Coaching Up and Down the Generations

"Coaching," Lisa Haneberg says, "is agile, service-oriented persistence with a tolerance for the unexplainable and a willingness to go down a path that is not yours, does not interest you, and requires that you buy new shoes to traverse unharmed." This tongue-in-cheek description suggests the fun and breezy tone of this book. This is most decidedly not just another book about generational differences, nor is it yet another "how to coach" book. Coaching Up and Down the Generations looks at the key processes of transferring knowledge, developing teams, and collaborating, and examines how different age groups can better learn from one another and even experience major breakthroughs that will improve their progress--despite disparate backgrounds.

You'll find a thorough examination of key issues in intergenerational coaching situations, including what constitutes great coaching, at any age; a complete overview of each generation and how they view life, technology, work, communication, and behavior; how to handle clashing communication styles and preferences; the importance of "coachability" in yourself and others regardless of different habits, opinions, and work styles; how to cultivate a coaching environment where the different generations can have provocative conversations and truly help one another.

With this book as your guide, you can show the generations how to find common points of interest, needs, and goals. You'll find ingenious tips for creating formal and informal coaching situations, developing opportunities to build relationships, and helping people of all ages to become catalytic coaches and engaged performers.