Seeking advice from those who are younger than us seems a little humbling, especially for those who are from hierarchical societies such as Asia. It is expected that older people give orders, suggestions and pieces of their wisdom to rookies, who obediently follow the pieces of advice given, no matter how inane or outdated they might be. As you can already guess, wisdom is not a prerogative of any one single age group.
A child can be wiser than an ageing old man. Likewise, a child may have a lot to learn from his elders. In this context, it would be more realistic and tactical to accept that wisdom exists among different age groups, and it may not exist in any group we may assume it exists in.
Thus, at the workplace, older CEOs, and senior officials may stand to gain by listening to their younger employees, who may be more in touch with technology, social media and the current state of affairs than someone who is very experienced but a little outdated. This is not a matter of the young vs. the old, but instead, the ability to humbly seek advice from those we may think is not wise.
The younger generation is more in tune with technical advances
It is important to note that those who are younger, especially the millennials, are more in touch with technology and the different ways to use them. They are naturally accustomed to using the social media and are intuitive about using technology to their advantage.
Asking your younger employees about making use of social media and digital marketing can actually help you to gain access to a world of opportunities. This is something that many older CEOs still are not able to understand. We tend to stick to ideas that are familiar to us, even if they become outdated. It is common to see companies still sending out faxes, when there are better options available, just an example.
Younger employees are more adventurous
Even outside the realms of technology, youth is traditionally more adventurous and liberal than older people. Older management may tend to be conservative in their approach towards handling issues, which results in certain missed opportunities. Taking a more liberal approach may help not only advance the progress of the company but also open the senior management to newer and more revolutionary ideas.
Indeed, it is always a good to seek advices from our juniors, even if they are limited by their experience or age. The very situation of seeking help from someone who is traditionally not an advice-giver makes you courageous, opening up doors to different possibilities.
Parting thoughts
No matter how hierarchical you may be, it is important to recognize that wisdom can be found across different rungs of the ladder. If you are going to depend on senior management for advice all the time, you may miss out on fresh ideas, new outlooks and adventurous opinions, all of which are necessary to grow successful. In this context, it makes sense to speak to younger and less experienced employees, when it comes to technology, working styles, and company culture.
