Audiences are everywhere. You are my audience. When you share this blog post on social media, your network is your audience; and when you speak with a team of subordinates, they are your audience. The less you consider your audience, the greater your chances of miscommunication will be, and the lower your influence will be.

One way to consider your audience is to think of it as an iceberg. On the surface, you may see gender, age, race, and so on. But it takes some exploration to connect and relate to them. And at that point, we begin to see the part of the iceberg that is underwater; we begin to appreciate employees as individuals who have different values, perceptions, and skills, thus growing the relationship and your influence.

In the 21st Century, there are currently four generations in the American workforce, and in many other countries, too. This means leaders have a diverse audience. Each generation shows tendencies of preference regarding work ethic and communication. Therefore, as a leader, it is important to understand these preferences so that you are better prepared to build trust, deepen relationships, and maximize productivity.

According to a 2004 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, the four generations have been nicknamed The Silents, The Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials.

The Silents, born between 1925 and 1946, are accepting of authority, structure and hierarchy, and put forth their best effort. The Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, also accept authority and put forth their best effort, but distinguish themselves by being results-driven. Generation Xers, born between 1964 and 1980, are quick learners, prefer informality, and are technologically savvy. Finally, Millennials, born after 1980, are also quick learners, prefer informality, and are technologically savvy, but distinguish themselves by their need for supervision and additional information. I encourage you to further investigate the tendencies of these generations and keep up to date on the trends of the next generation. Doing so will maximize your impact as a leader.

So how can you use this information? Like I said, these four generations are currently working together in our global workforce. So, at any time, you may lead a team consisting of at least one employee from each generation. When designing your presentation or your meeting, or thinking about how to motivate someone, or even trying to hold a conversation with someone three generations removed, consider their respective backgrounds. Analyze how they work: do they need structure or informality? Are they technologically adept? What kind of language are they using? Do they need to be told how to do things often, or can they operate on their own? Explore their traits by asking questions in order to reduce this uncertainty. These traits will give you insight into your audience and make you a more effective communicator and influencer. Just remember, people tend to be interested in topics that relate to their own interests, values, and motivations—so use that to your advantage.

To the contrary, the painted picture of generational tendencies doesn't speak the truth for everyone. Like myself, I'm a Millennial by definition, however, I do not relate with being one because of how I was raised.

Communication professors, Dr. William Seiler and Dr. Melissa Beall, offer the following perceptual strategies for leaders:

Be proactive at perceiving: Get outside of your comfort zone and actively seek out as much information as possible to expand your understanding.

Recognize each person’s unique frame of reference: Recognize that even though you may interact with two people from the same generation, they are unique individuals with their own set of values.

Recognize that people, objects, and situations change: People are dynamic and always changing. Understanding this can improve your leadership agility with regards to communication.

Become aware of the role perceptions play in communication: As a leader, you must look past your own perceptions and consider how others may perceive the situation. Essentially, leaders perceive how others perceive.

Keep an open mind: Be open to differences and your inter-generational communication will improve.

Check your perceptions often: Explore your metacognition to observe and acknowledge your own perceptions. Doing so surfaces assumptions, expands your understanding, and improves your ability to become an effective communicator and influencer.