the streets with a banner is violence against women.  I have witnessed the violence.  I have felt it.  I have gone from the process of experiencing my own pain to experiencing others’ pain.  It has been a visceral, defining element of who I am.  And I want it to stop.  It has to stop. – I will always feel very passionate about physical abuse and sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence.  It is a part of me.

But it is just one link in the chain.  Preventing violence against women means talking about women’s bodies, women’s self-esteem, women’s health, the way that society views women, they way the media views women, the way that women view themselves.  And here we open the door to eating disorders, women executives and decision-makers, definitions of beauty and body image, toxic beauty products and even cancer.  When you talk about female leadership you are automatically talking about violence against women, albeit indirectly.

Just as we are ten million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts standing together on February 22nd to empower ourselves and each other, all women and women’s organizations should see themselves as sisters.  We have the same cause.

Happy Thinking Day to all my sisters around the world.  Je vous aime toutes!