Reaching across the Generational Divide
It took me three months to write this blog. I’m a product of the Baby Boomer Generation, and for thirty years I’ve been on the bleeding edge of innovation and worked alongside “techies” of all ages. Having been hatched in a time where one stayed at a company for an entire career, when everything moved at a measured pace and a tactical error costly — sometimes even career-ending — I certainly spent more time thinking and preparing, to ensure what I was doing was as close to perfect as possible.
But in today’s “ready, fire, aim” world, the inverse is the norm. When Mark Zuckerberg says, “Move fast and break things,” he is telling his organization that he is willing to put a premium on ideas that lead to improved innovation in an ever-evolving world in exchange for potential mistakes. Just as our Baby Boomer generation was trained to be meticulous, this new mindset of “break things” is an innate trait of the Millennial Generation. Working with Millennials — and being a father to three of them — I’m fascinated by how this new generation is more comfortable with the idea of moving without knowing, trying new things, and how they are energized by the torrid pace of change. They are digital natives, and this is their new world.
We, on the other hand, are digital immigrants. We didn’t grow up with a computer on our wrists or have access to content outside of what our parents allowed us to watch on TV. We had to become digitally competent later in life. So, what do we do, punt? Do we recognize that only Millennials have the skills to tackle this brave new digital world and move on? According to the US Census Bureau, the Gen X and Baby Boomer population are over 140 million — what are the rest of us going to do to earn a living?
Let’s not panic just yet.
The reality is that in today’s business world, we digital immigrants are still the leaders of most Fortune 500 companies, possess the most years of on-the-job knowledge, know how to mentor and manage people, are experts at providing leadership and strategic direction, and most importantly have learned how to win in the workforce. We are the business natives.
We still possess decades of knowledge and business acumen that will keep us valuable, but we must face the fact — and fast — we are not invaluable. Many have said that the company they fear the most is the company that has not yet been created. We business natives are now faced with having to digitally transform our companies to match what’s to come and must figure out how to best communicate, relate, and create an effective workforce where digital natives and immigrants can create value — together.
Digital as a Second Language
I am not only a digital immigrant, but also a true immigrant who moved to the United States and took full advantage of the American Dream. I worked my way through school at San Jose State University and rode the Silicon Valley technology wave to run a $2 billion-dollar business, eventually becoming CEO of an IOT company. A few years ago, following an exit, I left tech for a year of “fun-employment” where I had a chance to both reflect on my career and the state of where things are today.
Today shocked me.
It was heartbreaking to see former colleagues who were rock stars just a few years ago suddenly jobless, and with very limited resources to get retrained for the digital sector. It was also eye-opening when I reconnected with my alma mater and saw firsthand the limitations that we have in funding our education system. It now takes almost six years to get a “four-year degree.”
It was during this time that I realized that at a time when schools, companies, and organizations alike should be moving quickly to retrain our workforce and remove generational barriers, our education systems are actually slowing down.
Now here’s the craziest part — this isn’t nuclear physics. When I immigrated to the U.S., I could not speak a word of English and it seems like Déjà vu that our workforce must now learn Digital as a Second Language to be able to compete.
So, we built ISDI Digital University.
Here again, I get a front-row seat. The founding of ISDI Digital University has afforded me the opportunity to meet and work with many great leaders in digital business and to observe that people, students, of any age can communicate and work together, once they learn how to speak Digital. With some of the greatest minds in Silicon Valley, we built this nine-month immersive program as a Master’s Degree in Internet Business to provide a comprehensive understanding of the latest in digital strategies and technologies that are critical for success in today’s business environment. But more importantly, we teach the language of Digital. The digital immigrants learn to speak the same language as the digital natives, while the business immigrants learn from the business natives. It’s a beautiful thing!
It’s all about growth, stupid!
The American Dream is why I, and many others like me, have immigrated to the US; it has been a core tenet of our economic engine and growth. Immigrants who have been a part of this journey have provided services and become consumers. That’s how capitalism works. Doesn’t the immigration opportunity into the digital world remind you of the same?
Imagine the digitally savvy Millennials working side-by-side with their more experienced Baby-Boomer counterparts communicating effectively in teams to respond to the changing demands of their customers, markets, and competitors. The impact would be significant and address at the root what’s really required to make this country great again.
Our student body at ISDI ranges from 23 to 61 years of age. I have the pleasure of observing typically younger digital natives, work closely with their typically older digital immigrant counterparts tackle real-world business issues, by leveraging each other’s strengths. Soon, two of these students, @MillennialMaya and @AlienAndy will join me to bring these stories to life.
Read Maya Krupa’s story here: “The Future of Work: Bridging the Generational Skills Gap”
I see this type of interaction creating novel solutions to problems every day. Both generations are more effective when leveraging the strengths of the other. Put them in the same knowledge orbit, teach them the same language, and watch the magic happen. And imagine the possibilities if this was happening in companies across America. It really is a beautiful thing!
About the Author
Amir Mashkoori is CEO and Co-Founder of ISDI Digital University, where he’s driving to address the digital talent gap challenge. He was previously CEO of Kovio, an IOT company with the world’s first cloud-based printed integrated circuit and General Manager and Executive Vice President of Spansion’s Wireless Business Unit. He is currently on the board of the Dignity Health Foundation, has served on the Boards of Entropic Communications, the SJSU Tower Foundation, and has been an advisor to entrepreneurs as well as to multi-national companies. Amir holds an MBA from San Jose State University.
