Times are a changing...

This week I had several conversations with various co-workers about the cultural differences between our generations. In my immediate work area there are two of us under 30 and the rest are all over 40. Sometimes it is clear that we grew up in different times and under different social norms.
Last weekend, BuCorps employees had a day out at the ballpark. My boss was sitting a row or two in front of me with his wife while I was text messaging co-workers who were tardy trying to see where they were at. The bosses wife, Susan, (who had met my tardy co-worker John and is in her early 30s) wanted to call him and yank his chain about being late. Since I had my phone out, I dialed John's number and handed it over. They had a brief conversation and it was the end of things. Back at work, I got into a conversation with my supervisor about the call. She thought it was weird that her boss' wife called one of her employees. It just left a bad taste in her mouth. I questioned that and mentioned that I didn't think it was that weird. They knew each other and had previously interacted in a non-work setting. After some discussion, we settled on cultural differences. Part of the reason I don't think it is a huge deal is because John and Susan are close to the same age. She's a few years older than he is, but not enough to make any real difference. The conversation was interesting though. And, I guess there's some merit to it.
This is my first job where I'm interacting primarily with people who are of a different generation. I need to keep in mind that they were brought up under different norms. Sometimes, I need to step back and better inventory my audience. That might mean that in some settings I'll change the way I act or what I say. One such occasion is in meetings. People get taken back when I speak up in meetings with high level executives. People seem to get really shy and reserved around the older managers. I have no shame in talking to them and asking them questions. I want to learn. I want to gain knowledge and understanding. I want to interact with the decision makers. This is what I'm a fan of. We all put our pants on the same way and are here to do a job. I want them to help me do my job better, by teaching me. That, I assume, is why they're in management. They must know something I don't. If I want to move through the ranks, I need to figure out what that is.