Why Gen Z answers the phone in silence, and why different doesn't mean deficient

For the first time in history, we have as many as five generations in the workforce, which means navigating completely different communication styles.

Let's pick on Gen Z for a second, and their "rude" phone habits. Did you know the generation born between 1997 and 2012 has been known to answer calls in silence? As Fast Company reports, there's no "Hello" or "This is Sam." Just silence.

Obviously, we ALL agree this is poor etiquette... but is it?

To them, it's about dodging scammers and robocalls, many of which hang up if nobody speaks first. Others simply think the person calling should be the one to talk first. I'm not going to lie, that kind of makes sense to me.

To one side, it looks like poor form. To the generation in question, it's adapted behavior for a different digital landscape.

Phone etiquette is just the tip of the iceberg. Each generation brings different expectations about communication, feedback and relationships. That's important to recognize, whether we're at work or at home with our own kids.

Different doesn't mean deficient. A good reminder the next time we're taken aback by a different style.

FYI, don't look to me for modern communication advice. I still sign my name in text messages and prefer two spaces after a period.