Retiring the Generation Gap: How Employees Young and Old Can Find Common Ground

Have the skills, don’t have the time. Mentoring/coaching

has taken a back seat in my organization.

—Late Boomer

I could improve on how to push them in the right

direction without doing it for them. I also need

improvement on handling difficult confrontations.

—Early Xer

[I would need another] few years on the

job in order to be taken seriously.

—Late Xer

Almost Everyone Wants a Coach

The research clearly demonstrates that almost everyone—regard-

less of generation or level in the organization—wants a coach.

Similarly, almost everyone thinks that she has the skills to be a

coach—or that she could learn them given organizational support.

Even when they teach, men learn.

—SENECA THE YOUNGER (4 B.C.–65 A.D.), Epistulae

ALMOST EVERYONE WANTS A COACH 205

Figure 10.11. Responses to the Question, “Do You Have

the Skills to Coach Someone?” by Organizational Level.

ProfessionalTop and

Executive

Upper

management

Management

Yes

No

70

80

Percentage of respondents

0

60

50

40

30

10

20

100

90

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