Bridging Communication Gaps in Business

George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” He wasn’t wrong.

When I started working in insurance after years in the media world, one of the first things that struck me was how differently people communicate. In broadcasting, I lived in a world of on-air personalities who were usually introverts, and sales teams who thrived as extroverts. I thought insurance would look the same: salespeople would naturally be outgoing, always working the room. What I quickly learned is that agency owners and staff communicate in ways that are shaped just as much by generation as by personality.

In agencies today, we often serve five generations at once. That’s a communication puzzle if I’ve ever seen one.

• Traditionalists (born before 1945): They still walk into your office. They want a handshake, a smile, and a piece of paper in hand when they leave. A printed endorsement request isn’t just a detail. It’s reassurance that the promise you sold is real.
• Baby Boomers (1946–1964): Many of our agency owners fall here. They value phone calls, printed agendas, and thorough conversations. They’re loyal to process and hierarchy, and they’re most comfortable when things are clear and documented.
• Gen X (1965–1980): My people. The bullet point generation. We want the short version, the highlights, the summary. We’re efficient, direct, and usually juggling ten things at once. It’s not that we don’t care. It’s that we want the meat without the garnish.
• Millennials (1981–1996): This is the most misunderstood group. They’re not 20 anymore. They’re 29 to 44, which means they’re the next agency owners and your prime customer demographic. They’re digital first, collaborative, and they thrive on feedback and teamwork. If you’re not recognizing that, you’re missing the growth engine of your business.
• Gen Z (1997–2012): The Gen Zs I’ve mentored are fascinating to me. They don’t usually text first. They’ll go straight to a video call. They love FaceTime, they love video, and they want immediate feedback. They’re highly visual and learn best through short, interactive formats like training videos, memes, and YouTube tutorials. While I’d rather skim a manual and figure it out myself, they’d rather watch and do.

The challenge for leaders and agency owners is simple but not easy: adaptability.

We can’t force everyone into one mode of communication and expect it to work. A millennial who thrives on text messages won’t engage the same way as a boomer who wants a detailed phone call. A Gen Z team member may never even think to send an email, while a traditionalist client may not trust anything that doesn’t come on letterhead.

The trick is to ask our clients and team members: How do you prefer to communicate? It’s amazing how much easier things get when we stop assuming and start adapting.

Communication isn’t just about words; it’s about trust. If we get it wrong, we risk losing employees, clients, or both. But when we get it right, when we learn to “translate” across generations, we build stronger teams, happier clients, and more resilient businesses.

As the great Pat Summitt once said, “Communication is the key to building trust.” And in business, trust is everything.

Be fearless! ~T.

For a great conversation on communication between generations, check out Episode 282 of the IA Forward podcast, "Paper, Texts, or FaceTime: Bridging Communication Gaps" on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at IntegraPartnerNetwork.com.

The Integra Partner Network is about building strong independent agencies, not cookie-cutter models. We love sharing insights with agents to help them succeed, their way. Learn more at integrapartnernetwork.com