How to talk to Gen Alpha

University of Cincinnati expert Gail Fairhurst is here to help bridge the communication divide.

She is a distinguished research professor in UC’s School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies. She was recognized last year with a lifetime achievement award from the International Leadership Association for her contributions to the study and practice of leadership.

Previously, she spoke about the traits of good leadership.

Gail Fairhurst: It’s cultural — developing a shared sense of community and identity. It’s a way of looking at the world and putting your stamp on it. Every generation does it. But jargon is also used by different audiences such as business, too. It’s not so unusual. And sometimes it filters into the general public’s vocabulary.

Former UC President Warren Bennis was a quite famous management guru who wrote a book called ‘Geeks & Geezers’ about the role personal experience plays in shaping leaders. The ‘geeks’ had access to technology that was not available to the post-World War II ‘geezers.’

We see language as representative of our different orientations to and interpretations of the world we live in.

Fairhurst: Language becomes fixed over time because it serves a purpose, and we take it for granted, especially if there is little variety in what we are being asked to do communicatively.

However, for new situations and challenges we can be really inventive in our language choices. For example, younger generations using the latest technologies will invent terms to suit their newfound experiences. ‘AI’ and ‘coding’ are two really common examples, but ‘surfing the web’ is a great example from the 1990s.

Fairhurst: Oh, gosh, no. Shared words and slang come in very handy for any population, young or old, seeking to make distinctions of one kind or another in their environment.

It can be an efficient means of communicating for a particular group of people and a means of shared identity. But it can also be problematic when the slang reveals derogatory assumptions about a particular group.

For example, when a young person refers to an ‘old geezer,’ it is reductive and disparaging based on age assumptions about declining intellect, body limitations, etc. This is otherwise known as stereotyping.

Fairhurst: Without question, this is true. You can make a good impression based on your language choices, including proper grammar.

Moreover, others delight in our speech when we can be really insightful or paint a great picture with words.

One of the things I try to teach my students, besides developing content expertise in their major, is to develop a heightened sensitivity to language. By that I mean to start noticing words, phrases, arguments, and so on — in any aspect of your life — that strike you as especially effective.

Taking a moment to reflect on them primes your unconscious brain to use them, or some variation of them, which helps develop your repertoire as a communicator.

If you look at some of history's best communicators, they were also wordsmithers — people who spent time reflecting on their use of language. Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan are some historical examples. More modern-day examples would be Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama or Steve Jobs.

Fairhurst: When we communicate with others, we not only get information about who they are but also who we are and who we are together. As Gregory Bateson, the great anthropologist, once said, the only thing people have between them is the exchange of messages — what we say, how we say it, how we behave.

We don't start out fully formed as individuals. On the contrary, our identities and relationships are the products of repeated communicative exchanges. If you understand that, you also know that the opportunity to change lies in every interaction.

Fairhurst: I have five grandchildren now. When a kid is 5 or 6 and wants a pet, the parent says maybe not. And the child will stamp his foot and say, ‘I want it now!’ But by the time they reach high school, their strategies are more sophisticated, like this is why you need a pet. And they cite their research on pets and social support even though they’re still simply motivated to have a pet themselves. It’s fascinating to see.

Fairhurst: People have been citing a lot of loneliness research that’s taking place. Along with being a more technological society, we’re less inclined to meet face-to-face. We’re talking to screens. I think these effects are profound. Technology can be wonderful but also insidious.

We know from neuroscience that we don’t just listen with our ears but our whole body. And that becomes more difficult in a Zoom call as opposed to talking face-to-face.

Fairhurst: Students are most likely to get hired when they have experience in internships and co-ops. And UC communication studies offers both. There is a five-year co-op model in the School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies. But there are also many internship opportunities.

And we launched a new doctoral communication program last year with an emphasis in social justice. So we are taking advantage of UC’s role as a Research 1 institution that also serves the community. We’re looking to train doctoral students with a sense of responsibility for society.

Business organizations have so many needs for corporate communications and public relations. And our school recognizes that.

Fairhurst: I think everybody gets nervous about public speaking. I would say take advantage of technology. Public speaking today is often connected to making a great PowerPoint presentation. This can help establish your presence as a communicator.

You might be surprised at how many introverts are communication majors. There is no better way to overcome that than to put yourself out there. And give yourself some grace when things don’t go well. Reflect on what didn’t go well and tell yourself it’s an opportunity to learn how to handle it next time. People who persevere get increasingly comfortable.

Featured image at top: Gen Alpha is working overtime on updating our lexicon. Illustration/Kerry Overstake/Margaret Weiner/UC Marketing + Brand