Career Coaching Application
As previously pointed out, one of the key fundamental responsibilities for any coach is to ensure he or she does not bring predetermined judgments to the table when working with clients. Although certain motivational behaviors may be documented for a specific generational group, this does not mean every client who is a member of the specific group will share these same attributes. Rather, the intent of this research paper is to make awareness of these studies. Of equal importance however, is to make awareness of motivational influences based upon the coach’s generational subculture.
According to a recent study published, the majority of professional coaches are members of the Baby Boomer generation. (Liljenstrand & Nebeker, 2008). This is not surprising when one considers the recent popularity of the profession. Although coaching has been around for years, it has only been within the past couple of decades that performance coaching lost its negative connotation. Historically, when one was targeted for performance coaching, it usually meant he or she was facing the critical consequences of losing their job. Performance coaching was often considered as a last attempt to turning around the employee.
During the Baby Boomer era, the coaching profession was marketed in a completely new perspective. No longer was performance coaching targeted towards the marginal employee; businesses began seeing the value of focused coaching on their superstar employees as well. Over time, the benefits of performance coaching within industry evolved to life coaching outside of business.
In 2006, Baby Boomers between the ages of 42 and 60 years totaled an estimated 78 million and comprised 26.1% of the total U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). Not only did Baby Boomers represent a significant share of the coaching population, the majority of clients were also of the same generational subculture (Liljenstrand & Nebeker, 2008). Based upon previous studies made, the Baby Boomer generation shared their own unique values based upon their subculture.
Whereas Generation Y faced no significant turmoil in their upbringing, the Baby Boomer Generation grew up during a very volatile period in history. Influencing this subculture was the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War and several high profile assassinations. In many ways, Baby Boomers shaped the American culture. This was the group who led the Civil Rights movement, women’s equality, and the rights for the handicap. Rather than accepting a war, many protested against American’s involvement in Vietnam. Rather than continuing with the status quo, this was the group who recognized the injustice and unfairness of segregation. This was the group who practiced duck and cover drills during school in case of an atomic attack.
Although Boomers could be found at all levels of an organization, because of their numbers and experience in the workforce, a large percentage of Boomers held the highest executive management positions. A statistical snapshot in 2006 of Chief Executive Officers from S&P 500 companies found 69% were over the age of 50 (“Leading CEOs: A Statistical Snapshot of S&P 500 Leaders“, 2006). As a result, Boomers managing employees from all four subcultures are not uncommon.
The same Carleton University study, cited previously in discussion of Generation Y (Mayeda, 2004) listed the following five job characteristics deemed most important to the Baby Boomer generation:
- Work-life balance
- Good Benefits
- Work that is compatible to one’s moral values
- Fulfilling work
- Work makes use of abilities
Again, it would be presumptuous to believe every Baby Boomer coach or Generational Y client shares the same values as documented, but the understanding that underlying beliefs based upon era of influence may be present within each subculture cannot be dismissed.
For example, a Baby Boomer coach may place a high value on work-life balance in their own life. The coach may associate with others within his or her age range that also place significant value on work-life balance. If this value is based upon the era of upbringing, the roots may go much deeper than if the value is based upon other influential factors. The value may even become an individual’s core morality. Enter the Generational Y client who doesn’t share the same value of work-life balance and the coaching process could easily become the coach’s agenda rather than the client’s agenda.
The expectations of the coaching process may also be different based upon the generational subculture. As a tethered generation for whom instant response through e-mail and text messaging is the norm, Generation Y often looks for instant feedback. For this generation, technology has always existed (Goldgehn, 2004).
Like the Silent Generation, most Boomers had little exposure to technology when first entering the workforce and learned to adjust to the introduction of the first personal computers. Although this group has learned to tolerate the digital age, most continue to prefer a personal style of communication (Dols, Landrum, & Wieck, 2010). Planned rather than impromptu one-to-one meetings, phone calls, text messages and e-mails, have historically worked best for this subculture.
Conclusion
Effective coaching requires the coach to be non-judgmental. When coaching clients from a different generational culture, the coach must remain cognizant their core values may have foundations based upon the era of their upbringing. Although these values work for the coach, they may be in direct conflict with the values which are currently working for the client.
Wanting to give well-meaning advice is an a common characteristic for those who perceive others carrying misaligned values, but as pointed out by the International Coach Academy (Creating Awareness, 2002) advice often results to emphasize and underline a problem: To make others feel guilty. As ICA points out, when others feel guilty, their energy goes into repelling those feelings of guilt rather than moving forward in the coaching process.
References
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