Chapter 8
Bridging Generational Differences
IN THIS CHAPTER
Understanding generational differences
Avoiding the trap of typecasting
Adapting to different styles
Generational differences have always been present in the workforce. That’s not new. What’s relatively new is the intense focus on categorizing and characterizing how each generation is different. As a coach for 20 years, I’ve (Leo) coached people in their twenties and people in their seventies. I still have problems keeping the terms and time periods of each generation straight. And then there are those cuspers — the ones that straddle generations.
Keeping track of generational labels is confusing and overwhelming. Personally, I don’t coach differently to different generations. I try to understand how people are different. Period. And I follow the playbook of solid managerial practices contained throughout this book. I don’t have a cheat sheet that helps me put someone in a box based on how old they are. In the same way, I utilize the same strategy for coaching people with different genders, races, or ethnicities. I’m sensitive that not everyone’s experience is the same, but it doesn’t change my overall approach.
That said, ...
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