Why Generational Differences Are Key to Stronger Relationships
How shared experiences shape our values and priorities
Mar 02, 2025
Written by our Founder and CEO, the Celebrations Pulse letters aim to engage with our community. By welcoming your ideas and sharing your stories, we want to help you strengthen your relationships with the most important people in your life.
Picture it: It’s a Monday morning. I’m sitting at a large table surrounded by my team in a conference room to map the week ahead. As I look around the table, I can’t help but notice the mix of generations represented – different ages, different work styles, different perspectives on life and business, all in the same place.
The youngest team member, a Gen Zer, helps produce my podcasts, effortlessly switching between keyboards and touchscreens. Gen Xers, known for their skepticism and sharp communication skills, precisely refine our messages.
The Millennials on my team focus on strategy, leveraging data and their digital expertise to maximize our reach and engagement. And then there are Baby Boomers like me, contributing decades of experience — along with the occasional “back in my day” moment.
These observations at my weekly meetings got me thinking: How do our generational experiences shape how we work, think, and connect? And more importantly, how can we learn from each other to create something better than any single generation could build alone?
Generational thinking
To be sure, it’s a mistake to define people solely by the generation they belong to. After all, we’re shaped by far more than just the year we were born — our upbringing, experiences, and personal choices all play a role in who we become.
While generations don’t define us entirely, they can shape our perspectives, values, and priorities, especially around money, security, and technology. Gen Z, raised during the financial crisis in 2008, is resourceful and financially cautious. Millennials, whose early memories include 9/11, grew up in an era of uncertainty and digital innovation. Boomers and Gen X, shaped by post-World War II resilience and pop culture respectfully, value hard work and stability.
These experiences influence behavior in significant ways. The Millennial Mindset Report — a collaboration between Worth Media Group, 1-800-Flowers.com, and Boston Consulting Group — reveals that affluent Millennials favor experiences over material goods, directing their spending toward travel, self-improvement, and wellness. They embrace on-demand convenience, subscription services, and digital transactions, while social consciousness drives their brand loyalty.
Generations and relationships
Our generational experiences also deeply influence our relationships, and understanding the differences can help us better connect and communicate across any age group. It’s a quick way to exercise your empathy muscle.
Here’s an example from my own experience: Growing up in Queens, extended families often lived under the same roof or in the same neighborhood. We didn’t just hear family stories; we learned how to communicate, resolve conflicts, and build relationships across generations.
I like to think that the way my generation grew up gave us some skills that may be missing from more recent generations that experienced smaller families, more distant relationships, and frantic digital communication instead of in-person conversations.
It’s a fact that the world has changed. But knowing the reason means it’s a lot easier to figure out ways to bridge the differences in how we behave and expect others to be. I can speak from experience (and love telling stories about the stories my grandparents used to share!).
For a hilarious look at how much times have changed, check out this clip from comedian Sebastian Maniscalco. He perfectly captures the difference between how we used to welcome unexpected visitors to our houses a generation ago versus how we react to company today.
A deep dive into differences & similarities
Curious about how different generations view the importance of relationships, our team surveyed hundreds of 1-800-Flowers.com customers on the topic. The top-level result was encouraging: Across all generations, at least 80% reported that building relationships is a top priority.
But, while the value of relationships is universal, the challenges to maintaining them differ across generations.
For older generations, physical distance is the greatest barrier. This aligns with the reality that families are increasingly spread out, making it harder to stay connected. Meanwhile, Gen X and Millennials cite time constraints as their biggest obstacle, as they juggle careers, families, and responsibilities; 59% of Millennials and 47% of Gen X noted that a lack of time prevents them from strengthening their relationships.
Then there’s the communication divide. Digital tools like email and texting are widely used, but preferences vary significantly:
- Boomers and the Silent Generation still favor phone calls the most, with 40% and 37%, respectively, preferring voice conversations over texts.
- Gen X and Millennials are more evenly split, balancing phone calls, texts, and in-person meetings. About 33% of Gen X prefer phone calls, while 31% lean toward texting. Millennials are similarly divided, with 30% favoring phone calls, 30% texting, and 30% in-person communication.
- Gen Z, true digital natives, overwhelmingly prefer texting, with 100% identifying it as their primary communication method.
What you can do
Understanding generational differences can be a powerful tool for strengthening relationships, whether in families, workplaces, or communities. Here are some ways that knowledge about generations can foster stronger connections:
- Bridge communication gaps: Understand different communication styles (calls vs. texts, emails vs. in-person).
- Build empathy and respect: Appreciating each generation’s experiences reduces misunderstandings.
- Improve workplace collaboration: Leverage generational strengths for better teamwork and mentorship.
- Strengthen family bonds: Navigating different values and parenting styles fosters harmony.
- Encourage lifelong learning: Older and younger generations can learn from each other’s skills.
By understanding generational preferences, we can bridge gaps and cultivate deeper connections. At the end of the day, both we and our relationships are shaped, in ways big and small, by the eras we’ve lived through.
All the best,
Jim
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AUTHOR
Jim McCann is the founder, CEO, and chairman of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. as well as a business leader, author, and philanthropist with a passion for helping people deliver smiles. Devoted to helping others, he also founded Smile Farms, a 501(c)3 organization that provides meaningful jobs in agricultural settings to young adults and adults with developmental disabilities.
