Coaching Generations in the Workplace

Abstract

Understanding employees' beliefs, attitudes, and values about the world and the workplace can assist a manager in more effectively communicating with and coaching employees. One of the factors that influence an employee's perception of work is the generation in which they were born. The workforce today is composed of three distinct generational cohorts. The term generational cohort refers to people born in the same general time span who share key life experiences, which include demographic trends, historical events, public heroes, entertainment pastimes, and early work experiences. These common life experiences create cohesiveness in perspectives and attitudes and define the unspoken assumptions of the generation. As a result, employees of different age groups do not share the same work ethic or expectations. Certainly, each human being is an individual. However, understanding generational experiences and perspectives and learning to coach individuals from different age groups are becoming essential management skills.

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