Understanding Generational Differences

I learned a very helpful activity from Doug Caldwell that can be used to start a friendly dialogue between generations. The activity asks participants to draw and discuss their Generational Defining Events.

Have your audience break into groups of 5 or 6, ideally with multiple generations represented in each group. Each person is given a 5 x 8 card and crayons. They are asked to illustrate three of their most significant life experiences between the ages of 12 to mid-20s using graphics and numbers. After completing their illustration, each individual shares the three most significant events that occurred during their formative years.

This exercise is short and fun but very helpful in getting members of different generations to see the different types of influences that shaped and formed different generational perspectives. It is also useful for highlighting those individuals of a particular generation that had different live shaping events giving them a perspective different from the majority of their own generation.