Coaching Across
Generations
What we need to know about
generational differences
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Is there really a difference between generations or is it about different stages of life,
and how do we coach clients from this lens? What are the different generational
needs, expectations, values and conflicts and what is the impact on coaching? What
do you need to know about generational differences in order to build rapport and
effectively work with them? How do you coach leaders to manage and build relationships with team members from different generations? Come along to learn more
about intergenerational challenges presenting themselves in coaching.
22
VOLUME 14 NUMBER 3
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Gener
Coaching Across
rations
How generational differences
impact coaching, and vice versa
By Dr. Vikki G. Brock, MCC, EMBA
M
uch has been written about generational challenges in the workplace, from ‘Working with Five
Generations in the Workplace” by Forbes in 2011
to “Winning the Generation Game” by The Economist in
2013. How does this impact our coaching leaders in the
workplace? With this article I will present a conceptual
model put forth by Neil Howe and William Strauss in their
book, The Fourth Turning, followed by one approach to
effectively coach people of different generations.
Lets begin by understanding generations. In 2012, Brett
and Kate McKay shared this:
“Talking about generations is simply a way to acknowledge
that because different age groups are raised in less or more
nurturing families, and experience historical events at different times in their development, their ‘generational persona’ –
their ‘attitudes on family life, gender roles, institutions, poliVOLUME 14 NUMBER 3
23
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Feature
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As a coach you bring
your own uniqueness and
perspective from your
generation.
adulthood (21-41), midlife (41-62), elderhood (63-83), late elderhood (84+). People “belong to a generation that happens to
be passing through an age bracket – a generation with its own
memories, language, habits, beliefs, and life lessons.” The people who comprise a generation change as they age.
Strauss and Howe discovered a pattern of generational events
they call turnings, each of which lasts about 20 to 22 years.
They identify a four-stage cycle of social or mood eras (i.e. turnings) that lasts about 80-90 years. Each turning can be likened
to a season: First (High) is Spring; Second (Awakening) is Summer; Third (Unraveling) is Autumn; Fourth (Crisis) is Winter.
A generation is born approximately every 20 years and
people are living well into their 90s. The current generations
are known as G.I., Silent, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials,
and Homeland (see chart below). Each generation experiences “four turnings” approximately every 80 years. Historical turnings and generational archetypes work together
to fuel the generational cycles.
Because each of the four generation types experience the
four historical turnings at different times in their lives, each
generation is shaped differently by the formative moments in
history (see chart at right). Looking at the American High
(First Turning, 1946-1964) in this chart, America ascended as
a global superpower while social movements stalled. The
middle class grew amid huge peacetime defense budgets.
Looking at the generations in the workplace today, the Silents
were entering young adulthood and the Boomers were enter-
According to Wikipedia, the timing and turnings of the generations alive today are:
Generation
Type
Birth years
Era when members
came of age
Famous
Member
Ages
G.I.
Hero
(Civic)
1901-1924
(23)
Unraveling:
World War I/
Prohibition
John Kennedy; Katharine
Hepburn; Carl Rogers
92-115
Silent
Artist
(Adaptive)
1925–1942
(17)
Crisis:
Great Depression/
World War II
Martin Luther King, Jr.;
Sandra Day O’Conner; Mikhail
Gorbachev
Baby Boomer
Prophet
(Idealist)
1943–1960
(17)
High:
Superpower America
George W. Bush; Hillary
Clinton; Tony Blair
56-73
Generation
X
Nomad
(Reactive)
1961–1981
(20)
Awakening:
Consciousness Revolution
Barack Obama; Sarah Palin;
Princess Di; Tony Cameron
35-55
1982–2004
(22)
Unraveling:
Culture Wars, Reagan
Revolution, Postmodernism
Mark Zuckerberg; Anne
Hathaway; Prince William
12-34
2005–
present
Crisis:
Global Financial Recession,
Climate Change,
War on Terror
Prince George;
0-11
24
Millennials
Homeland
Hero
(Civic)
Artist
(Adaptive)
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tics, religion, lifestyle, and the future’ are shaped in a distinct
way. It’s also important to keep in mind that no generation is
‘better’ or ‘worse’ than another; each generation has unique
strengths and weaknesses, each is important, and each provides balance and self-correction to the cycle of history.”
According to Strauss and Howe, a generation is the “aggregate of all people born over a span of roughly 20 years, or about
the length of one phase of life: childhood (0-20 years old), young
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VOLUME 14 NUMBER 3
25
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ing childhood. The Consciousness or
McKay and McKay look at the four generational
Awakening Revolution (Second Turnarchetypes and turnings to show at which point in
ing, 1964-1984) began with urban rilife each generation experiences the turnings:
ots and counterculture driven by the
Boomers who were entering adultEra
1908-1929
1929-1946
1946-1964
1964-1984
1984-2005?
2005?-2025?
hood. This included Vietnam War
(UNRAVELING)
(CRISIS)
(HIGH)
(AWAKENING) (UNRAVELING)
(CRISIS)
Turning
THIRD
FOURTH
FIRST
SECOND
THIRD
FOURTH
protests alongside feminist, environmental and black power movements.
Women’s
Morning in
Crash of ’29
McCarthyism
Kent State
suffrage
America
Key
New Deal
Levittown
Woodstock
Post-9/11
The counterculture peaked in 1974
WWI
Culture wars
Events
Pearl Harbor
Affluent society
Watergate
America
Roaring 20’s
Long Boom
D-day
Little Rock
Tax revolt
with President Nixon’s Watergate,
Scopes trial
Y2K
and the Boomers turned toward New
Entering
Missionary
Lost
GI
Silent
Boom
Age lifestyles as hippies turned into
Progressive
ELDERHOOD
(prophet)
(nomad)
(hero)
(artist)
(prophet)
(artist) empathetic
age 63-83
wise
tough
civic
empathetic
wise
yuppies. The Silents were entering
midlife, Boomers were entering young
Missionary
Lost
GI
Silent
Boom
Generation X
Entering
(prophet)
(nomad)
(hero)
(artist)
(prophet)
(nomad)
adulthood, and Generations Xs were
MIDLIFE
moralistic
pragmatic
powerful
indecisive
moralistic
pragmatic
entering childhood.
Entering
For the Third Turning of Unraveling
Lost
GI
Boom
Generation X
Millennial
YOUNG
Silent (artist)
(nomad)
(hero)
(prophet)
(nomad)
(hero)
ADULTHOOD
sensitive
(1984-2008), we saw a long boom pealienated
heroic
visionary
alienated
heroic
age 21-41
riod with celebrity scandal and a stock
market boom. During this time people
Entering
GI
Boom
Generation X
Millennial
Homeland
Silent (artist)
YOUTH age
(hero)
(prophet)
(nomad)
(hero)
(artist)
suffocated
felt optimistic about their own lives
0-20
protected
indulged
abandoned
protected
suffocated
and pessimistic about the country.
Rising violence and widening inequality were coupled with individualism. The Silents were entering Understanding Crisis
elderhood, the Boomers were entering midlife, the Generation Another and possibly more beneficial way to view the
Xs were entering young adulthood, and the Millennials were Boomer, X and Millennial generations is from the lens of
entering childhood.
the Crisis turning we are in.
We entered the Fourth Turning in 2008 with a global fi• Boomers are idealist prophets who place value on inner
nancial crisis that led to the most severe global economic convictions and spiritual awakening – self-discovery and
downturn since the Great Depression, and the election of authenticity are valued. During the Crisis, Prophets are enGeneration X’s Barack Obama over Silent Generation’s tering elderhood while providing moral vision and valuesJohn McCain. With public trust continuing to ebb, we see oriented leadership to younger generations. Boomers are
the controversial 2016 U.S. presidential elections as an indi- also redefining ‘retirement’, with many transitioning to occation that this Fourth Turning is not likely to end soon. If cupations that bring purpose and meaning to their lives.
history holds true, the Crisis will last until approximately
• Generation Xs are reactive nomads entering mid-life dur2029. During the Crisis, Prophets (Boomers) enter elder- ing the Crisis. They are assuming roles as parents and influe hood, Nomads (Generation X’s) enter midlife, Heroes (Mil- tial leaders within society. Nomads will make personal sacrilennials) enter young adulthood, and a new generation of fices for society’s good – and are blessed with cunning and
Artists (Homeland Generation) is born. The other two liv- survival instincts well suited to lead during the Crisis. Effective
ing generations (G.I. and Silent) are unlikely to be candi- at pushing efficiency and innovation, they will continue to be
dates for coaching.
free workplace agents.
As coaches, understanding the characteristics of the three
• Millennials are civic heroes entering young adulthood
generations present in the workplace today may be benefi- during the Crisis. They are confident ambitious, and optimiscial. Looking at the chart on the following page, we can tic about life, even in tough times. Oriented toward action,
make generalities about each generation in areas such as they work well in teams. They are about community, technolwork ethic, leadership and communication styles, motiva- ogy, and affluence Redefining what young adulthood is, they
tion and technology.
place importance on getting married, having children and being community leaders.
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Workplace
Characteristic
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
Generation X
(1965-1984)
Millennials
(1985-2005)
Work Ethic
Workaholics, desire quality,
question authority
Eliminate task, self-reliant,
structure/direction, skeptical
What’s next, multitasking, tenacity,
entrepreneurial
Work is…
Exciting adventure
Difficult challenge, contract
Means to an end, fulfillment
Leadership
Style
Consensual, collegial
Each same, competence,
challenge others, ask why
Achievers. collaborative,
creative thought
Communication
In person
Direct, immediate
Email, voice mail
Rewards &
Feedback
Money, title recognition, give
something to put on wall
Sorry to interrupt-how am I doing,
freedom is best reward
When I want it-at push of button,
meaningful work, cool perks
Motivated By
Being valued and needed
Freedom and removal of rules
Working with other bright people
Work/Life
Balance
No balance ‘live to work’
Balance ‘work to live’
Balance – it’s 5pm and I’ve
got another gig
Technology
is…
Acquired: microwave, master it
Assimilated: hold in hand,
enjoy/use it
Integral: Internet, intangible,
employ it
Education is …
A birthright
A way to get there
An incredible expense
Replace or challenge leaders
Ignore leaders
Leaders must respect you
Authority
Attitude
How can we coach to accommodate each generation during the Crisis turning?
1. Recognize that each individual is unique, and characteristics of each generation are generalities rather than absolutes.
2. Know that as a coach you bring your own uniqueness
NOTES:
We will coach three
generations over the
next five years, each at
a different stage of life.
and perspective from your generation.
3. We will coach three generations over the next five years,
each at a different stage of life.
a) Boomers are wise, respected, principled and creative.
Boomers entering elderhood will provide wise guidance and
inspiring words through this Crisis.
b) Generation Xs are transitioning from alienated to mellow as they enter midlife. They are pragmatic leaders who
are hands-on and get it done.
c) Millennials are focused on building and working in
26
teams as they enter young adulthood.
While it is beneficial to understand trends and commonalities across generations, what is critical is to be aware of
our personal bias and coach the individual, rather than the
generational characteristics.
VOLUME 14 NUMBER 3
www.forbes.com/sites/rawnshah/2011/04/20/working-with-five-generationsin-the-workplace/
2
www.economist.com/news/business/21586831-businesses-are-worryingabout-how-manage-different-age-groups-widely-different
3
www.artofmanliness.com/2012/07/12/the-generations-of-men-how-thecycles-of-history-have-shaped-your-values-your-place-in-the-world-andyour-idea-of-manhood/
4
www.lifecourse.com/about/method/phases.html
5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss–Howe_generational_theory
6
www.artofmanliness.com/2012/07/12/the-generations-of-men-how-thecycles-of-history-have-shaped-your-values-your-place-in-the-world-andyour-idea-of-manhood/
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
www.fourthturning.com
Harvard Business Review, July-August 2007 “The Next 20 Years:
How Customer and Workforce Attitudes Will Evolve” by Neil Howe
and William Strauss.
www.lifecourse.com/assets/files/turnings_in_history(1).pdf
“Turnings in History”
www.lifecourse.com/about/method/timelines/generations.html
“Generations in Anglo-American History”
www.lifecourse.com/about/method/timelines/turnings.html
“Turnings in Anglo-American History”
www.lifecourse.com/assets/files/gens_in_history(1).pdf
“Generations in History”
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Characteristics of Generations in Today’s Workplace: