Enjoy the journey

This article is for you, a happy silver economy member, commonly labeled as "Gen X" or "Baby Boomer." Now the spoiler alert: This is not a conservative, non-liberal manifest. I celebrate the differences, the turmoil, the change, and the opportunities technology brings every day for those willing to deal with it to generate business. Now, this is not easy. You usually face so many situations that could affect your professional life that it is tough to maintain a homogeneous high performance without affecting other aspects: love life, parental relationships, and friendships. Self-pressure for perfection exists, especially if you are a Gen X; nevertheless, concerns from these situations are another painful drive affecting performance. Several people work hard to find the balance, but few succeed. The effort to deal with it can ultimately drive you down in a vicious circle. You probably have this dilemma very clear in your mind. Besides, lately, the continuous acceleration of the environment and culture provoked by technology, diversified content, and new generations living side-by-side is almost overwhelming. So there is no way you will escape. You need to handle the change or go extinct.

Just think about it: if you are in marketing and sales, for instance, and belong to generation X or Baby Boomer, you saw the traditional advertising industry and traditional media outlets nearly collapse, switching places with social media and social media influencers and on-demand content. You do not even need to identify yourself with Don Draper or Peggy Olson (Mad Men protagonists) to feel out of place. You probably have seen dozens of imaginative presentations showing the need for innovation using examples such as Blockbuster, Blackberry, Kodak, etc. Well, no problem. You are smart, have your accounts on Tiktok and Instagram, and even might be cocky talking about how Facebook is old-fashioned, right? Sorry. I consider it wrong.

Much more complex than current communication technologies is the need to learn how to sell and position products and narratives in an unprecedented level of segmentation. There are now social communities owning truths and fighting for points of view that can be more or less accepted depending upon politics, an extensive range of sex orientations, religions, ages, and ethnicity. A simple communication mistake or following your beliefs may put you and your company through hell. The social network account is yours, but the content is open to the world's judgment. The small talk can become a pitfall. It would be best if you were attentive next time you are chatting. Even worst, sending messages through the family, company, and friends' Whatsapp groups might be a big deal if they go beyond your immediate closed social circle. So, commanding technology is not the same as mastering communication through social media or being socially acceptable. There are solutions, though. So what's the catch? I could say learn advertising techniques or social media influencing and how to deal with Facebook and Google advertising apps. But the truth is more time-consuming and far from effortless, and here you go, my two cents of wisdom: Get pleasure from apprenticeship and challenging your original socialization process. Do not delegate that. Success requires continuous learning and humility. It is not about getting to the pinnacle but the journey you make to get there. Get back to the school - spot training, short-term courses, MBA, Master's degree, mentoring - the subject is not the most important, but the interaction with younger, diverse people. Your silver hair combined with an open-minded attitude seasoned with updated knowledge is a killer association. Subvert the stereotype. Then you can go to the next step and master the social media tools. Your business, company, and colleagues will undoubtedly appreciate it, and you will stay relevant a lot longer.