Overcoming Ageism (HBR Women at Work Series)

11

Learning Across Generational Divides

by Lynda Gratton and Andrew J. Scott

Coaching and mentoring across age groups makes sense. There is surely much each can learn from the other. We typically imagine that the young can help the old understand technology and the old can impart general wisdom.

But is there more insight into possible cross-generational learning than these commonplace observations? What else, specifically, can the young learn from the old, and vice versa?

To understand this issue, we designed a diagnostic and posted it on our website, encouraging people of all ages and from across the world to tell us about their work and life experiences. Over 10,000 people completed it. What we asked people was, at this point in their lives, ...